Here is why Catholic bishops, priests, members of religious orders, and Catholic institutions (including magazines) should not endorse or campaign for any party or candidate during an election season:

First of all, no one candidate or one party fully encompasses the totality of church teaching on all the issues. No candidate or party ever could....

There is no "Catholic Party." Yes, there are many important matters to consider, like abortion and the death penalty, but Catholics are not "one-issue voters"....

Second, endorsing candidates, especially if one is a bishop or a pastor, splits dioceses and parishes, into supposedly "good Catholics" and "bad Catholics." The church is meant to be a sacrament of unity and a home for all"....

To that end, no matter what you might hear, it is not a sin to vote either Democrat or Republican; nor is it a sin to vote for either Mr. Trump or Mr. Biden. Catholic laypeople are not robots who simply vote the way a bishop or priest tells them to....

They are mature moral agents, who must consider the Gospels and church teachings on a wide variety of issues, and then use their consciences to make an informed decision. As Pope Francis says, the church is meant to "form consciences, not replace them"....

Finally, there is the practical question of the church as a tax-exempt institution. We would (and should) lose that privilege if we were to engage in partisan politics....

Catholic leaders obviously have their own thoughts about political matters, but in public and in their public roles, they should strive to be religious, not partisan.

For all these reasons, we can pray and educate, but not endorse or campaign.