The letter is well written and thoughtful and represents the thinking of the US Bishops. As such it is a good starting point for constantly reminding the new President that there is a large percentage of the population who do not approve of the measures he has been referring to and that his efforts at "bringing people together" would be significantly hampered were he to inflict upon America an abortion regime the likes of which has never been seen before.

Far from bringing people together, this would divide the country in an even more aggravated way than has been seen in the past. A new era is definitely upon us.

It's important that the Catholic Church in general become more involved in fixing our political system. In an age where principle is sacrificed for personal gain and corruption is celebrated and its practitioners promoted, it makes sense to organize people who are honest and morally ethical to challenge the prevailing system in order to advance the common good. Not because we are interested in one party over the other, but because we are interested in humanity, first and foremost.

Two things in particular need to happen here. 1) We need to make sure that the men and women who run for office are morally free from any taint or corruption. They must be honest, and live their lives with integrity and truly have a servant's heart. We must find these people and ask them to serve.

2) We must make sure that those who are in office actually advance the common good via the bills that the various legislatures around the country propose. Pressure must be brought to bear on these politicians to make sure they know that the people in their districts are watching and paying attention to every vote. And they will make their voices heard.

In the past few months, we have been receiving many inquiries from people indiciating their desire to do something about the tragedy of abortion in our land. They have told me that they are unhappy with the current efforts at ending abortion and want to be involved in an effort that makes this goal occur.

They are also overwhelmed by the corruption and scandal that daily lines the headlines of our newspapers and see the need to change it.

You CAN make a difference with CAT

In order to facilitate that growth and to make sure that the Catholic Church in Dallas has a powerful impact on public policy and the legislative process, we have started the Catholic Action Team (CAT), which will mobilize and educate Citizen Volunteers to be in touch with their elected officials, to visit with them and to pay attention to what they are doing. This personal touch, accompanied by the desire to restore integrity to our political system, represents our best chance of advancing the common good in a way that is consistent with what the Church teaches.

(Pro-life Texas State Senator Dan Patrick at Jan. 17's Roe Rally)

Our first CAT team training will take place on Saturday, January 31st at Thomas Aquinas Church in Dallas from 9:00 am - 1:00 pm. This training is free and it is for people of all ages. You do not have to be an expert in politics or the political system to attend.

For more information, visit us online at www.prolifedallas.org/CAT. Sign up for the training online as well.

Labels: Catholic Politicians, Politics, Texas Legislature