As has been the case in previous election
cycles since 1994, Priests for Life has allocated significant resources to
its Political Responsibility efforts in the 2016 election cycle, including
but not limited to the following non-partisan activities:
• Publication of two major books to prepare people and Churches
nationwide for the election:
Abolishing Abortion
(Thomas Nelson, 2015) (including analysis of the Johnson Amendment)
and
Proclaiming the Message of Life (Servant Books, 2016)
(with pro-life commentary on readings for the entire Sunday lectionary).
• Production and airing on EWTN of the Defending Life series,
twice a week, with special election-related episodes over the past year.
• Intensive efforts to raise awareness among churches of voter
registration, and how to conduct non-partisan voter registration drives;
provision of easy-to-follow information about state laws and relevant
deadlines regarding registration.
• Emails to our lists in specific states as voter registration deadlines
drew near, and emails again to alert them when early voting began in their
state.
• Use of the
www.priestsforlife.org/elections website to inform voters of all
the following initiatives, as well as voter guides to specific races,
documents of the Church, statements from bishops, articles, action items for
the election, events, opportunities to volunteer, and more.
• Activation of dozens of social media platforms for voter education and
mobilization with over a million followers (see
www.ProLifeSocialMedia.com).
• Preaching on the elections by Priests for Life associate Fr. Stephen
Imbarrato,
including in these days leading up to and including Election
Day. Masses broadcast in English and Spanish, on TV, radio and internet
across the country and worldwide.
• Creation of the Democratic and Republican Party Platform Comparison
guide, in English and Spanish, along with a legal letter of c-3
qualification (VotingInfo.net),
and distribution of hundreds of thousands of copies including as inserts in
parish bulletins, diocesan newspapers in key states, the National Catholic
Register, and electronically. Likewise, an analysis of the changes in the
Democratic platform over the years was prepared and published at
www.priestsforlife.org/DemPlatform.
• Leading the Vote Pro-life Coalition (www.VoteProLifeCoalition.com)
by which 501-(c)(3) organizations and Churches are educated as to what they
can do in a non-partisan way to mobilize their people for the elections.
• National webcasts for clergy (www.priestsforlife.org/PrepareTheChurch)
and for laity to train them on election involvement (including the
production and distribution of an
Election
Toolkit.)
• Multiple faxes, emails, and snail mail to every Catholic parish in
America with election-related materials, Priests for Life newsletters and
resources for prayer, preaching, and action, as well as bulletin inserts.
• Communications with every bishop in the country, with multiple
mailings, faxes, and emails, as well as election-related presentations over
the past year at the Priests for Life luncheon at the semi-annual meetings
of the US Bishops.
• Quarterly meetings of the national pro-life leaders during which
political responsibility resources and strategies are discussed.
• On the ground training in key states of election volunteers to help
with voter identification, education, and GOTV activities.
• Hundreds of speaking engagements on political responsibility by the
priests and laity on the Pastoral Team of Priests for Life, including
weekends of preaching at all the masses in Churches in key states, and
including presenting the political responsibility message at pro-life
rallies and banquets, Diocesan convocations, the National Right to Life
Convention, the Catholic Leadership Coalition national conference, the
Catholic Marketing Network national trade show, the annual conference of
Heartbeat International, and the national conference of Care Net.
• Leading the Election Novena at
www.ElectionPrayer.com, with the prayer in English and
Spanish and the distribution of hundreds of thousands of prayer cards
through Churches, organizations, events and families across the nation.
• National prayer events (rosaries, Chaplets of Mercy, etc.) on Facebook
Live in English (www.Facebook.com/FatherFrankPavone)
and Spanish (www.Facebook.com/SacerdotesPorLaVida),
as well as a Novena of Masses and homilies in the nine days before the
election.
• Mobilization of the African-American community for the election by the
travels and media appearances of Dr. Alveda King, fulltime director of
"Civil Rights for the Unborn" (the African-American Outreach of Priests for
Life)
• Mobilization of the Hispanic community through our
SacerdotesPorLaVida.org
Hispanic Outreach activities, social media videos, and travels.
• Mobilization of youth through our Youth Outreach headed by Bryan
Kemper.
• Emails with information on the presidential and vice-presidential
debates reminding people to watch and then providing live Tweeting during
the debates.
• Election-related radio spots produced by Priests for Life and aired
free of charge on Bott Radio Network, EWTN Global Catholic Radio (English
and Spanish), Ave Maria Radio, Radio Maria, Divine Mercy Radio in Florida,
KCRD-FM Radio in Iowa (Aquinas communications network)
• Numerous guest appearances of our team on those same radio network as
well as Relevant Radio and hundreds of secular stations.
• "Gospel of Life" program on Radio Maria every week, featuring extensive
election commentary.
• Dozens of op-eds in key papers in key states (for instance, the
Philadelphia Inquirer) as well as national publications
(such as
USA Today)
• Efforts to encourage early voting by publicizing the opportunities
through parishes, offering rides to those who need help getting to the
polls, and use of absentee ballots.
• Mailings to hundreds of thousands of supporters regarding the election.
• Emails to hundreds of thousands of activists with election-related
information and
opportunities for
action. In particular, action alerts responding to situations
like Tim Kaine's profession of Catholicism, "Catholics for Choice" ads,
anti-Catholic remarks from the Hillary team, and the need to challenge our
pastors.
•
Major press conference of priests and deacons at the
National Press Club on October 20 to stress the urgent duty of voting
pro-life, with challenge to pastors to equip their parishes for the election
by using specific resources such as the Party Platform Comparison piece.
Part One -- Statement to the Press by Fr. Frank Pavone -
https://youtu.be/_QOw1cgzDIY
; Part Two - Questions and Answers -
https://youtu.be/6nhEpp5RLdQ
•
Full page ad
in the Washington Times and in Florida diocesan papers to
correspond with Oct. 20 press conference.
• Election-related
press releases
and
articles.
•
"Is This What You Mean?" campaign challenging Democratic
candidates to describe what they defend when they express support for legal
abortion.
• Preparation and distribution of numerous videos (www.ElectionVideos.org),
booklets (such as the
Study
Guide to the US Bishops' document Living the Gospel of Life
and
Voting With a Clear Conscience.)
• Individual phone calls by Priests for Life staff and volunteers to
every parish in multiple key states in the weeks leading up to the election,
to urge and equip them to do everything possible to mobilize their
parishioners to vote pro-life.
• Addressing the moral quandaries of those who feel they cannot vote,
particularly in the presidential race, through key talking points on the
special website
www.YouNeedToVote.org.