The Church has a duty to witness to the Gospel. The leaders of the church have the right and duty to share the church's teaching and to educate Catholics . Nevertheless the bishops are not seeking to build a 'religious voting bloc,' rather they are offering an ethic of life as the heart of a moral framework for civic life. The social nature of man in family and society must be respected. Rights have their corresponding responsibilities.
Society is obligated to respect the right to life for example.
The poor are God's special concern so they must also feature in public policy. The economy is to serve people and permit their full development. Stewardship of creation is part of our responsibility. Then there are moral priorities that the Church wishes to keep in the national debate. The first is protecting human life since it is sacred.