Platform for Common Good

In the summer of 2008 many Catholic faith based groups and organizations came together in Philadelphia, PA to develop a Platform for the Common Good. Members of the Passionist JPIC office took part in this initiative to organize a new political platform that would set aside individual wants and partisan views. This platform truly looked at serving the Catholic Social principle of the “Common Good.”

Every day human interdependence grows more tightly drawn and spreads by degrees over the whole world. As a result the common good, that is, the sum of those conditions of social life which allow social groups and their individual members relatively thorough and ready access to their own fulfillment, today takes on an increasingly universal complexion and consequently involves rights and duties with respect to the whole human race. Every social group must take account of the needs and legitimate aspirations of other groups, and even of the general welfare of the entire human family. – Vatican II, Gaudium et Spes, #26

Vote the Common Good is an ongoing movement that is developing this platform along with various Catholic organizations. The platform was designed through a common good reflection of the following mandate from the United States Constitution: to establish Justice,insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity.

The Catholic Alliance for the Common Good has a number of excellent resources to promote the issues of social concern found in the Platform and Catholic teaching.

NETWORK is a lobby group made up of predominantly Catholic Religious communities like our own. Network provides ongoing advocacy opportunities on these issues of social concerns.