Photo: Catholic Hispanic Group Releases "Voter's Guide" Ahead of 2012 Presidential Election
A Catholic Hispanic group has released a voter’s guide to assist their community in being a part of the U.S. democratic process.
The Catholic Hispanic Leadership Alliance has released the Catholic Voter’s Education Guide to the 2012 Presidential election.
The guide is based on Catholic teaching, and is designed to help voters evaluate the two major party candidates running for President and their respective party platforms. The CHLA voting guide uses Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility which was written by the Catholic Bishops of the United States, and other Church documents.
The CHLA refers to the guide as “a call to action – a call to civic responsibility and a call to faithfulness.”
Reverend Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M., Cap. Archbishop of Philadelphia, stated:
Our problems can only be solved by people of character who actively and without apology take their beliefs into public debates. That includes Catholics. We need to be stronger in our public witness, not weaker. If we really believe that the Gospel is true, we need to embody it in our private lives and our public choices.”
According to the 21-page guide, which evaluated President Obama and Mitt Romney on 23 key issues such as contraception, immigration reform, and gay marriage.
Earlier this month, the group’s president, Robert Aguirre told the Catholic News Agency, ‘We invite U.S. Catholics to reflect on this document and use it as an aid to decision-making before entering the voting booth in November.’
Aguirre added, ‘Opinions from candidates and the media related to these issues may be debated, but Catholic social teaching is clear.’
