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October 1, 2020
Feast of St. Therese of the Child JesusLetting Faith Form our Conscience
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
As Catholic Christians, and as Americans we are members of two “realities”— the City of God and the City of Humanity (to borrow an image used by St. Augustine, our diocesan Patron). As faithful citizens of both realities, we are called by our Baptism to help build up the City of God by the ways we faithfully live in the City of Humanity, allowing the actions of our lives to be guided by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are invited, and challenged, to be “in the world but not of it” (John 17:13–16) and, therefore, to be responsible citizens, who work both to eradicate moral evils and social injustices wherever we find them, as well to advance the values of Christ which are summed up in the Beatitudes and summarized in the Church’s Catholic Social Teachings.
Over the course of the nearly seventy-five years that the Lord has allowed me to live in this world, and throughout the better part of the 50 years I have served as a priest, I have witnessed remarkable political changes and movements, including the tumultuous years of social unrest during the 1960’s: some for the better, but not all. As a Shepherd of Souls, it is my responsibility to teach the Truth of God’s Word, in season and out (Timothy 4:2). As we approach the time of the national election in November, and as we consider our solemn duty of voting to elect government leaders at all levels of our society, it is important for me as the Bishop of our Diocese to encourage everyone to prayerfully and seriously consider this responsibility from a faith perspective. The purpose of this Letter is not to endorse any individual running for office, or any particular political party; that is to be determined by each citizen according to the guidance of one’s well-formed conscience. My primary responsibilities as a Bishop are to teach, lead and sanctify; it is also incumbent on me to provide guidance in the formation of one’s good conscience, so that we are prepared to vote with a clear understanding of Catholic Teaching on the moral and social issues facing us.
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"Letting Faith form our Conscience"
Supplement to “Letting Faith Form our Conscience”
Steps to help form conscience in preparation for exercising our civic responsibility to vote:
- Pray: As the life of grace requires, we are to have daily contact and conversation with Almighty God, and so prayer is an indispensable part of forming one’s conscience. Genuine prayer opens our minds and hearts to know the Truth—what is of God and what is not.
- Examine Candidates and Issues: After prayerful consideration, look directly at policies being promoted by examining each candidates’ own words and actions from objective sources, not just based on political opponents’ statements. Platforms of political parties (usually heavily influenced by presidential candidates) need to be read and understood, as they chart the course a candidate or party intends to follow if elected. Consider the candidate’s actual influence and competence over the issues, as the influence of the President is not the same as the County Water Commissioner. It is important to remember that political ads, political analysis, political opinion pieces offer no guarantee of truth or accuracy regarding the candidate and issues, and it is important to examine the resources used and political slant of any news organization from which you get information. Finally, it should be kept in mind that third party candidates may have valuable positions to be considered. In all things, we must choose candidates and parties that reflect best the moral teachings of the Church.
- Discern according to Jesus’ Teaching: The Church’s teaching is, by definition, Jesus’ teaching, and is the only repository guaranteed by the Gift of the Holy Spirit, and therefore unchanging. As Catholics, we need to understand the teachings of the Church on all of the issues at play in the political realm, and weigh the issues according to what Christ teaches through the Church’s moral and social teaching. This includes understanding identifying issues that are morally intrinsically evil, assessing proportionality in voting the issues, and consideration of other moral issues (see below). It would be helpful to seek out others who may have a greater knowledge of the moral teachings of the Church, who “think with the Church” and not the popular and political thinking in vogue at the moment.
- Charity Above All: Our Lord always calls us to a life of virtue, and our political convictions and emotions are never to be allowed to compromise the charity we owe, even to those we dislike or who might hold very different positions. When discussing politics and speaking with others, especially those who do not agree with you, charity must always to guide what we say and how we treat others. As disciples of Jesus, we should never belittle others or treat them with less than their human dignity deserves.
- A Catholic Christian First: As baptized Catholics, our existence is defined by our relationship with Christ in the Church, not by political or social groups or movements that are part of the “passing” world. For this reason, our faith must form and direct our decisions when voting. We must actively guard against the influence of any political party, activist group, or mass media on how to interpret Catholic teachings, and, subsequently, in dictating how to cast your vote.
- Vote your Conscience: By conforming our minds and hearts to Jesus’ teaching in the Church, our consciences continue to be formed in a way pleasing to God. A well-formed conscience in this way provides the best basis for a conscientious and morally-sound participation in the elections process.
