BISHOPS INTENSIFY EFFORTS TO COMMUNICATE WITH CATHOLIC VOTERS;

WASHINGTON—As the nation moves closer to the presidential election, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is intensifying efforts to communicate to U.S. Catholics the messages in the bishops' statement on Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship. The Bishops' statement is on the Web at www.faithfulcitizenship.org.

First, to encourage Catholics to visit and explore the Web site, the USCCB will give an iPod to a person randomly selected from those who register between now and November 4, to be notified about new Faithful Citizenship resources at www.faithfulcitizenship.org.

Second, Faithful Citizenship: A Matter of Conscience and the Video Quiz with Steve Angrisano, both from the Faithful Citizenship Web site, have been uploaded to YouTube for viewing by the general public. Angrisano is a dynamic singer, songwriter and storyteller popular with Christian youth.

Third, a Faithful Citizenship page has been created on the popular social networking site, Facebook.

"We hope these efforts will encourage Catholics to respond to the call by the bishops of the United States to bring the values of their faith to public life," Joan Rosenhauer, Associate Director for the USCCB's Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development, said.

The initiatives build upon previous efforts to make this year's statement more accessible to Catholics in the pews. For example, the Faithful Citizenship Web site at www.faithfulcitizenship.org highlights interactive features such as videos and downloadable podcasts, including the recently produced Novena for Faithful Citizenship. A youth Web site at www.faithfulcitizenship.org/youth features quizzes and a discussion guide and was developed to reach younger audiences. # # # # #08-137SEC,DD,BlogPolitics,CNS,RNS,Crux