Issues

Belief in the inherent dignity of each human life from the moment of conception until natural death is the most fundamental principle of our moral teaching as Catholics. This same principle also drives our care for the most vulnerable in our communities, protection of religious freedom, and our focus on the basic human right of education to realize our full human potential.

The principles used to develop these legislative priorities flow from the basic belief in the inherent dignity of each person and in society’s responsibility to ensure that dignity, the Catholic Church’s teachings and traditions as they apply to today’s political environment, and the fundamental principle of justice for all people.

The Oregon Catholic Conference’s legislative priorities are not a catalog of the Conference’s position on every important issue that may arise over the next two years. Rather, they are intended to communicate a sense of what state government’s top priorities should be to foster the common good.