US bishops’ president urges Catholics ‘to put their faith before politics’ in November elections
USCCB president Archbishop Paul S. Coakley urged Catholics to vote in the Nov. 3, 2026, midterm elections, calling participation both a right and a responsibility. Coakley encouraged Catholics to put faith before party politics, evaluate candidates by their actions and their contribution to the common good, and reject divisive rhetoric. He called for free and fair elections and warned against unnecessary obstacles to voter registration or voting. A cited Pew survey found that President Donald Trump’s approval rating among Catholics had declined between the beginning of his second term and October 2026.
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Ahead of the Nov. 3, 2026, U.S. midterm elections, U.S. bishops’ president Archbishop Paul S. Coakley urged Catholics to vote and evaluate candidates through their faith and the common good, rather than party loyalty. Separately, CatholicVote released voter guides for selected races in seven states, with a more issue-focused approach. 1 2
In an Oct. 14 statement, Coakley said participation in public life, including voting, is both a right and a responsibility. He acknowledged that political division may discourage people from taking part, but said discouragement “is not a Christian virtue.” 1 2
He urged Catholics to put faith before politics, judge candidates and elected officials by their actions rather than promises, and consider whether those actions serve the common good. Coakley also warned against treating criticism of one’s own party as support for its opponents, and called on voters to reject rhetoric that stokes fear, resentment, or division. 1
Coakley said the Church’s role in public life is not to advance a partisan program, but to uphold the dignity of every person. He also stressed the importance of free and fair elections and said voters should not face unnecessary obstacles when registering or casting ballots. 1
On Oct. 15, CatholicVote issued guides covering 24 races or ballot initiatives across Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The guides assess candidates on abortion, religious freedom, school choice, gender ideology, judicial appointments, and immigration law enforcement. 2
The organization also provided information to help people register, request absentee ballots, and locate polling places, and encouraged Catholics to vote early. CatholicVote’s president, Kelsey Reinhardt, framed political participation as a duty for Christians, while the USCCB’s message emphasized conscience formation, love of neighbor, human dignity, and the common good. 2
The midterms will determine the balance of power in Congress, as well as control of governorships and state legislatures. A Pew Research Center survey cited by OSV reported that President Donald Trump’s approval among Catholics fell from 47% at the start of his second term to 30% in October 2026; the survey also found white and Hispanic Catholic voters divided over support for congressional Republican and Democratic candidates. 1*
Faith, conscience, and Catholic responsibility in democratic participation
Catholic democratic participation is neither a private hobby nor simply a party allegiance: it is a moral responsibility rooted in human dignity and the common good. Catholics should bring faith and reason into public life, form conscience carefully, and make political judgments with prudence—without expecting the Church to choose candidates for them.
In Catholic teaching, conscience is a judgment of reason about whether a particular act is right or wrong—not merely a feeling, personal preference, or permission to do whatever one wishes. A person must follow a well-formed conscience, but is also responsible for forming it through reason, prayerful attention to the faith, participation in Church life, and reliable understanding of the issues. Conscience does not create moral truth; it seeks to recognize it and apply it to concrete choices.
This formation is lifelong. It means taking Church teaching seriously while also learning about the actual effects of policies and candidates’ actions. It does not mean that every political question has an immediately obvious Catholic answer, or that Catholics must reach identical judgments on every prudential matter. The bishops leave complex choices to the faithful, who must use prudence—the virtue of making sound judgments about what should be done in particular circumstances.
The duty to promote the common good belongs to citizens according to their roles and circumstances; political participation is one way Catholics live their baptismal commitment and witness to Christ. Voting matters, but participation also includes informed public discussion, civic service, advocacy, and other responsible contributions to society. The aim is not merely to win for one’s preferred side, but to advance the dignity of every person and protect those who are weak or vulnerable.
This responsibility can be understood as a form of charity: political decisions affect neighbors, families, and communities, especially people with little power. Catholic social teaching therefore asks citizens to consider the dignity of the human person, the common good, subsidiarity—the principle that decisions should be made at the most appropriate level—and solidarity, a commitment to the good of all.
Catholic faith should shape political judgment; partisan identity should not reshape or silence the faith. Catholics should assess candidates and policies in light of moral principles rather than treating a party platform as a complete moral guide. The bishops do not direct Catholics to vote for particular candidates, but they do teach that political choices must be examined in light of the Gospel and Catholic moral and social teaching.
That approach requires more than checking whether a candidate uses familiar language. It calls for considering what policies would do, whom they would affect, and whether they serve justice and the common good. The Church’s role is to illuminate conscience and teach moral principles, not to exercise political power or eliminate legitimate freedom of judgment on contingent questions.
Faithful citizenship, then, means participating seriously, forming conscience honestly, and refusing to separate Christian responsibility from public responsibility. Catholics can disagree prudentially about particular solutions, but political engagement should remain directed toward human dignity, justice, and the common good.