The Texas Catholic Conference advocates on behalf of the Roman Catholic Bishops of Texas for policies and programs that support the life and dignity of every human person from conception through natural death. The bishops believe that every human being is created in God’s image and, without exception, possesses dignity and value.
The bishops’ public policy positions are rooted in Catholic social and moral teaching and serve to uphold the sanctity of life; lift up the poor and vulnerable; and help promote the common good.
Protecting Human Life Because we are made in the image of God, there is an inherent value of human life from which all of our social obligations and rights flow. It is the consistent teaching of the Catholic Church that human life is intrinsically valuable and should be protected from conception to natural death.
Our foundational principle to protect the life and dignity of all human persons calls us to work to end abortion, prevent euthanasia, stop destruction of human embryos and oppose cloning.
The bishops support:
state funding to abortion alternative providers.
a ban on all forms of human cloning, while recognizing the life of all human embryos by opposing legislation that would allow cloned embryos to be destroyed.
efforts to restrict judicial bypass in parental consent law.
the protection and improvement of air, land and water quality in Texas.
In matters of life, the bishops oppose:
all public funding to abortion providers, including funding for contraceptive purposes.
any legislation that would allow or fund embryonic stem cell research.
Children and Families The Catholic Church supports legislation that promotes strong, stable and healthy families. The Church recognizes parents as the primary educators of their children and supports the freedom of parents to choose a school for their children with a safe, productive learning environment and rejects the notion that a parent’s address and income level should determine a child’s educational or child care opportunities.
The bishops support:
efforts to promote the permanency of marriage for the good of the community.
efforts to ensure access to marriage for undocumented immigrants.
abstinence-only education in Texas schools.
a school choice program of tax credits to ensure equal educational choices for low-income families.
efforts to ensure students who attend Texas public schools have access to in-state college tuition and access to financial aid.
increased access to public and private pre-kindergarten programs.
access to quality, affordable before and after school care for public and private schools.
Justice for Immigrants Catholics derive our special concern for the immigrant from the many biblical accounts of immigration. The Church supports reform of our immigration system that is merciful, charitable and compassionate to those here simply working for a better life, while also recognizing the legitimate responsibility of the federal government to maintain control of our nation’s borders.
The bishops support:
comprehensive immigration reform including a pathway to legalization.
improvements to conditions at immigration detention facilities.
The bishops oppose:
local and state entities enforcing federal immigration laws.
efforts to reduce access to education and healthcare for immigrants.
federal and state funding for a fence along the Texas-Mexico border.
efforts that make acquiring Texas drivers’ licenses and identification documents more difficult for immigrants.
The Poor and Vulnerable For 2000 years, the Catholic Church has manifested a special concern for the poor and the vulnerable. The Church is a provider and supporter of services that help those among us most in need of assistance.
In these difficult economic times those unable to help themselves are in particular need of society’s compassion. We call on state leaders to craft a balanced approach to solving the budget problems of our state, including seeking revenue to adequately fund needed public services and prepare Texas for the future.
The bishops support:
efforts to increase access to affordable housing.
the creation of regulatory standards for payday and auto title lending to curb usurious lending practices and prevents a cycle of consumer debt.
safe and dignified working conditions, access to safety training and professional development, fair compensation, and a safety net for workers and their families.
policies to alleviate food insecurity and hunger, including expansion of access to summer nutrition and school breakfast programs and increased access to healthy foods and good nutrition
efforts to end human trafficking and provide care for victims.
legislation that protects all Texans’ right to safe, affordable water essential for life.
legislation that ensures reliable, affordable power for vulnerable Texans
Health and Human Services Along with food, clothing and shelter, health care is a necessary means for the proper development of life. Justice demands that medical and behavioral health care be easily available for all. Under no circumstance should the availability of health care threaten life itself or place restrictions on the right to exercise one’s conscience.
Because human beings are sacred, we must ensure that all persons have a safe place to live, enough nutritious food to eat, and adequate income to support themselves. Particular care must be offered to those who have special needs because of age, addiction, physical or mental disability.
The bishops support:
improvements and modernizations of the Medicaid and CHIP eligibility system.
improvements to Texas’ critical public health safety net and infrastructure.
the elimination of all system barriers that delay access to newborn or prenatal care.
access to basic and preventative health care for low income uninsured women and children, including access to breast and cancer screenings.
efforts to increase access to mental health care.
efforts to reform the current Advance Directives statute to expand the family notification period while maintaining the ethical standards of care and protecting providers’ consciences.
funding for adult stem cell research and for the expansion of the Texas Cord Blood Bank.
care and dignity for persons who are aging or who live with disabilities.
Criminal Justice The task of society should be to restore a sense of civility and responsibility to everyday life, and to promote crime prevention and genuine rehabilitation. The common good is undermined by criminal behavior that threatens the lives and dignity of others and by policies that give up on those who have broken the law.
The Church supports fiscal and moral reform in our state’s criminal justice system with an emphasis on ending the death penalty and supporting successful rehabilitation and reintegration of those re-entering society.
The bishops support:
a ban on executions of people who were mentally disabled at the time of the offense.
the chaplain corps within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), including ensuring access to inmates by all chaplains.
efforts to improve access to medical care for the incarcerated in Texas.
efforts to assist in the transition of ex-offenders into society, including the opt-out ban on drug felons receiving SNAP and student loans.