Politics can be a messy business, filled with contradictions, scandals and intrigue. It brings forth both the best and worst from people: the desire to promote the common good (and better society) versus the desire for power, wealth and prestige.

Faith and religion shape who we are as individuals. They focus our view of right and wrong, our relationship to our community and our priorities.

I don't stop being a human being when I walk into the polling place, and neither does a politician stop being human when he or she casts a vote.

As a Catholic, I have a duty and a responsibility to bring Jesus' message to the world. And as a member of a democracy, I have a duty and a responsibility to participate in the public decision-making process. The two can mix.

Thomas Jefferson, whose odd blend of religious beliefs would surprise most current Americans, crystallized this thought when he said:

"Say nothing of my religion. It is known to God and myself alone. Its evidence before the world is to be sought in my life: If it has been honest and dutiful to society, the religion which has regulated it cannot be a bad one."

(Sound familiar? It echoes St. Francis of Assisi who said, "Always preach the Gospel, and sometimes use words.")

It would be a breath of fresh air if more of our politicians stopped talking about their religions and started acting like they had one.

The First Amendment to the Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and prevents establishing a state religion. It says nothing of excluding religious values from influencing the principles any of us brings to public debate --- in fact, the founders would have been appalled at the suggestion.

The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church elaborates on this point in a very common sense sort of way: "The mutual autonomy of the Church and the political community does not entail a separation that excludes cooperation."

As with any far-reaching and complex idea, Constitutional scholars and talk-radio rabble-rousers continue to debate the First Amendment more than 200 years later. I welcome the debate because it keeps the issue relevant as times change, but I also can't stand-by until the case is resolved.

Benedict XVI, in Deus Caritas Est, explains very clearly that it is the job of the lay faithful to remind our elected officials of what a "just society" looks like: "The direct duty to work for a just ordering of society…is proper to the lay faithful. As citizens of the State, they are called to take part in public life in a personal capacity."

Incumbent upon us as Catholics is to help our politicians understand our moral and ethical standards and ask them to incorporate them in their decision making. Then it is up to us to vote them back in or out depending on how they respond.

Our first effort then is to become familiar with Catholic social and economic teaching. Shaping our values and beliefs is a life-long process, which includes forming our conscience properly, study and discernment.

We are advised, for example, to hold sacred to the life and dignity of the human person as we show a preferential option for the poor.

These standards encapsulate our Catholic political view: the care for the most vulnerable of society and the thoughtful promotion of the common good. To borrow a Vatican II phrase, we can act as leaven to the world of politics.

That's why guidance such as Faithful Citizenship is so important. Every four years the U.S. bishops revise this document which reflects on what it means to be a Catholic who participates in a messy democracy.

One of my favorite thoughts in the document is that we have no home in either party. So we Catholics --- and all thoughtful citizens --- must resist the temptation to sit comfortably in only one party, sort through the scare tactics and the 30-second commercials and bring our values with us to the polling place.

The bishops will decide at their November meeting whether to update Faithful Citizenship for 2008. When I look at the state of politics in the world today --- lacking conviction, unable to deal with difficult decisions --- I look forward to the next installment.

The U.S, Senate cannot deal with comprehensive immigration reform. California politicians delay over passing a budget, hurting the poorest Californians. More than a year before the presidential election and the news is filled with the candidates' foibles and fundraising levels.

Our democracy sure can use some help.

Steve Pehanich is the executive director of Catholic Charities of California and represents the 12 agencies in Sacramento. Write him at spehanich@cacatholic.org.