# Catholic leadership guidance on political involvement > Developing situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/catholic-leadership-guidance-on-political-involvement > Updated: 2026-11-02T11:02:13.000Z. Sources: 2. Developments: 2. Catholic leaders in the United States and Brazil have issued guidance regarding the intersection of faith and partisan politics. In the United States, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, urged Catholics to prioritize faith over politics ahead of midterm elections. He stated that “discouragement is not a Christian virtue” and encouraged voters to judge candidates based on their promotion of the common good. The USCCB released a guidance document titled ‘Faith Before Politics’ to encourage democratic participation and the defense of human dignity without strictly following specific ideologies. In Brazil, similar discussions have emerged concerning how the political stances of clergy affect religious practice. Guidance in that region suggests that political disagreements among bishops and priests should not cause the faithful to abandon sacraments or religious life, emphasizing that doctrine focuses on divine love rather than the individual conduct of church members. ## Timeline ### 2026-11-02: Catholic leaders urge faithful to prioritize faith over politics Catholic leaders in the US and Brazil are advising the faithful to prioritize religious doctrine and conscience over political affiliations and the individual political stances of clergy. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/catholic-leaders-urge-faithful-to-prioritize-faith-over-politics ### 2026-10-15: US Catholic bishops' president urges faith over politics in elections U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops president Archbishop Paul S. Coakley urged Catholics to prioritize faith over politics and fulfill their civic duty by voting in the upcoming midterm elections. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/us-catholic-bishops-president-urges-faith-over-politics-in-elections --- Cite as: Catholic leadership guidance on political involvement. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/catholic-leadership-guidance-on-political-involvement