Intrinsic Evil – An act or intention that by its very nature is not in conformity with Divine Law. (Fr. John Hardon, Modern Catholic Dictionary; read more in the Catechism of the Catholic Church)
Voting on these issues: One should never vote in direct support of an intrinsically evil issue. The only way to vote for a candidate who does support one of these intrinsically evil issues, is if the other candidate supports an intrinsically evil issue that is proportionately more grave. (see Proportionate Reasoning)
Voting Issues that are Intrinsic Evils: In order of importance, abortion, euthanasia, death penalty, embryonic research, human cloning, genocide, policies treating employees as a mere means to an end, policies that enshrine racism, redefinition of marriage, torture, targeting of non-combatant’s during war (see USCCB “Forming Consciences a Guide to Voting”)
Other Moral Issues:
There are many moral issues the conscientious Catholic should be concerned about, these include: protection of the poor and vulnerable, just and compassionate immigration reform, dignity of work and rights of workers, religious liberty, and stewardship of God’s creation. Within these moral issues there can be disagreements and variances in how best to implement these policies, and in what ways we can have the greatest and most long-lasting effects on these issues. While these issues do not hold the same weight as the intrinsically evil issues, they should play an important role in determining how we vote. When there are candidates that either do not support an intrinsic evil or have proportional intrinsic evil issues, these areas need to be weighted proportionally in order to determine the best candidate.
Proportionate Reasoning: When determining proportionate moral choices within multiple candidates, one must first make sure they are comparing levels of morality. To use proportionate reasoning the hierarchy of morality comes into play, starting with those moral issues that are intrinsic evils. Thus, an intrinsic evil always outweighs all other moral issues. For example, human cloning, always outweighs issues of how to handle immigration. Within the moral issues, proportionality mandates that when comparing the issues, we must consider: how many people are affected, future implications, and policy influence.
Intention and Character:
While the character of a candidate is important, we must avoid making rash judgments. Accusing someone of being a “racist”, a “sexist”, or any other accusation are frequently used in this current climate and are often used as political rhetoric. People’s true characters are only known by those close to them. We must be careful to understand the lens through which candidates are portrayed. We need to focus more on objective evidence of how a candidate supports, or does not support, morally important issues.Platforms for Presidential Candidates in Michigan:
Democrat Platform
https://bit.ly/2GdHKlV
Republican Platform (note the 2020 republican platform was voted to remain the same as 2016)
https://bit.ly/34cymab
Libertarian Platform
https://www.lp.org/platform/
US Taxpayer Party Platform
https://www.ustpm.org/about-the-ustpm/ustpm-platform
Green Party Platform
https://www.gp.org/platform
Natural Law Party
https://www.natural-law.org/platform/index.html -
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As Catholics, we have a long tradition of engagement in the political process as a means of putting our faith into action. We are called to bring the best of ourselves and our faith to the public square—and yet today, many shy away from such involvement because our national and local conversations are filled with vitriol and harsh language, often directed at people themselves.
When personal attacks replace honest debate, no one wins. This kind of attack, no matter the reason, only serves to further divide our communities. As Catholics, we must model a better way. We invite you to join the Civilize It campaign by taking the pledge below as a way to promote civility, love our neighbors, and build community.
Civilize It is about making room in your heart for those with whom you disagree. We are called to recognize that each one of us is a beloved child of God and to respond in love to that reality. Civilize It is a non-partisan call to focus on the dignity of all people, even when we disagree, and to put faith in action by bearing witness to a better way forward.
Take the pledge below as an individual, family, or community. Anyone and everyone can commit together to honoring human dignity through civil conversation.
I PLEDGE:
1. Civility
To recognize the human dignity of those with whom I disagree, treat others with respect, and rise above attacks when directed at me.2. Clarity
To root my political viewpoints in the Gospel and a well formed conscience, which involves prayer, conversation, study and listening. I will stand up for my convictions and speak out when I witness language that disparages others' dignity, while also listening and seeking to understand others’ experiences.3. Compassion
To encounter others with a tone and posture which affirms that I honor the dignity of others and invites others to do the same. I will presume others’ best intentions and listen to their stories with empathy. I will strive to understand before seeking to be understood.
Sign the Pledge
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