I am not endorsing and have never endorsed any candidate for any office, state, local or national. But I do not believe it is helpful for a bishop, as a bishop, to endorse candidates or officially promote their election. In fact, I think it can be counterproductive. But bishops do think that they have a responsibility to speak out on the moral dimensions of public life. We do so, first of all, by urging every Catholic who is eligible to vote to do so.
Every vote counts.
Every act or responsible citizenship is an exercise of significant individual power. The Catholic voter, as every voter, should cast his or her own vote responsibly. Then the decision for whom to vote is a matter of conscience for each individual. As our people make their own personal decisions, bishops can and should offer help in assessing the issues that confront our country and voters today. We did so in connection with the coming election almost a year ago.