himomdadbabyemail: postmaster@pro-life.org

"Human life is sacred because from its beginning it

involves the creative action of God and it remains for ever in a

special relationship with the Creator,  who is its sole end.

God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its

end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the

right directly to destroy an innocent human being."

 (par.  2258 CCC)

Guidelines for Advocacy

Guidelines for Advocating in Parishes or on Church Property

Note: "RFL" refers to our Respect-for-Life, Inc. organization.

Political participation for Catholics is not only an opportunity but also an obligation.

It is legal and acceptable to advocate public policy issues, including ballot measures by Catholic organizations or in parishes. Advocacy or distribution of flyers or collections of signatures can be done in a parish, but only with the permission of the pastor. Some of the background on this page may be helpful to the pastor in making his decision. If a pastor does not wish to support such activity, RFL volunteers should not argue with him but should find other means for advocating that will not conflict with the pastor's wishes.

RFL volunteers should be aware that there are legal and policy restrictions that apply to advocating public policy in parishes and on other Church property. The controlling document for political activity on Church property is Political Activity Guidelines for Catholic Organizations issued by the US Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB).

The California Catholic Conference has published its own guidelines reflecting consideration of California laws -- Guidelines for Pastors and Parishes on Advocacy and Political Action.

 

In general,

  • Advocating for or against a candidate for electoral office or a political party in the context of an election is prohibited on Church property.
  • Therefore RFL does it s advocacy outside of Church property  unless specifically given permission.
  • Lobbying or grassroots advocacy is permitted on Church property with restrictions (see below). Advocacy or campaigning for or against an initiative or ballot measure is considered lobbying under the law.

 

Excerpts from Political Activity Guidelines for Catholic Organizations (USCCB)

How does the IRC limit lobbying activity by Catholic organizations? The IRC limits the amount of lobbying in which section 501(c)(3) organizations may engage. Under section 501(c)(3), Catholic organizations may engage in lobbying activities only if they do not constitute a substantial part of their total activities, measured by time, effort, expenditure and other relevant factors. Neither the IRC nor the regulations define what is "substantial" in this context. A few cases suggest that the line between what is substantial and what is insubstantial lies somewhere between 5% and 15% of an organization's total activities. IRS does not endorse any particular percentage safe harbor, but would clearly be more comfortable at the lower end of the spectrum. [See: Murray Seasongood v. Commissioner, 227 F.2d 907 (6th Cir. 1955) (less than 5% time and effort was not substantial); Haswell v. U.S., 500 F.2d 1133 (Ct.Cl. 1974), cert. denied, 419 U.S. 1107 (1975) (16-20% of budget was substantial).]

 

Note about RFL, Respect-for-Life, Inc. at www.respect-for-life.net

 

Although RFL is Catholic in its basic nature because the founder is a Catholic, RFL was organized as a regular "C" corporation in the state of Minnesota USA.  Hence RFL does not consider itself to be limited by any of the IRC rules which govern 501(c)(3) organizations.  RFL's mission is to translate the Catholic Church's teachings into specific legislative and election-time recommendations for specific wording of proposed laws and for specific candidates so that the citizens of a state or of our country can more specifically know and subsequently elect [e.g., pro-life, or pro-traditional marriage] individuals and can more specifically advocate specific wording to proposed laws.

 

Also, RFL recognizes other conservative organizations who work to bring about specific wording in proposed laws that often is in line with Catholic teaching, and who advocate for specific candidates to promote their conservative agenda.  RFL may sometimes provide references or hyperlinks to these organizations in order to promote the common good of our society, and to seek some level of solidarity in order to overcome the seemingly in-surmountable obstacles that stand in the way of creating a "culture of life", as proclaimed clearly by the late Pope John-Paul II in his encyclical, "The Gospel of Life".   RFL also recognizes that sometimes non-Catholic conservative organizations can be more Catholic that some organizations, or individuals, that claim to be Catholic but exhibit non-Catholic behavior.

 

 

Are ballot measures lobbying or political activity? Ballot measures, including referenda, initiatives, constitutional amendments, and bond measures, are considered legislative proposals. Thus, involvement by Catholic organizations in various forms of ballot measures is limited, not prohibited. Catholic organizations may support or oppose ballot measures, etc., in furtherance of their exempt purposes, subject to the relevant lobbying limitation, without jeopardizing tax-exempt status.

 

Respect-for-Life, inc. [RFL] does its advocating and/or lobbying under regulator "C" corporation rules and not under the IRC  501(c)(3) rules, and carries on such lobbying outside of Church property unless specific permission has been granted by a church.

 

RFL does not restrict anyone from using its resources on this web site or on any of its other web sites.  Fees may apply in some cases and will be clearly listed.  "Terms of service" as published on each website are expected to be followed or adhered to. RFL does not disclosed any private information unless permission has been given.

 

 

In California, pastors are asked to consult with their diocese for guidelines regarding collecting signatures on petitions for ballot measures.

 

 

These guidelines were adapted for Respect-for-Life, Inc. [RFL, a Minnesota organization] from the California organization, Catholics for the Common Good.  Refer to www.ccgaction.org


 

Related resources

 

  • Refer to our hyperlinks page for links to many groups which have lots of resources.

 

 

Letter Writing Guidlines

 

How to write a letter to the editor

Your opinion matters and can influence other citizens and government officials through the letter-to-the-editor column in your local newspaper.  A. Write to local and regional newspapers in your area.   B.Don't forget weeklies too.  C.  It is sometimes easier to get letters printed there if they are not accepted by a daily.

Papers receive a great many letters to the editor. The more people send letters to the editor on one topic, the better chance that one will get printed.

One of the best ways to get a letter to the editor printed is to respond to a recent news story or opinion column.

 

 

To make your letter most effective:

 

1.  Make the letter short, between 100 and 200 words and no more than three quick paragraphs.  Shorter is better.

 

2.  Make it punchy.  Using humor, sarcasm or ridicule tastefully can make it more entertaining while getting your point across. Avoid sounding angry, judgmental, nasty or disrespectful.

 

3.  Refer to your most important point in the first paragraph.

 

If you are responding to an article or opinion column:


1. Reference the title, date and author of the original piece in your opening sentence.

 

2. Suggest what the reporter/author should have said.

----Do not waste space repeating what the article said; instead, begin with your main point.

 

 

 

 

 

Addapted from a note about 'letters to the editor' of the Catholics for the Common Good, www.ccgactions.org