Why does Catholic Charities take any government money? Recalling the foster care issues five years ago, and given the red tape, the amount of time and resources spent budgeting, re-budgeting, and absorbing objections to our faith, it’s a great question. Our answers:

Catholic Charities can and should accept government financing when we can be good providers, good stewards, and faithful to our mission.

Catholics are taxpayers, too, entitled to have their money used effectively and efficiently.

Our values include working with other people of good will for justice and peace.

Accepting money that requires us to abandon Catholic principles won’t happen. We will not be in the position of “chasing” government dollars just to balance a budget.

In addition to refraining from abortion services, Catholic Charities will not apply for public funds that abet assisted suicide, human genetic engineering or sterilizing the disabled.

We do, however, “feed the hungry” and “give drink to the thirsty” with food purchased from The Northern Illinois Food Bank, provided by the Department of Agriculture.

Illinois designates and partially funds the advocacy service our ombudsmen provide for those in long-term care facilities: read “visit the sick” and “comfort the sorrowful.”

We receive some funding from the State Department through the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to resettle a limited number of refugees as we “shelter the homeless” and “clothe the naked” victims of wars, oppression and persecution.

After tornados and floods we help allocate emergency relief funding from government agencies while we “counsel the doubtful” trying to restart shattered lives.

We must think and act strategically as well as faithfully. Accepting public money for select programs gives us a seat at the table to help frame the debate.

We can influence priorities and budgets, and the positions taken by governments on important policies such as the treatment of refugees and immigration reform. Our positions may not always be popular or prevail, but our views are always expressed and understood, even when not accepted.

As individuals we are taxpayers, too: income, sales, gasoline, property, inheritance. Every counselor, case manager, care giver, pre-school teacher and emergency services screener pays taxes to federal, state and local governments. We are entitled to have our values influence the decisions made by each level of government in the enactment of priorities. As a faith-based humanitarian organization, we must participate. If not at the table, we have no voice.

Our Mission Statement’s charge to “continue the ministry of Jesus ... and serve God for the common good with compassion, dignity and respect ...” guides our work, and compels us to persuade those who legislate, allocate and regulate. We can’t do that from the sideline as spectators. To be effective, we need to be in the game.

The issues are too important, and too many people are hurting, for us to develop a severe case of social policy laryngitis.