The policy interests of the Social Concerns Department cut across all seven key themes of Catholic Social Teaching. The Department promotes public policy that: recognizes that each person – including the poor and marginalized – is precious; enhances the capacity of individuals to grow in community and participate in society; affords all people the means to have their basic human needs met and recognizes society’s responsibility for securing those means; puts the needs of the poor and vulnerable first; respects the dignity of work and the rights of workers; pursues justice and peace for all people; and protects all of God’s creation.

The Department’s interests can generally be broken down into five issue areas: environment, health care, housing, immigration, and poverty. With regard to the environment, the Department pursues public policy that enables society to be responsible stewards of God’s creation. With regard to health care, housing, immigration, and poverty, the Department pursues public policy that affords all people the things required to sustain life – health care, shelter, food, and other basic necessities. The Department also pursues public policy that protects religious freedom, especially with regard to Catholic hospitals and health care professionals. And the Department pursues public policy that treats immigrants with compassion and respect.

In his first encyclical, Deus Caritas Est, Pope Benedict XVI wrote, “Love for widows and orphans, prisoners, and the sick and needy of every kind, is as essential to [the Church] as the ministry of the sacraments and preaching of the Gospel.” (No. 22) Through the public policy advocacy of the Social Concerns Department, the Maryland Catholic Conference works to reflect the Church’s love for these very people.