Table of Contents
Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship - USCCB
Approach to Voting
- Catholics should evaluate candidates based on their positions on key issues and their character.
- Voters should evaluate candidates and policies using key principles of Catholic social teaching—dignity of the human person, common good, subsidiarity, and solidarity.
- It is crucial that Catholics avoid being single-issue voters but recognize the weight of certain issues, particularly those involving intrinsic evils like abortion.
- Prudence is required to discern the best means of promoting the common good and protecting human life, considering candidates' integrity and their stance on key issues.
Role of the Church
- The Church’s role is to teach moral principles and help guide Catholics in forming their conscience, not to endorse or oppose specific political candidates or parties.
- Bishops and clergy are responsible for offering moral guidance while the laity takes an active role in applying these principles in the political sphere.
Factors to consider as a Catholic when voting
- Moral and Ethical Dimensions:
- Evaluate candidates based on their stance on human life, dignity, justice, and peace.
- Consider candidates' integrity, philosophy, and track record rather than party loyalty or self-interest.
- Well-Formed Conscience:
- Voters should follow a well-informed conscience that understands the moral importance of different issues.
- Recognize that some issues, such as opposition to intrinsically evil acts, have a greater moral significance.
- Principles of Catholic Social Doctrine:
- Use the principles of dignity, common good, subsidiarity, and solidarity to assess candidates.
- Evaluate how candidates' policies align with the Gospel and the Church's teachings.
- Focus on the Common Good:
- Consider how candidates intend to promote the common good and protect vulnerable populations.
- Look beyond personal interests to the broader societal impact of policies.
- Avoiding Formal Cooperation with Evil:
- Avoid voting for candidates who support policies that endorse intrinsically evil acts, as doing so may result in formal cooperation with such acts.
- Comprehensive Vision of Dignity:
- Base voting decisions on the Church's teachings on human dignity.
- Recognize the inherent dignity and purpose of every person as created in the image of God.
Catholic Social Teaching
- Dignity of the Human Person:
- Every person has inherent dignity and worth, being created in God's image.
- It is the basis for all Catholic social teachings, emphasizing respect and protection of life from conception to natural death.
- Recognizes individuals' rights, including the right to life, education, and societal participation.
- Emphasizes respect and compassion, especially towards marginalized and vulnerable groups.
- Common Good:
- Refers to social conditions that enable individuals and communities to reach their full potential.
- Balances individual rights with community needs, aiming for a shared benefit.
- Promotes justice and peace, encouraging active participation in societal affairs.
- Advocates for equitable policies that ensure access to resources for a fulfilling life.
- Subsidiarity:
- Issues should be addressed at the most local level possible, empowering individuals and communities.
- Higher authorities should intervene only when lower levels cannot address issues effectively.
- Promotes local participation in decision-making and respects the autonomy of smaller communities.
- Larger institutions should support, not undermine, local efforts.
- Solidarity:
- A commitment to the welfare of others, recognizing the interconnectedness of all people.
- Advocates for social justice, especially for the poor and marginalized.
- Encourages social responsibility and actions that address systemic injustices.
- Reinforces the role of each individual in building a just and compassionate society.
Catholic Church Stance on Major Issues
- Human Life:
- Issue: Abortion, euthanasia, human trafficking, and death penalty.
- Stance: Prioritizes the protection of all human life from conception to natural death, condemning practices like abortion and euthanasia as intrinsically evil.
- Promoting Peace:
- Issue: War, terrorism, and violence.
- Stance: Advocates for peaceful resolution of conflicts and opposes acts of war unless all peaceful means have been exhausted.
- Marriage and Family Life:
- Issue: Redefinition of marriage, family support.
- Stance: Upholds marriage as a union between a man and a woman and emphasizes the importance of family as society's foundation.
- Religious Freedom:
- Issue: Threats to religious freedom domestically and internationally.
- Stance: Strongly supports the right to religious freedom and the ability of religious groups to participate in public life.
- Preferential Option for the Poor and Economic Justice:
- Issue: Poverty, economic inequality.
- Stance: Stresses the need for policies that support the poor and address economic disparities, advocating for fair wages and economic opportunities.
- Health Care:
- Issue: Access to health care.
- Stance: Endorses universal access to basic healthcare services, viewing health care as a fundamental human right.
- Migration:
- Issue: Treatment of migrants and refugees.
- Stance: Supports compassionate immigration policies that respect the dignity of migrants and protect family unity.
- Care for Our Common Home:
- Issue: Environmental degradation and climate change.
- Stance: Calls for stewardship of the environment and urgent action to address ecological crises, emphasizing the protection of the poor who are most affected.
- Combatting Unjust Discrimination:
- Issue: Racism and other forms of discrimination.
- Stance: Opposes all forms of racism and discrimination, emphasizing the dignity of every person.
- Political Participation:
- Issue: Catholic engagement in public life.
- Stance: Encourages Catholics to actively participate in politics guided by a well-formed conscience, without endorsing specific candidates but promoting moral principles.