Better off?

"The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has released a bulletin insert summarizing the bishops' teaching on the role of Catholics in the public arena.

"The new bulletin insert suggests that in an election year, 'We need a new kind of politics—focused on moral principles, not the polls; on the needs of the vulnerable, not the contributions of the powerful; and on the pursuit of the common good, not the demands of special interests.'

"It urges voters 'to see beyond party politics, to analyze campaign rhetoric critically, and to choose political leaders according to principle, not party affiliation or self-interest. As bishops, we do not wish to instruct persons on how they should vote by endorsing or opposing candidates. We hope that voters will examine candidates on the full range of issues and on their personal integrity, philosophy, and performance.'

"Affirming that in Catholic teaching abortion and euthanasia are 'pre-eminent threats to human life and dignity,' the insert also suggests that during this election year, 'politics should be about an old idea with new power—the common good. The question should not be, "Are you better off than you were four years ago?" It should be, "How can ‘we' — all of us — especially the weak and vulnerable — be better off in the years ahead?"'"