This is an article from the June 2025 Civitas Examiner (Volume 2, No. 3) and was written by one of our students, Charles G. The opinions expressed herein do not reflect those of Civitas other than respect for the value of open dialogue. To read more Civitas Examiner stories or to submit your own, click here.
In a nation frayed by political division and moral confusion, Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski offers a calm but compelling voice, reminding Catholics that their first allegiance is not to party or nation, but to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
In a recent interview, the Archbishop of St. Louis reflected on the Church’s moral mission in the public sphere, emphasizing the urgency of moral clarity, the complexity of conscience, and the enduring call to compassion and community. His words form not a partisan statement, but a pastoral guide, a roadmap for Catholics navigating today’s political and spiritual terrain.
A Church That Speaks with Courage
Archbishop Rozanski affirms that the Church must never retreat from public life. “The Church has always had a tradition of preaching what the common good is,” he explains. “And that means looking out for the good of all people. That’s what Jesus taught in his public ministry.”
He acknowledges that the Church’s moral witness often draws criticism from both sides of the political aisle. Rather than discouraging him, that criticism reassures him. “If people on one side or the other criticize us, then we must be in the right place.”
The Church’s role, he insists, is not to endorse parties but to illuminate issues with the light of the Gospel.
A Consistent Ethic: Life and Beyond
Rozanski upholds the sanctity of life as the “preeminent issue,” but refuses to isolate it from other critical concerns. “You can’t talk about being pro-life while ignoring the poor, immigrants, or those on death row,” he says.
Catholic social teaching calls for a consistent ethic of life, one that recognizes the dignity of the unborn and the incarcerated, the refugee and the working poor, the elderly and the marginalized. Each of these issues demands thoughtful reflection, not political shortcuts.
Voting with an Informed Conscience
In a deeply polarized culture, Catholics are often pulled toward political extremes. Rozanski challenges this binary thinking by calling the faithful to a higher standard: an informed conscience.
“There are very few countries in the world where people in politics are 100% in agreement with Catholic social teachings, and we certainly don’t have that in the United States,” he notes. “So there’s one adjective I would add before conscience: informed. That’s what’s missing today.”
He encourages Catholics to form their consciences through study, prayer, and engagement with Church teaching, not through sound bites or social media.
A Church of Accompaniment, Not Exclusion
Rozanski speaks passionately about the need for the Church to be a place of healing, not judgment. Quoting Pope Francis, he emphasizes that God loves everyone and that the Church must mirror this love.
“We are not here to put up walls,” he says. “We don’t condemn people. We reach out to them, address their hurts, and walk with them.”
This spirit of accompaniment extends to LGBTQ+ individuals, women who’ve had abortions, immigrants, the poor, and all those who feel alienated from the Church. It is not a compromise of doctrine, he explains, but a fulfillment of the Gospel.
Politics, the Common Good, and the Poor
The Archbishop critiques rugged individualism and its effect on the common good. “In American society today, what we’re missing is: how do we look out for all people?” he asks.
He stresses that the Church has a responsibility to speak out against unjust policies, such as budget cuts that affect Medicaid or legislation that undermines the dignity of immigrants. “A country and a political system are judged by how it treats the poor, the poorest of the poor among us,” he says.
The Gospel demands more than private morality. It demands public justice.
Faith Before Nationalism
When asked about political movements that appeal to Catholic voters but promote exclusion, nationalism, or division, Rozanski is clear: “It’s all in the Gospel. The answer to all of that is in the Gospel.”
He recalls a time when Catholic immigrants in America tried to prove they were “American first,” even if it meant compromising their faith. That same temptation exists today.
“We kind of overemphasized how American we were, to the detriment of what our Catholic faith allows and calls us to live,” he says. The question he poses is urgent: “Are we Americans first and only, or are we people enlightened by the Gospel, who live that Gospel faith within American society?”
Healing a Fractured Society
Perhaps the most quietly profound moment in the interview comes when Rozanski addresses the emotional and spiritual toll of modern life.
“People are unhappy,” he says. “The rates of suicide, depression, and anxiety are just through the roof. How long can we go on that way?”
Here, Rozanski reframes the Church’s mission. Beyond moral clarity, beyond voting and advocacy, the Church is called to be a place of belonging and hope. In a culture fragmented by outrage and loneliness, the Church can offer something different: community, meaning, and a love that heals.
A Gospel for All Seasons
Looking ahead, Rozanski expresses hope, not in political fixes or ideological triumphs, but in the timeless truth of the Gospel.
“The common ground is there,” he says. “We just have to have the will to look for it. As long as we’re faithful to preaching the Gospel message, the Church is doing what Jesus has called us to do.”
In a time of confusion and conflict, Archbishop Rozanski’s message is both simple and revolutionary: Be Catholic first. Be formed by Christ. Let the Gospel, not fear or faction, shape your voice, your vote, and your vision for the world.
A Spiritual Reckoning
Archbishop Rozanski reminds us that this moment in American Catholic life is not just a political one; it is a spiritual reckoning. The Church stands at a crossroads, not between left and right, but between compromise and conviction.
Too often, faith has been treated as a political accessory, something to be worn when useful and set aside when inconvenient. But Rozanski offers a different path: one where the Gospel isn’t just referenced, but lived. Where conscience is not a cover for partisanship, but a compass formed by prayer, community, and Scripture.
His message doesn’t let anyone off the hook. It calls conservatives, progressives, independents, and especially Catholics, to ask deeper questions: Are we prioritizing ideology over identity in Christ? Have we traded moral clarity for cultural comfort? Are we voting with our values or just echoing the crowd?
And perhaps most importantly: Are we still building a Church that heals, welcomes, and accompanies, or one that walls off, condemns, and divides?
In Archbishop Rozanski’s vision, the answer lies not in political calculation but in Gospel conviction, a faith that transcends party lines and speaks to the deepest longings of the human heart.
