Election & Political Activities Guide: Efforts by Outside Organizations

Catholics are called to actively participate in civic life, to engage in civil and respectful dialogue in the public square, and to vote with a well-formed conscience. While Catholic lay women and men are encouraged to fully exercise their rights and duties as participants in our democracy, there are specific guidelines that Church entities and representatives are urged to follow. 

As a battleground or swing state, Florida is expected to receive a great deal of attention during the 2020 election season. Due to increased efforts by candidates, committees, and politically-minded entities to win Florida and Catholic voters, it is important to be aware of the bishops' guidelines on parish and ministry involvement with outside organizations.

While the goal of organizations that seek to mobilize and educate Catholic voters may be laudable, the following concerns should be noted:

• Many of these groups tend to focus on a single or limited number of issues and do not cover the broad concerns of the Church; others may stand in opposition to the bishops' positions on an certain issues.
• These organizations may endorse (or oppose) candidates for elective office, as well as provide candidates with direct financial support, which does not conform to the non-partisan nature of the Church and risks scrutiny of the Church's tax-exempt status. 
• Distribution of materials by outside organizations and sharing of parishioner lists is contrary to the policies identified in the Election & Political Activities Guide (page 5). By going directly to pastors or parishioners, some groups may be seeking to circumvent the political activity guidelines of the FCCB.

Parishes or persons representing the Church in official capacities are not to distribute any materials that are not approved by the local diocesan bishop or the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops (FCCB), or made available through the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

For additional guidance on election-related concerns, see the  Election & Political Activities Guide available in English and  Spanish.