Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore released a 32-page pastoral letter titled “In Charity and Truth: Toward a Renewed Political Culture.” The letter, keyed to the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, addresses the need for renewal in American public discourse. Lori's letter offers an unsparing view of the current political atmosphere, describing it as toxic, vitriolic, and marked by deep polarization and threats of violence. The release coincided with public calls from Cardinals Cupich and Archbishop Weisenburger for President Trump to apologize for sharing a racist video.
24 days ago
Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore released his fifth pastoral letter, “In Charity and Truth: Toward a Renewed Political Culture,” on February 9, 2026.1 2 5
The 32-page document anticipates the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, framing it as “a moment of grace and responsibility.”1 2
It draws on teachings from Popes Leo XIV, Francis, and Benedict XVI, Vatican II, the U.S. Constitution, and saints' lives.1 2 5
Lori describes the political atmosphere as “polluted, even toxic,” with vitriolic discourse, violence, deep polarization, and extreme ideologies.1 2 5
This stems from a “wounded understanding of the human person,” reducing others to obstacles rather than image-bearers of God.1
Polarization fosters loneliness and treats politics as power struggles, not common good pursuits.2 3
Article 1 uniquely ties this to recent events, like President Trump's sharing of a racist video, prompting calls for apology from Cardinals Cupich and Archbishop Weisenburger.1
Lori adapts synodality—listening humbly, speaking honestly, discerning with the Spirit—to civic life, emphasizing walking together despite differences.1 2 5
It rejects demonization, expects disagreement, but prioritizes shared humanity over fractured unity.2 3
Civic friendship, enabled by virtues, counters polarization by seeing opponents as brothers, building bridges, fostering trust, and cultivating hope.1
The letter highlights prudence for wise policy evaluation, justice for honoring dignity and rights, fortitude for enduring criticism while advocating truth, and temperance for measured words amid excess.1 2 3
These virtues form a “shared moral grammar” transcending parties, enabling healthy engagement.1 5
Lori urges resisting ideology idolatry, defending life from conception to death, aiding the vulnerable, promoting justice, peace, and religious freedom.2
Lori cites Blessed Michael McGivney, Knights of Columbus founder, for serving immigrants with charity and fraternity.1 2 3
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini exemplifies aid to the poor and immigrants.1
Sts. Thomas More and John Fisher model faith-filled patriotism, truth-speaking, and fortitude without aggression.1
These figures inspire Gospel-informed conscience over uncritical allegiance or withdrawal.1
Lori outlines renewal: prayer for the nation, civil dialogue, rejecting violence, conscience formation, and encountering others.2 3 5
Catholics must engage publicly as missionaries, bringing dignity and solidarity without partisanship.5
The Church forms saints, heals divides, and witnesses hope, helping the nation become its best self despite darkness.1 2
How should the Catholic Church define civic virtue in contemporary politics?
Catholic teaching defines civic virtue as the active engagement of the faithful, particularly the laity, in political and public life, guided by a Christian conscience that infuses temporal affairs with Gospel values while respecting their autonomy, all oriented toward the common good and ultimately perfected by charity. This understanding draws from the Church's social doctrine, emphasizing virtues like justice, solidarity, and fortitude applied to contemporary politics, where Catholics must defend natural moral law principles such as human dignity, life, and the environment without succumbing to relativism or counterfeit goods. Rooted in Scripture, tradition, and magisterial documents, civic virtue is not merely civic duty but a form of charity expressed in "macro-relationships" like politics, calling for holiness amid worldly complexities.
The Church's vision of civic virtue echoes the command to love God and neighbor, elevated by Christ into a "new commandment" to love as He loves, even unto the Cross. This love manifests in public life through virtues that safeguard the human person and society. St. Thomas Aquinas, as interpreted in contemporary theology, distinguishes true civic virtues—such as fortitude directed to the bonum honestum of the state's welfare (conservatio civitatis)—from counterfeit ones ordered to apparent or merely useful goods. These civic virtues are "true, albeit imperfect," becoming fully virtuous only when referred to charity and the ultimate end of union with God. Without this orientation, political actions risk becoming vices disguised as prudence or justice, as in the miser's counterfeit virtues.
The Catechism reinforces this by framing moral life toward beatitude, achieved through grace-enabled conduct fulfilling the commandments of charity. In politics, this translates to prioritizing virtue over material gain, as Leo XIII taught: human dignity lies in moral living, attainable by all, and essential for societal healing. Duties to God precede human rights, ensuring property and freedoms serve the common good through sharing with the needy.
A cornerstone of civic virtue is the laity's irreplaceable role in "infusing the temporal order with Christian values," cooperating with others in economic, social, legislative, and cultural spheres to promote public order, peace, freedom, equality, respect for life, justice, and solidarity. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith insists lay faithful "are never to relinquish their participation in ‘public life’" for the common good. This is a "theological and ecclesiological reality," where holiness leavens the world of politics, economics, and culture.
In contemporary democracies, Catholics form consciences for faithful citizenship by addressing why the Church speaks on policy (to serve truth about man), who participates (all faithful, especially laity), and how (through social teaching in the public square). The U.S. Bishops' document underscores this reflective engagement. Pope John Paul II exemplified it in calls for dialogue in Malawi, urging solidarity—"a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the good of all"—as the path to human development.
Civic virtue demands defending absolute ethical principles rooted in human nature, accessible via reason, against relativism. No Catholic may invoke pluralism to support policies undermining fundamental goods like life or dignity; these are not "confessional values" but natural moral law, confirmed by faith. The Church engages civic discourse through public reason, advocating practices that reasonably promote Christianity where feasible, as in Gaudium et Spes.
Social justice exemplifies this as a virtue governing relations between individuals and society, directing activities to the collective good—yet inseparable from theological virtues lest it devolve into ideology. As John A. Ryan defined it, social justice orders members to society and vice versa for the general welfare, requiring education in virtue for institutional reform. Pope Benedict XVI's emphasis on virtue in Caritas in Veritate aligns here, prioritizing moral formation over policy alone.
Pope Francis synthesizes this in Fratelli Tutti, portraying civic virtue as "social and political charity." Derived from Christ's synthesis of the Law (Mt 22:36-40), it overflows in "small gestures of mutual care" extended to civic actions building a fraternal world. Echoing St. Francis's boundless brotherhood, it transcends barriers, fostering openness regardless of proximity or origin. In politics, this counters individualism with fraternity, making love "civic and political" in macro-relationships.
An Augustinian "civic ethic of love" further nuances this: Christians cultivate natural love and virtue in the civitas terrena, informed by grace, though imperfect without the Church's sacramental life. Lay evangelization in temporal affairs testifies that faith responds to societal hopes, rendering the "Christian fabric of society."
Contemporary politics tempts with apparent goods—ideological power, partisan gain—yielding counterfeit virtues. Catholics must discern via conscience formation, Sermon on the Mount Beatitudes as "modes of Christian response," and sequela Christi. The Church adapts doctrine to deepen faith's roots in conduct, countering ambiguities from world events.
In practice, this means voting, legislating, and dialoguing for life, family, and solidarity; educating for virtue; and embodying political love amid polarization.
In summary, the Catholic Church defines civic virtue as charity-infused participation in politics, defending natural law for the common good, perfected by reference to Christ. It calls laity to holy engagement, ensuring temporal order reflects divine moral order, as sources from CDF to Francis unanimously affirm.