Pray that God would give us the grace to remember the dignity of all and invite others to do the same.
Reflect
As Catholics, our strong tradition of social teaching compels us to be actively engaged in the building up of our communities. This is achieved by being involved in the political process—and yet today, many shy away from such involvement because our national and local conversations are filled with vitriol and harsh language, often directed at people themselves. When personal attacks replace honest debate, no one wins. This kind of attack, no matter the reason, only serves to further divide our communities. What is needed is good, honest, civil dialogue. This means that we must treat everyone as worthy of being at the table, worthy of our respect, and worthy of being heard. In short, it means treating everyone as our neighbor.
Act
Interested in learning more about civil dialogue or about how your community can engage in civil dialogue more often? Join USCCB’s Civilize It Campaign to help promote dignity beyond the debate. Visit civilizeit.org for more information, to take the pledge, or plan an opportunity for civil dialogue in your community.