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
