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Call to Family, Community and Participation a principle of Catholic Social Teaching "The person is not only sacred but also social. How we organize our society -- in economics and politics, in law and policy -- directly affects human dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in community. Marriage and the family are the central social institutions that must be supported and strengthened, not undermined. We believe people have a right and a duty to participate in society, seeking together the common good and well-being of all, especially the poor and vulnerable." --The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, explaining Catholic Social Teaching The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops released a statement in November 2007 called "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship." This is the document that will serve as this year's "official" guidance from the Church on how to be civically engaged as a faithful Catholic. The Bishops are obviously encouraging every faithful voting Catholic to read the full statement, and we hope you'll do that as well. We call attention to statements 46, 47 and 48 below: 46. The human person is not only sacred but also social. Full human development takes place in relationship with others. The family -- based on marriage between a man and a woman -- is the first and fundamental unit of society and is a sanctuary for the creation and nurturing of children. It should be defended and strengthened, not redefined or undermined by permitting same-sex unions or other distortions of marriage. Respect for the family should be reflected in every policy and program. It is important to uphold parents' rights and responsibilities to care for their children, including the right to choose their children's education. 47. How we organize our society -- in economics and politics, in law and policy -- directly affects the common good and the capacity of individuals to develop their full potential. Every person and association has a right and a duty to participate actively in shaping society and to promote the well-being of all, especially the poor and vulnerable. 48. The principle of subsidiarity reminds us that larger institutions in society should not overwhelm or interfere with smaller or local institutions, yet larger institutions have essential responsibilities when the more local institutions cannot adequately protect human dignity, meet human needs, and advance the common good. F R O M   T H E   B L U E P R I N T   F O R   C H A N G E WORK/FAMILY BALANCE Expand the Family and Medical Leave Act The FMLA covers only certain workers in businesses with 50 or more employees. Obama will expand it to cover businesses with 25 or more employees. He will also expand what's covered under the FMLA, to include allowing workers to take leave for elder care needs; allowing parents up to 24 hours of leave each year to participate in their children's academic activities; and to expand FMLA to cover leave for employees to address domestic violence. Encourage States to Adopt Paid Leave As president, Obama will initiate a strategy to encourage all 50 states to adopt paid-leave systems. Obama will provide a $1.5 billion fund to assist states with start-up costs and to help states offset the costs for employees and employers. Expand High-Quality Afterschool Opportunities Obama will double funding for the main federal support for afterschool programs, the 21st Century Learning Centers program, to serve a million more children. Obama will include measures to maximize performance and effectiveness across grantees nationwide. Expand the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit provides too little relief to families that struggle to afford child care expenses. Obama will reform the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit by making it refundable and allowing low-income families to receive up to a 50 percent credit for their child care expenses. Protect Against Caregiver Discrimination Workers with family obligations often are discriminated against in the workplace. Obama will enforce the recently-enacted Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidelines on caregiver discrimination. Expand Flexible Work Arrangements Obama will create a program to inform businesses about the benefits of flexible work schedules; help businesses create flexible work opportunities; and increase federal incentives for telecommuting. Obama will also make the federal government a model employer in terms of adopting flexible work schedules and permitting employees to request flexible arrangements. Contact us.    Register to vote. This website is not affiliated with the campaign of Barack Obama or with the Roman Catholic Church.