Dear Friends,

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! ☘

At moments of global tension and deep political division, Catholics are called to bring the wisdom of our faith to public life. Catholic social teaching offers a moral framework grounded in human dignity, the pursuit of peace, and the common good.

In this issue we highlight two voices helping Catholics reflect on current events: Cardinal Robert McElroy’s moral analysis of the war with Iran and a timely commentary from Professor John Kenneth White in The Hill examining the relationship between Catholic teaching and the political divisions shaping our country today.

May God bless you,

Denise Murphy McGraw
National Co-Chair, Catholics Vote Common Good

Cardinal McElroy: The War with Iran and Catholic Just War Teaching

Cardinal Robert McElroy, Archbishop of Washington, recently offered a powerful reflection on the U.S. war with Iran through the lens of Catholic just war teaching. In his assessment, the conflict fails to meet several of the Church’s moral criteria for a just war.

The Catholic tradition requires strict conditions before military force can be morally justified. These include a just cause, right intention, proportionality, and the requirement that war be a last resort.

Cardinal McElroy argued that the current conflict does not satisfy these standards. He noted that the United States was not responding to an “existing or imminent and objectively verifiable attack by Iran,” raising serious questions about whether the criterion of just cause has been met.

He also expressed concern about the lack of clear moral purpose and warned against the idea of preventive war, reminding Catholics that such reasoning risks removing meaningful limits on when nations go to war.

The cardinal urged Catholics to pray for peace, to support those anxious about the conflict, and to advocate for an end to the violence before it becomes a prolonged war.

You can read the full article here:

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A Conversation About Faith and Politics

n a new opinion piece in The Hill, Professor John Kenneth White reflects on the growing tension between Catholic social teaching and the political divisions shaping American public life.

White explores how political rhetoric and polarization have increasingly placed faith communities—including Catholics—at the center of broader debates about democracy, leadership, and moral responsibility. His column invites readers to consider how Catholic values such as human dignity, solidarity, and the common good can help guide the nation through a period of deep division.

Professor White is well known for his work examining the intersection of religion and American politics, and his latest piece offers an important perspective for Catholics seeking to engage public life thoughtfully and faithfully.

Read the full column here:

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Moving Forward Together

At Catholics Vote Common Good, we believe faithful citizenship requires reflection, prayer, and thoughtful engagement with the issues shaping our world. Whether the question is war and peace or the health of our democracy, the teachings of the Church call us to pursue justice, defend human dignity, and seek the common good.

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