One of the most encouraging signs of unity in the Catholic Church of late has come from the bishops of our country. They have provided a strong and consistent moral voice in defense of the right to life of the unborn, the sanctity of marriage, religious freedom and conscience rights, among other things. Their leadership undoubtedly will resonate in the outcome of ‘the Catholic vote’ in the current election. And that’s the way it should be.
In their Introduction to Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship (2007), the U.S. Bishops stated that the purpose of the document is "to help Catholics form their consciences in accordance with God’s truth." All too often Catholics have set the teachings of Jesus and His Church aside when selecting political leaders to represent them. This shameful (and sinful) practice is in large part responsible for the rapid decline of social justice and morality in our culture. Bishops have become increasingly aware of the weight of responsibility that is theirs in leading Catholics in the proper formation of their consciences by making Church doctrine clear and by applying Christian moral principles to the most pertinent issues of our day.
Naturally, priests and others who teach on Christ’s behalf (all of us, really) share in that responsibility of articulating the faith clearly, especially with regard to issues that are largely misunderstood by the general populace, even though they may require a delicate and sensitive treatment.
The evils of artificial contraception and abortion, for example, have not received enough attention from pulpits and other instructional venues. God’s plan for marriage as being exclusively between one man and one woman is a hot topic in our times because so many are ignorant about God’s law, natural law, legitimate human rights and their application to issues affecting the common good. Our obligation to teach unapologetically the truths of our faith has never been more serious or consequential than it is today.
In Forming Consciences, the bishops remind the faithful during election time that "a candidate’s position on a single issue that involves an intrinsic evil, such as support for legal abortion or the promotion of racism, may legitimately lead a voter to disqualify a candidate from receiving support" (n. 42). This directive is founded on the premise that some issues, such as abortion or same-sex ‘marriage,’ are weightier than others, such as tax reform policies. Thus, even though we would like to choose political leaders based upon a wide range of issues, the candidates’ differences on issues that involve intrinsic evils often abbreviates the process since authentic Christians cannot in good conscience support candidates who promote such evils.
The Conclusion of the aforementioned document reminds us: "Participation in political life in light of fundamental moral principles is an essential duty for every Catholic and all people of good will. The Church is involved in the political process but is not partisan. Our cause is the defense of human life and dignity and the protection of the weak and vulnerable." Hopefully, these reminders by the U.S. Bishops will help Catholics to "vote their consciences" that must necessarily have been first properly formed and instructed. The use of voter guides helps greatly in this regard. May God guide and bless all voters and candidates in this year’s election process.
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