Campaign Season

While some might stereotype a bishop as being aloof from new technology, the recent glut of online campaigns and new Web resources really tell a different story for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Just today came the announcement of a Web site on Catholic teaching on economic, developed by the Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development to health Catholics cope with the economic crisis and view it through the perspective of their faith. The site includes numerous features, including various statements from the U.S. bishops and the Holy See on this issue and even a quiz.

More pressing among online campaigns is the soon-to-conclude campaign against destructive stem cell research, which was set up to coincide with the public comment period on the proposed guidelines for embryonic stem cell research. The end of the public comment period is May 26, which means, as the bishops recently did, you can make your voice heard on this issue.

Another ongoing initiative that is generating some real interest is Catholics Confront Global Poverty, which finds the bishops partnering with Catholic Relief Services in an ambitious effort to get 1 million Catholics educated and mobilized against global poverty and the web of issues that tie into it. This site continues to grow and develop, so it's worth visiting and revisiting.