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October 27, 2016Come election time, all of us who are able to vote can exercise a key right and a key responsibility. It is an exciting (or is it interesting?!) time for me, as I will be able to vote in a presidential election in the USA for the first time. I am sure that all of us, whether we are voting for the first time or if we have voted in many elections, are weighing matters very carefully. It is, of course, not the task of the Church to tell folks who to vote for, as Pope Francis has frequently remarked, but it is the task of the Church to encourage and help us to think and pray about how we might vote, especially as to what matters we should consider with our choice.
To this end, the US Bishops have issued a document called “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship”. It is a very detailed document, full of things to reflect upon that can help us in informing what we will do. However, it is also forty-two pages long! You can look at it on the USCCB website. To make things a bit easier, we gave out a shorter guide to what Catholics might think about and pray about in voting last weekend and this article that you are reading also (hopefully!) might be of assistance. It also helped me, in that putting down on paper some reflections, helped me to clarify things a bit! So, here are some thoughts…
The first thing that we can do is, of course, to pray. After all, we often pray when perhaps we have choices or decisions to make, and voting is really no different. We are both American citizens, but also disciples of Jesus Christ. When we enter areas of social life or even of politics, we do not leave our faith behind, like leaving an umbrella at the door to be picked up again later on! Our faith is at the very center of who we are: our values, our hopes and aspirations, our very life. We must remember that there is a constitutional separation of religion and state, but that is intended to prevent one religion being a state religion, not to prevent religion being a part of the discussions and dialogue that is a feature of any open democracy. As Pope Francis recently and passionately stated: “if indeed the just ordering of society and of the state is a central responsibility of politics, the Church cannot and must not remain on the sidelines…” (Encyclical Letter, On the Joy of the Gospel, n. 183)
Having said all this, what sort of things can help us in our prayer to give some focus and insight? The document of the US Bishops seeks to help us in this prayerful discernment. It is not to tell us “for whom or against whom to vote”, but rather “to help Catholics form their consciences in accordance with God’s truth.” The document suggests four important considerations:
- Inform ourselves about what the Church teaches about issues affecting public policy and, crucially, also why. This is part of being a disciple of Jesus Christ: to know what we believe and hold to be the truth and why, and also to share this good news with others
- Realize that everyone is called to participate in political life, for example by exercising the right and the responsibility to vote. In fact, in our Catholic tradition, responsible citizenship is seen as a virtue and participation in political life is a moral obligation.
- We can explore how the Church can help us to speak about political and social issues that are so important and dear to us (such as healthcare, immigration, social and economic justice, discrimination, the dignity of the human person, protecting the sanctity of life from conception to natural death, promoting family life etc. etc.)? From this knowledge and understanding, we can then develop true prudence. Prudence, for Christians, is a virtue that enables us to discern the true good in any circumstance and then to choose the right means of achieving it. So, for example in voting, we almost always have to make a choice between various matters and can even face a tough dilemma. Prudence will help us to make the right choice
- What does the Church say about the great treasure that is Catholic social teaching in the public square? As Catholics, we do have four, fundamental moral principles that help us to be prudent and to make the right choice, whether it is in an everyday situation to assessing political candidates and therefore how we cast our vote. They are:
- The dignity of every human person and that all life is sacred from the moment of
conception to the moment of natural death: we believe in a culture of life and we work to defend and to promote it! - “Subsidiarity”, that is the human person is not just an individual, but that we are social beings: there is a common good and how we act affects all. Human development takes place in relationship with others. We see this in groups such as the family or many local associations. The principle of subsidiarity also reminds us that smaller or local groups should not be overwhelmed by larger ones and that local groups are often the best placed ones to deal with local issues.
- Human dignity is respected and the common good is fostered only when fundamental human rights are protected and basic responsibilities are met
- Solidarity: our shared human dignity and nature and the equality of all that is to be promoted and protected (especially the vulnerable).
God Bless,
Fr. Anthony
