Bishops’ Statements on Current Issues
Illinois’ six diocesan bishops occasionally make statements on current issues important to the Church, either as a group or as individuals. When the statement is issued as a group, it reflects the view of the Church statewide. Individual bishops may choose to make a statement on issues of specific interest to their dioceses.
Illinois Bishops Provide Comments to COGFA on Proposed Prison Closures
In comments from the Catholic Conference of Illinois (CCI), the Catholic bishops of Illinois reminded lawmakers who are part of the decision on proposed changes to Stateville Correctional Center in Joliet and Logan Correctional Center in Lincoln to ensure correctional facilities respect the inherent human dignity of all those incarcerated.
The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (COGFA) and the legislative members of COGFA will soon be making recommendations to the Governor.
While CCI does not have a position on whether to close and reconstruct either facility, the bishops urged that there be consistent access for ministry and adequate space for programming and reentry services. If relocation is decided, the state must consider challenges families may have in continuing to visit their family members. “We must provide vital opportunities to heal from trauma, engage in meaningful personal development, and gain new skills.”
The full letter to COGFA can be found HERE.
Statement on Parents Matter Coalition
The Bishops of Illinois share the following statement on the Parents Matter Coalition. A PDF copy of the statement can also be found HERE.
Statement on Parents Matter Coalition
January 29, 2024
The family is the central, basic cell of society and our government should be supporting families and assisting parents in the care of their children, not undermining them. “Following the principle of subsidiarity, larger communities should take care not to usurp the family’s prerogatives or interfere in its life.” Catechism of the Catholic Church 2209
Around Illinois, a growing number of parents are increasingly concerned about their parental rights being stripped away by governmental overreach. In an effort to raise awareness, the Parents Matter Coalition was recently formed and is currently collecting signatures on petitions for an advisory question to affirm parental rights, particularly with regards to the medical care of their children. If the required number of signatures are collected, the non-binding advisory question has an opportunity to be placed on the November 2024 election ballot.
The Bishops of Illinois support the goals of this initiative, but we ask our parishes to respect the Church as the center of worship and not become a means of petition-gathering. The Catholic Conference of Illinois (CCI) is the public policy voice of the Illinois bishops and lay Catholics. It interacts with the state legislature, the governor’s office and all elements of state government to promote and defend the interests of the Church. Parishioners are encouraged to sign up for our Illinois Catholic Advocacy Network (I-CAN) to stay informed on issues affecting the Church and make their views known to government officials. Go to https://www.ilcatholic.org/take-action/join-i-can/.
More information on this initiative can be found at parentsmattercoalition.org.
Illinois Catholic Bishops Share “A Catholic Vision for Restorative Justice in Illinois”
Illinois Catholic Bishops Share “A Catholic Vision for Restorative Justice in Illinois”
Download the .pdf document HERE.
The approaching season of Lent is an opportunity for us to reflect on how our sins have broken our relationship with God and with others and yet also gives us a chance to be accountable for our actions, to both give and receive mercy and forgiveness, to restore those relationships, and to experience our own spiritual renewal. Restorative justice similarly offers this opportunity within our criminal justice system by bringing together those who have harmed and those who have been harmed, including families and communities, to participate in the healing processes of accountability and forgiveness so relationships broken by wrongdoing can be restored.
Therefore, as we prepare for the Lenten season, the Illinois Catholic bishops are pleased to share the document “A Catholic Vision for Restorative Justice in Illinois,” which is inspired by the experiences of our Illinois Catholic Prison and Jail Ministry Network – a statewide network of priests, deacons, religious, and lay people among all six of our dioceses who minister to those incarcerated as well as victims of crime, families, and communities. In this document, we explore how we can renew our criminal justice system, so it is focused not only on punishment but truly recognizes and respects the human dignity of all by being more rehabilitative, restorative, and healing and providing more opportunities for reentry. Transforming our criminal justice system to be more restorative advances the common good by helping to create safer communities and to heal all those affected by wrongdoing so they may have more hopeful futures.
We encourage all to read and reflect on “A Catholic Vision for Restorative Justice in Illinois.” Alongside all people of good faith in our state, the Catholic Church in Illinois is committed to work with the state to bring this vision to fruition.
We offer special thanks to Emily Cortina of Kolbe House of the Archdiocese of Chicago and Brian Hickey (formerly of the Office for Human Dignity of the Diocese of Joliet), and all the members of the Catholic Conference of Illinois’ Prison and Jail Ministry Committee, for their assistance in developing this document.