In the book of James, chapter 2, verse 17, we are told, “faith … if it does not have works, is dead.” As people of faith, we believe one of these works of our faith is participation in civil disobedience. If you are discerning some type of nonviolent civil disobedience, we offer the following resource to help guide you.
- A DC-based Catholic coalition of national organizations developed the Catholic Teaching & Civil Disobedience. This printable brochure uses Catholic Social Teaching and quotes from scripture and the U.S. Conference of Bishops as a guide to help energize and organize Catholics to challenge unjust structures of authority.
- We also offer additional resources to help you plan a direct action, including Questions for Planning a Direct Action as well as a Civil Disobedience Strategy Activity.
- The 50th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. prompted Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori to write this pastoral letter on the civil rights leader’s principles of nonviolence. We invite all members and friends to read and reflect on it and allow it to inspire you to take action. We thank Archbishop Lori for his words.
We hope you take an opportunity to read these resources and use them in your community to demonstrate your faith in action.