“Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship”

Dear Friends in Christ,

The bishops of the United States recently held their annual meeting in Baltimore. At that meeting they prepared a document “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship”. The document is directed to American Catholics as they study the issues and the candidates in making choices as responsible citizens. This is not a “voter’s guide”, but rather a guide to making intelligent decisions based on the moral law and rooted in the Gospel.

The citizen is called to live the Gospel within society and work to promote the common good of all, especially in a government “by the people and for the people”. This is a type of “social charity” (cf. Deus Caritas Est, Benedict XVI). As Christians we should be known as those who love and serve one another, both at home and in social life. That is why the Catholic Church has always been active in charitable works for the most vulnerable in society, the poor, the outcast, the persecuted.

In that spirit of charity the Catholic citizen is responsible for forming his/her conscience in order to make the right decisions in political and moral questions. “Conscience is a judgment of reason whereby the human person recognizes the moral quality of a concrete act…It is by the judgment of conscience that man perceives and recognizes the prescriptions of the divine law” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1778). Now the divine law is the norm in all cases; it is the inviolable source and standard for all human laws. Therefore, any human law which contradicts the divine law is fundamentally flawed. A person would not be bound to obey such a law.

The political climate in the United States today presents the Catholic citizen with some serious moral challenges. The bishops list several of these in their document. The first and most fundamental right is the right to life. Citizens are responsible for opposing laws that would permit the destruction of innocent human life. Legalized abortion is a scourge on our nation’s conscience. The Catholic citizen must oppose abortion and any legislation that would promote it or any other immoral practice such as euthanasia, assisted suicide, or human cloning. Other themes include the support of the traditional family and respect for God’s creation.

With regard to voting, while Catholics are not single issue voters, a candidate’s immoral position on one issue that is gravely evil may lead them not to vote for that candidate. Besides the obligation to avoid doing evil, the Christian must also seek to follow the positive law for the common good. Citizens must seek to provide for basic human needs, food, shelter, just wages for workers, health care, justice for immigrants, and education.

The complete text and a summary of this new document can be read at www.usccb.org. This is required reading for all of us who seek to contribute positively in the political arena.

May God bless you.

Fr. Hildebrand