eCatholicHub - catholic vote

WHAT IS A "CATHOLIC" VOTE

What is a Catholic's role in public life?

...it is necessary that all participate, each according to his position and role, in promoting the common good. This obligation is inherent in the dignity of the human person... As far as possible citizens should take an active part in public life. (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1913-1915, from USCCB para. #13)

In the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation. (USCCB para. #13)

This duty is more critical than ever in today's political environment, where Catholics may feel politically disenfranchised, sensing that no party and too few candidates fully share the Chruch's comprehensive commitment to the life and dignity of every human being from conception to natural death. Yet this is not a time for retreat or discouragement: rather, it is a time for renewed engagement. (USCCB para. #16)

What are the principles that Catholics should always strive to defend?

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 defending marriage, by feeding the hungry and housing the homeless, by welcoming the immigrant and protecting the environment, it is important to recognize that not all possible courses of action are morally acceptale. We have a responsibility to discern carfully which public policies are morally sound. Catholics may choose different ways to respond to compelling social problems, but we cannot differ on our moral obligation to help build a more just and peaceful world through morally acceptable means, so that the weak and vulnerable are protected and human rights and dignity are defended. (USCCB para. #20)

There are some things we must never do, as individuals or as a society, because they are always incompatible with love of God and neighbor. Such actions are so deeply flawed that they are always opposed to the authentic good of persons. These are called "intrinsically evil" actions. They must always be rejected and opposed and must never be supported or condoned. A prime example is the intentional taking of inncocent human life, as in abortion and euthanasia. (USCCB para. #22)

Similarly, direct threats to the sancitity and dignity of human life, such as human cloning and destructive research on human embryos, are also intrinsically evil. These must always be opposed. (USCCB para. #23)

Although choices about how best to respond to these and other compelling threats to human life and dignity are matters for principled debate and decision, this does not make them optional concerns or permit Catholics to dismiss or ignore Church teaching on these important issues. (USCCB para. #29)

How is a Catholic to vote when all the optional candidates' policies are un-Catholic?

Catholics often face difficult choices about how to vote. This is why it is so important to vote according to a well-formed conscience that perceives the proper relationship among moral goods. A Catholic cannot vote for a candidate who takes a position in favor of an intrinsic evil, such as abortion or racism, if the voter's intent is to support that position. In such cases a Catholic would be guilty of formal cooperation in grave evil. At the same time, a voter should not use a candidate's opposition to an intrinsic evil to justify indifference or inattentiveness to other important moral issues involving human life and dignity. (USCCB para. #34)

When all candidates hold a position in favor of an intrinsic evil, the conscientious voter faces a dilemma. The voter may decide to take the extraordinary step of not voting for any candidate or, after careful deliberation, may decide to vote for the candidate deemed less likely to advance such a morally flawed position and more likely to pursue other authentic human goods. (USCCB para. #36)

In making these decisions, it is essential for Catholics to be guided by a well-formed conscience that recognizes that all issues do not carry the same moral weight and that the moral obligation to oppose intrinsically evil acts has a special claim on our consciences and our actions. (USCCB para. #38)

Because we have a moral obligation to vote, deciding not to vote at all is not ordinarily an acceptable solution to this dilemma. So, when there is no choice of a candidate that avoids supporting intrinsically evil actions, especially elective abortion, we should vote in such a way as to allow the least harm to innocent human life and dignity. We would not be acting immorally therefore if we were to vote for a candidate who is not totally acceptable in order to defeat one who poses an even greater threat to human life and dignity. (Kansas & CO p. 3)

Isn't my vote my vote?

...the redeeming love we encounter in the Eucharist should shape our thoughts, our words, and our actions, including those that pertain to the social order... Worship pleasing to God can never be a purely private matter, without consequences for our relationships with others: it demands a public witness to our faith. Evidently, this is true for all the baptized, yet it is especially incumbent upon those who, by virtue of their social or political position, must make decisions regarding fundamental values, such as respect for human life, its defense from conception to natural death, that family builds upon marriage between a man and a a woman, the freedom to educate one's children and the promotion of the common good in all its forms (part of quote from Sacramentus Caritatis, no 83). (USCCB para. #38)

It is important to be clear that the political choices faced by citizens not only have an impact on general peace and prosperity but also may affect the individual's salvation. Similarly, the knids of laws and policies supported by public officials affecting their spiritual well-being. (USCCB para. #38)

Is the Church telling me how to vote?

Voting is a moral act. It involves duties and responsibilities. Our duty is to vote in keeping with a conscience properly formed by fundamental moral principles. As Bishops we are not telling Catholics which candidates they should vote for. Rather, we simply want to teach how we should form our consciences and consider the issues in light of these fundamental moral principles. (Kansas & CO p. 3)