Faithful Citizenship

Faithful Citizenship

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has once again put out  Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility from the Catholic Bishops of the United States. http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/faithful-citizenship/index.cfm  This is a publication that is meant to be a guide for Catholics facing choices in this year's election. In the introduction the Bishops state: "In the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation." (#13) Further they state: "The Church's teaching is clear that a good end does not justify an immoral means. As we all seek to advance the common good - by defending the inviolable sanctity of human life from the moment of conception until natural death, by promoting religious freedom, by defending marriage, by feeding the hungry and housing the homeless, by welcoming the immigrant and protecting the environment." (#19).

The bishops break their presentation of Church teaching that are meant to guide us into the four Principles of Catholic Social Teaching: The Dignity of the Human Person, The Common Good, Subsidiarity, and Solidarity.

Under the Dignity of the Human Person, once finds the foundational teaching against abortion. The intentional killing of innocent life is never morally acceptable. Also included this principle are denunciations against euthanasia, assisted suicide, human cloning, in vitro fertilization, and the destruction of human embryos for research.  We are also called to oppose among other things, torture, unjust war, attacks against non-combatants, racism, as well as overcoming poverty and suffering. The bishops also repeat the pleas of Pope Francis for the United States to ban the death penalty.

Subsidiarity reminds us that we are social people and that larger institutions should not interfere with smaller, more local groups, including the family. When a local group is not sufficient enough to protect human dignity and the common good it is only then that we turn to larger institutions.

The Common Good reminds us that every human person has a right to such things as food and shelter, education, employment, health care, and freedom of religion. The Common Good calls us to protect the rights of workers and their right to form associations. Finally the bishops, under the Common Good reiterate the Pope's call to care for our creation, especially as it regards pollution and climate change.

Solidarity reminds us that we are all in this together. Regardless of our race, nationality, religion or ideological differences. It is under the principle of Solidarity that the bishops call us to "welcome the stranger", including immigrants. Solidarity is also where the Church's Preferential Option for the Poor finds it basis.

It can be seen in reading through the publication that no one ideology, no one political party and no one candidate fits into all the teachings of the Church. Neither the "left" nor the "right", neither Republicans nor Democrats can claim to hold true to all that these principles of Catholic Social Teaching call us to. Indeed, the bishops state that: "When necessary, our participation should help transform the party to which we belong; we should not let the party transform us in such a way that we neglect or deny fundamental moral truths.." (#13) If we fit too well into one ideology or one political party, if we find we reject Church Teaching because it does not conform to what my party of candidate endorses, that we have made our ideology more important than our call to discipleship. We have made our membership in our political party more important than our membership in the Catholic Church. 

I urge all Catholics to vote this year and I urge all Catholics to read the entire publication. Please go to the USCCB web site and get a copy of Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility from the Catholic Bishops of the United State.  

The link is: http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/faithful-citizenship/index.cfm