At this time of the year, many Catholics are aware of the various media commercials, advertisements, brochures, and other promotions involving political candidates at various levels of government.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has issued the document “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship” to guide Catholics during this election season. The following are excerpts from the document.
“As Catholics and Americans, we are blessed to be able to participate in our nation’s political and public life. Our freedoms respect the dignity of individuals and their consciences and allow us to come together for the common good. Election seasons, therefore, should contain a sense of gratitude and hope. Our love of country, our patriotism, properly impels us to vote.”
“Participation in political life also requires judgments about concrete circumstances. While the bishops help form the laity in accordance with basic principles, they do not tell the laity to vote for particular candidates. On these often-complex matters, it is the laity’s responsibility to form their consciences and grow in the virtue of prudence to approach the many and varied issues of the day with the mind of Christ. Conscience is a ‘judgment of reason’ by which one determines whether an action is right or wrong (See Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1778). It does not allow us to justify doing whatever we want, nor is it a mere ‘feeling’. Conscience – properly formed according to God’s revelation and the teaching of the Church – is a means by which one listens to God and discerns how to act in accordance with the truth.”
This document can be read on our home page at the Saint Brigid Website.
“The threat of abortion remains our pre-eminent priority because it directly attacks our most vulnerable and voiceless brothers and sisters and destroys more than a million lives per year in our country alone. Other grave threats to the life and dignity of the human person include euthanasia, gun violence, terrorism, the death penalty, and human trafficking. There is also a redefinition of marriage and gender, threats to religious freedom at home and abroad, lack of justice for the poor, racism, the need for greater access to healthcare and education, care for our common home, and more. All threaten the dignity of the human person.”
“It is our responsibility to learn more of Catholic teaching and tradition, to participate in Church life, to learn from trustworthy sources about the issues facing our communities, and to do our best to make wise judgments about candidates and government actions.”
As we reflect on these comments, our bishops have asked us to seek “wisdom from above” and prayerfully consider how we can effectively participate in the political process.