TOLEDO—During a recent presentation at the Toledo Club, Bishop Leonard P. Blair offered guidance on how Catholics can best uphold fundamental truths of right and wrong through their participation in the political process.

At the First Thursday Dialogue program Feb. 7, the bishop discussed “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility from the Catholic Bishops of the United States,” a document intended to help Catholic voters form their consciences on a variety of issues before the 2008 elections.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops overwhelmingly approved the document during the fall general assembly held last November in Baltimore. It is part of a series of documents that have been issued before every presidential election for more than 30 years.

“The bishops seek to provide principled guidance for conscience formation, so that Catholics can make political choices for the common good of their country,” said Bishop Blair.

Seven key themes are named in the document: the Right to Life and the Dignity of the Human Person; Call to Family, Community, and Participation; Rights and Responsibilities; Option for the Poor and Vulnerable; Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers; Solidarity; and Caring for God’s Creation.

The full text of Bishop Blair’s presentation will be printed in the March 7 edition of the Catholic Chronicle.

The complete U.S. bishops’ document is available at www.faithfulcitizenship.org or www.toledodiocese.org .