Publication

The Catholic Conference of Illinois has released its legislative agenda for the 100th General Assembly that was sworn in on Jan. 11, 2017. CCI issues this list of key priorities every two years at the beginning of a new General Assembly. The agenda also offers a brief overview of the Catholic Conference, our guiding principles found in Catholic Social Teaching, and a listing of our staff members.  

The rapid pace of advances in medical care allows us to live longer and more productive lives than those of our ancestors. But these same innovations can leave us struggling for guidance when we are confronted with end-of-life decisions. Just as important, however, is the conversation we all need to have with our families: Who will carry out my end-of-life health care plans if I am not able to? To help with these questions, the Catholic Conference of Illinois has updated its ...

The Catholic Conference of Illinois today submitted a letter of support and encouragement to members of the Illinois Commission on Criminal Justice and Sentence Reforms. The commission was created in 2015 shortly after the inauguration of Gov. Bruce Rauner, with the goal of reducing the state's prison population by 25 percent by 2025. Members of the Catholic Conference of Illinois’ Prison & Jail Ministry Committee attended and ...

The Catholic Conference of Illinois today issued the following press release on the Illinois bishops' updated "A Catholic Perspective on Gambling in Illinois." The document may be found here in English, here in Spanish, and here in Polish.     Illinois Catholic bishops urge lawmakers to reconsider proposed gambling expansion as revenue fix CHICAGO – Illinois Catholic bishops today released a statement on gambling, updating their 1999 publication on the issue in light of the possibility ...

The Catholic Conference of Illinois has released its legislative agenda for the 99th General Assembly that will be sworn in on Jan. 14, 2015. CCI issues this list of key priorities every two years at the beginning of a new General Assembly. The agenda also offers a brief overview of the Catholic Conference, our guiding principles found in Catholic Social Teaching, and a listing of our staff members. 

End-of-life issues can be difficult to consider and talk about. That's why the Catholic Conference of Illinois and the Illinois Catholic Health Association asked a Catholic ethicist to put together a question-and-answer sheet on Illinois' voluntary POLST (Practitioner Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) form. State lawmakers in 2014 passed legislation updating the POLST form, refining the definition of “attending health care practitioner” as a licensed physician, advanced practice nurse, physician assistant, or licensed resident after completion of one year in a program. ...

CCI today issued its Marriage Toolkit, a resource for clergy, parish staff and the laity. The toolkit is designed to help Catholic individuals and parish communities understand, explain and promote the Catholic Church's answers to the following questions: What is marriage? Why is the definition of marriage important? Why does the Church endure the repercussions of taking a stance on marriage which is contrary to popular social trends and media advocacy? And, most importantly, why should you care about marriage? The toolkit is separated into seven ...

Catholic Conference of Illinois (CCI) opposes legislation to enact 'civil unions' for same-sex couples in Illinois. The text of the legislation and the example of other states prove civil unions legislation is meant and designed only to further the pursuit of same-sex marriage. Read Promoting Civil Unions to Undermine Marriage to understand how this process has played out across the country and how it is currently happening in Illinois.

The following publications are not available online, but copies may be obtained by calling our Springfield office at (217) 528-9200. “Catholic Schools:  In Service and In Need”  “Discover the Catholic Church” was written to support general education, formation and evangelization. Obviously, it is neither long nor detailed enough to comprehensively express the fullness and beauty of Catholic teaching, but we hope that it will serve as an important supplement to efforts on behalf of the Church. A complimentary copy of this brochure may be ...