Catholic Leadership Organization Debuts Presidential Election Voter's Guide

Aug. 21, 2012 - PRLog -- Today, the San Antonio-based Catholic Hispanic Leadership Alliance (CHLA) released a 2012 Voter’s Education Guide applying Catholic social teaching to hot-button topics of the upcoming presidential election.  Immigration reform, same-sex marriage and the Affordable Healthcare Act are just a few of the issues affecting Catholics. “Opinions from candidates and the media related to these issues may be debated, but Catholic social teaching is clear,” stated CHLA president Robert Aguirre.  “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,” he added.

Focused solely on the two major party presumed nominees, the 21-page document evaluates each candidate based upon 23 specific questions centered around the priority issues of the United States Catholic bishops. The report, available on CHLA's website at www.CatholicHispanic.org, gives a brief analysis of the issues and includes a matrix which shows the candidate's record as it compares to Catholic social teaching. The website also includes a unique video presentation featuring the highlights of the voter's education guide's analysis.

"Our evaluation of the two candidates was based on 23 key priority issues for which President Obama achieves a score of 17.4% and Governor Romney achieves a score of 52.2%. In terms of being in step with the moral voice of our bishops, the difference between the two major party candidates is very clear," said Aguirre. "This isn't just an evaluation for Hispanic Catholics," he explained, "it is a guided reflection of the position of our Catholic Church and of all people of faith who believe in applying the principles of the Gospel in the public square."

The CHLA’s 2012 Catholic Voter's Education Guide draws heavily from a report from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops entitled “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility.” "The bishops' report on political responsibility serves as the cornerstone for a call to action in our communities, in our parishes and schools, in the public square and ultimately in the voting booth. Let there be no mistake about it, this is a national call for Catholics to exercise their faith in the voting booth," Aguirre emphasized.

The Catholic Hispanic Leadership Alliance is a non-profit, nonpartisan 501-c-4 organization whose mission and purpose is to educate the general public on public policy issues and to advocate for the common good through programs, publications and policies. The organization is comprised of business and professional people, faithful to Catholic Social Teaching, and striving to be faithful citizens in this time of great challenge to our first freedom - religious liberty. The organization is non-partisan and has no relationship with, or connection to, any candidate, political party or organization.