Abstract

The 2008 presidential election witnessed a struggle among Catholics with regard to their civic responsibilities. The U.S. bishops published documents and made numerous public statements for the purpose of clarifying a Catholic’s role in politics. Yet the presidential candidate with the most extreme positions against the fundamental issues of Catholic Social Teaching won a majority of the Catholic vote. This paper will examine the role of religion in politics and the importance of civic responsibility among Catholics. It will further lay the foundation for a detailed discussion of how Catholics should act in the public square and apply it to explaining the problematic outcome of the 2008 presidential election.