Americans, our vote is a responsibility By Bishop Joseph N. Latino
In the introduction to the document “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: The U.S. Bishops’ Reflection on Catholic Teaching and Political Life,” the bishops state:
We are a nation founded on “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” but the right to life itself is not fully protected, especially for unborn children, the most vulnerable members of the American family.
We are called to be peacemakers in a nation at war. We are a country pledged to pursue “liberty and justice for all,” but we are too often divided across lines of race, ethnicity, and economic inequality. We are a nation of immigrants, struggling to address the challenges of many new immigrants in our midst.
We are a society built on the strength of our families, called to defend marriage and offer moral and economic supports for family life. We are a powerful nation in a violent world, confronting terror and trying to build a safer, more just, more peaceful world.
We are an affluent society where too many live in poverty and lack health care and other necessities of life. We are part of a global community facing urgent threats to the environment that must sustain us.
These challenges are at the heart of public life and at the center of the pursuit of the common good.
As American citizens we not only have the right to vote, it is a responsibility – one not to be taken lightly or handled casually. As Catholics, we must educate ourselves on the many issues that face our nation and world and reflect seriously on those issues.
During his homily at Yankee Stadium last April, Pope Benedict XVI said the following: “How many ‘spiritual sacrifices pleasing to God’ have been offered up in these two centuries!
“In this land of religious liberty, Catholics found freedom not only to practice their faith, but also to participate fully in civic life, bringing their deepest moral convictions to the public square and cooperating with their neighbors in shaping a vibrant, democratic society.”
“Praying fervently for the coming of the Kingdom also means… rejecting a false dichotomy between faith and political life, since, as the Second Vatican Council put it, ‘there is no human activity – even in secular affairs – which can be withdrawn from God’s dominion’ (Lumen Gentium, 36).
“It means working to enrich American society and culture with the beauty and truth of the Gospel, and never losing sight of that great hope which gives meaning and value to all the other hopes which inspire our lives.”
For the Catholic Church, faithful citizenship includes responsible voting that is based in moral principles not the platform of any one political party; moral principles rooted in Scripture and Catholic social teaching; principles centered on some very fundamental ideals, i.e., the life and dignity of the human person, the call to family and community, the rights and responsibilities that come with freedom, the option for the poor and vulnerable in our midst, solidarity with the suffering, and caring for God’s creation.
The responsibility of voting calls us to prayerfully form our hearts and minds on these moral principles, which echo God’s design for the common good. It calls each individual to form his or her own conscience.
Pope John Paul II defines the conscience as: “the most secret core and sanctuary of a person, where we are alone with God. In the depths of our conscience, we detect a moral law, which does not impose itself on us, but which holds us to a higher obedience.”
As part of our prayerful formation for the upcoming election I am asking all the Catholic faithful of the Diocese of Jackson to pray the novena prayer below. This prayer may be prayed individually or in groups or even at the end of Mass.
However you choose to pray it, please include it as part of your daily preparation as we approach Nov. 4. Our country needs much prayer. Let us offer this novena as a prayer for justice, peace and life.
Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship continues a long tradition by the bishops to help Catholics prayerfully form their consciences in order to vote in a national election. Forming Consciences and the entire election novena may be found at www.faithfulcitizenship.org.
ruggling to address the challenges of many new immigrants in our midst.