On Mondays, I answer questions frequently asked by those considering a return to the Catholic Church. How do I know this stuff? I was away for more than 30 years myself, and am the co-author of When They Come Home: Ways to Welcome Returning Catholics, a book for pastors and parish leaders interested in this ministry.
It’s that time of year. As I look at returning, is the Catholic Church going to tell me who to vote for if I live in a primary or caucus state?
The short answer is no; the U.S. Catholic Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Forming Consciences for Faithful 
Citizenship specifically states: “In this statement, we bishops do not intend to tell Catholics for whom or against whom to vote. Our purpose is to help Catholics form their consciences in accordance with God’s truth.”
The conference encourages Catholics to review voter guides and other materials in particular that it, state Catholic conferences, or local bishops authorize. The conference also notes the contradictions in our society: the lack of protection of life, especially for the unborn, the terminal ill, and the elderly; divisions of race and economics; and more.
Do check out the publication and its extremely accessible language for more.
