“The right to religious freedom is not optional but essential. Individuals and governments are thus impelled to recognize the right to religious freedom and their duty to respect this right as the cornerstone of any just society.”
Pope Leo XIV
The First Amendment assures Americans the freedom to exercise their faith in the public square. For Catholics and other religious individuals and organizations, religious liberty protects the right to worship as much as the right to serve others—especially those in need—in harmony with the teachings of the faith. To protect the freedom to serve inherent in the right to religious liberty, MCC supports:
Lansing Update / Posted August 14, 2026
The state recently agreed to not enforce a law that MCC had opposed due to constitutional concerns related to faith-based counseling. Also, two MCC-backed bills recently became law, a less-than-frequent occurrence in this era of divided government.
Lansing Update / Posted June 13, 2025
The House unveiled and passed a school spending budget that provides $40 million to nonpublic schools to spend on a variety of essential services, including, for the first time, expanding access to free school meals for children. Plus, a convincing victory for religious exercise rights was delivered by the U.S. Supreme Court recently.
‘A Blueprint for the Common Good’ Reflects MCC’s Mission to Promote the Dignity of Human Life
News Release / Posted February 4, 2025
Michigan Catholic Conference announced the release of its public policy advocacy principles for the 2025–2026 legislative session, which guide MCC’s work at the state Capitol and are informed by Catholic social teaching.
Lansing Update / Posted December 13, 2024
The end-of-the-year legislative push intensified as the state House and Senate took up hundreds of bills through multiple marathon sessions held around the clock. See what MCC staff are tracking and working on this week as lawmakers race to get bills through to the next chamber before time runs out.
Lansing Update / Posted December 6, 2024
The first week of the last stretch of session kicked off this week and MCC was involved on a number of fronts, including issuing a press release and video about what it's like to live without a driver's license in Michigan. The testimonial video is connected to MCC's advocacy for driver's licenses for immigrants. Watch the video and see what other legislation MCC is tracking this week.