In its public policy advocacy on behalf of the Church, MCC works to secure funding in the state budget to support the Church’s ministries that serve Michigan families and children in need. The new edition of Focus shares specific examples of how state funding secured by MCC helped programs that assist families in need of diapers, parents seeking to adopt and foster children, and homeless and runaway youth in crisis.
The House and Senate both approved budget proposals for next year that fund many MCC priorities, with the House education budget in particular funding all MCC requests for supporting nonpublic schools, from school safety to teacher recruitment programs and more.
Protecting children from harm while nurturing their growth is a goal both parents and policymakers often share, a goal aligned with the Church’s concern for families and children. This is why Michigan Catholic Conference has recently offered support to legislation limiting children’s access to artificial intelligence companion chatbots and addictive social media feeds.
MCC offered support for legislation requiring the state and schools to distribute information about sextortion, and worked to ensure nonpublic and Catholic schools have access to the information to prevent against this new form of child exploitation. Also, MCC stands against allowing businesses to charge high interest rates, and a plug for participating in Holy Week.
The Governor gave her final State of the State, and MCC provided support for legislation to limit children from accessing AI chatbots that mimic human relationships. Plus, an encouraging report on the number of Michiganders who are expected to become Catholic this Easter.
These nine advocacy principles originate from Catholic social teaching and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Within each principle are specific policy priorities MCC brings to dialogue that occurs at the state Capitol.
Every human being is created in the image and likeness of God. Human life is sacred, and the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society.
All people must have access to basic human needs to ensure they can live in a dignified manner, with a particular concern for the poor, the vulnerable, and anyone who goes without those basic needs.
Faith-based organizations provide services to the needy and contribute to the common welfare of society through institutions like schools and hospitals. Faith is what animates these providers to serve and is the foundational dimension of their identity.
The human dignity of both the crime victim and the offender should be acknowledged within the criminal justice system when considering punishment and the capacity for rehabilitation.
The human dignity of the immigrant, the refugee and the asylee—regardless of personal circumstances, background, or even legal status—must not be forgotten when considering how to manage immigration practices.
Environmental stewardship has a moral dimension, particularly in the recognition of the impact that environmental deterioration has on people, families, and the poor.
The Church’s social teaching is a rich treasure of wisdom about building a just society and living lives of holiness amidst the challenges of modern society. Modern Catholic social teaching has been articulated through a tradition of papal, conciliar, and episcopal documents. The depth and richness of this tradition can be understood best through a direct reading of these documents. In these brief reflections, we wish to highlight several of the key themes that are at the heart of our Catholic social tradition.
