Catholic Democrats is an American not-for-profit organization of Catholics to support the Democratic Party, based in Boston, United States. The Catholic Democrats have more than 60,000 members in all 50 American states and Puerto Rico. It claims no authorization from the Catholic Church, or any Catholic bishop, Catholic diocese, candidate or candidate committee.[1]
The organization was founded in response to the 2004 presidential election, which, in the view of the group, had witnessed unprecedented attempts to bend Catholic Social Teaching to accommodate policies which are in conflict with the teaching and values of the Church. It characterizes its membership as people who share an aversion to the kind of abuses of U.S. military power that led to the Iraq War, along with "the exploitation of social issues to advance the economic interests of a few, and the misuse of our Catholic faith for political gain."[1]
The group was angered as well by what it perceived as manipulation of Church teaching to the advantage of conservative and Republican interests: "Conservatives have increasingly used Catholic language and Catholic congregations to advance their economic agenda and political interests," particularly its insistence on “a consistent moral framework anchored in the scriptures and expressed in the teachings of the Church.” The group specifies the bishops' call[2] for a new commitment to advancing public policies that work in the interest of the common good.
Catholic Democrats support Pope Francis's stances on the central issues within Catholic social teaching ("war, poverty, unintended pregnancy, preventable illness, the death penalty, instability of the family, and supporting the dialogue balancing medical advances and the dignity of the individual") which it feels that the Republican Party neglects in favor of others, notably abortion, euthanasia and homosexuality. The group's website features the week's gospel readings, news stories and commentary, papal encyclicals, and resources for adoption.