N.C. Catholics unify to address issues

State's two dioceses to be more active politically / With North Carolina's Catholic population growing, the church moves to be heard on issues affecting it

In a rare joint appearance on the steps of the General Assembly, North Carolina's two Roman Catholic bishops announced an initiative to create a unified voice on public policy issues affecting the state.

The move represents an effort to flex a political muscle that has strengthened in recent years. For generations, Catholics represented less than 1 percent of the state's population and North Carolina was considered by church leaders as "mission territory" ripe for evangelism. But with an influx of newcomers from Northern states as well as Mexico and Latin America, Catholics -- numbering about 800,000 across the state -- now want to be heard.

"We share the right to add our voice to the public discussion of issues," said Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Raleigh, standing next to Bishop Peter J. Jugis of Charlotte.

The initiative involves an interactive Web site designed to send alerts to Catholics on legislation of concern to the church -- including sanctity-of-life issues such as abortion and embryonic stem cell research, both of which the church opposes, and immigration, a topic on which bishops have taken a more liberal view.

The www.catholicvoicenc.org site is also able to send legislators instant e-mail messages from Catholic voters.

In addition, the bishops announced that Monsignor Michael Clay, pastor of St. Ann Catholic Church in Clayton, will serve as the first permanent lobbyist for Roman Catholics at the General Assembly.

The move may represent a first step toward creating a Catholic conference, which many states with larger Catholic populations have formed to leverage their political clout.

As part of that initiative, Burbidge said the dioceses will send a questionnaire to gubernatorial candidates as well as to North Carolina's U.S. House and Senate delegation asking their views on a host of issues. The results of that questionnaire will be posted on the Web site in October.

Both bishops said they were feeling shortchanged by the current system.

"Sometimes issues come up before the North Carolina legislature rapidly," Jugis said. "Before we know it, it's voted on, moving through committee, moving to the floor of the body. It would be helpful to have some registered lobbyists to be available, to be a liaison, to inform Catholics of the state."

In particular, Jugis said the debate on embryonic stem cell research last summer, after which the state House passed a bill permitting stem cell research under limited circumstances, caught the bishops unawares.

The initiative will involve the services of a webmaster to monitor the Web site daily and update information. Overall, Jugis said the initiative will cost $45,000 a year, which the dioceses will split.

During the joint appearance Wednesday, both bishops spoke in support of a state bill that would amend the constitution to limit marriage to heterosexual unions. Among the 25 or so people in attendance, one woman urged the bishops to also consider backing a bill allowing residents to buy a "choose life," license plate. The bill is now before the House Finance Committee. Burbidge told her the bishops' endorsement of the bill was already on the Web site.

The two dioceses have traditionally been members of the N.C. Council of Churches -- a relationship that will continue -- though it's clear the groups diverge on some issues. The council, which has its own lobbyist, opposes the marriage amendment and abstains on issues such as abortion on which its members do not agree.

"I assume we'll continue to work together on matters of public interest," said George Reed, executive director of the council of churches. "There's plenty of work out there."

For Burbidge -- who comes from Philadelphia, where there is a large and active Pennsylvania Catholic Conference -- the initiative was not surprising. Since assuming his office nearly two years ago, he has signaled that he intended to be active in public affairs. Last year, he opposed a bill on end-of-life care, concerned that it might lead to euthanasia. He came out against a bill that would expand sex education in the public schools beyond an abstinence-only curriculum. And he said people have a human right to immigrate and provide for their families.

On Wednesday, he explained that he saw such advocacy as part of his role as bishop.

"As bishops, Bishop Jugis and I have a special role, a mandate, to teach our fellow Catholics about moral issues that shape our lives, including our public lives. Some claim bishops should not be involved in politics. As citizens who are Catholics, we share our right to add our voice to the public discussion of issues."