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from a CATHOLIC perspective

    WASHINGTON, DC (CWNews.com) - President candidate Steve Forbes on Thursday praised the US Catholic bishops' conference for plans to release a new guide on the civic responsibility of Catholics.

    Forbes applauded the US bishops for urging responsible voting in their guide "Faithful Citizenship: Civic Responsibility for a New Millennium," which will be distributed in US parishes early next year. "It is an example of the finest form of participation by religious institutions in our national life," he said. "I also share the fundamental values expressed so clearly in this profound treatment of the current climate we face together as Americans."

    He added, "Any authentic understanding of human freedom recognizes that the first freedom, the freedom to be born and the inviolable dignity of every human life, must be the cornerstone of a truly free and responsible people. It recognizes as well, that our solidarity with, and obligation to, one another, (what the Bishops refer to as 'a call to family, community, and participation') is the framework for a rebirth of this nation, at the beginning of the Third Millennium."

    The bishops' pamphlet called for Catholics to uphold the dignity of life from conception to natural death, consider the needs of the poor, and other moral issues when they vote next November in national, state, and local elections. The guides are non-partisan and do not include any reference to particular candidates.

    "These issues are not Republican, Democrat, or independent issues. They are human issues and concern an authentic understanding of human rights and obligations," said Forbes. "As the Bishops stated: 'We are still falling short of the American pledge of liberty and justice for all, and our declaration to defend the inalienable rights of the human person -- life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.'"

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