FOR WHOM TO VOTE?"

Traditionally, the so called “Catholic vote” moved in the direction of the political party that had an anti-abortion ring. Many Catholics of good faith and integrity see that issue as fundamental, as the corner stone of their position in the political arena. There is also a growing number of honest, truth-seeking, God-fearing Catholics who witnessing the situation this country is, the kind of actions or mis-actions this society is in due to the leadership from on top, ponder if the lone abortion issue is the only issue or they are to consider other aspects from the social thread.

To be absolutely clear, with the 7 Principles in Catholic Social Teaching (Life and Dignity of the Human Person. Solidarity. Care for God's creation. Call to Family. Community and Participation. Option for the Poor and Vulnerable. Rights and Responsibilities. Dignity of Work and Rights of Workers) neither political party encompasses the whole Catholic Theology! At the same time, we are, as Catholics, to be directly involved in politics for the betterment of the Common Good. And, of course, “being involved in politics” is much more than casting a vote every four years…

The following, may be of help.

• Think and pray before voting. Really, think and pray! A formed moral conscience is the ultimate arbiter of any moral decision!
• One thing is to be “pro-life” and another “pro-birth”. The prolife agenda, according to Catholic teaching is wide: being born, education, health care, immigration, death by natural causes…
• Consider the Common Good of everyone. As Christians, we claim that all are children of the same Common Father.
• Think about this:

  Our defense of the innocent unborn, for example, needs to be clear, firm and passionate, for at stake is the dignity of a human life, which is always sacred and demands love for each person, regardless of his or her stage of development. Equally sacred, however, are the lives of the poor, those already born, the destitute, the abandoned and the underprivileged, the vulnerable infirm and elderly exposed to covert euthanasia, the victims of human trafficking, new forms of slavery, and every form of rejection. We cannot uphold an ideal of holiness that would ignore injustice in a world where some revel, spend with abandon and live only for the latest consumer goods, even as others look on from afar, living their entire lives in abject poverty.

• The following article in “America Magazine” may also throw some light:
  https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2020/09/28/bishop-seitz-el-paso-catholics-single-issue-voting-election-2020-biden-trump
  It is by Bishop Seitz of El Paso, a former Dallas priest. I think is a very powerful, well written, nuanced piece.
• Think and pray again!