Themes of Catholic Teaching Relevant as Budget Woes Loom

That's the title of this November 21, 2008 "Eye on the Capitol" press release by John Huebscher, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Catholic Conference on the current state budget deficit.

Like other crises, financial difficulties can be defining. For it is the choices we make when faced with hard decisions that define who we are, and say more about what we value.

He then goes on, though, to cite general principles of Catholic social justice teaching. It would be more instructive to cite choices and hard decisions made by, say, the dioceses of Wisconsin or some of their parishes, that could serve as models. How, for example, are parishes kept open despite financial difficulties in hard times, or despite the inability of parishioners in a poor neighborhood to financially support their parish?