Voting with a Catholic Conscience – Part I
[taken from the Minnesota Catholic Conference,
the public policy voice of the Bishops of
Minnesota, and presented to shape voter’s
consideration of the elections from a Catholic
perspective]
The imminent 2024 election will determine not
only our next president but also numerous
legislators at the local, state, and federal levels. As Minnesotans
prepare to vote, we as Catholics are called to vote in accord
with our faith, with a focus on human dignity, recognizing that
every person is made in the image and likeness of God. This
fundamental belief is central to how we engage in public life,
including how we vote. Catholics should approach the upcoming
election with this in mind, using the Church’s teachings as a guide
to form their conscience and inform their vote at the ballot box –
and how we respond peacefully and responsibly to whatever
results from the election.
To help Catholics prepare to vote, Minnesota Catholic
Conference has created a collection of resources, including
specific information on Catholic Social Teaching. These resources,
designed to guide and inform voters, can be found
Catholic Social Teaching
Catholic Social Teaching (CST) offers a framework for how to
build a just society that promotes human flourishing. CST reflects
the Gospel’s call to love our neighbor and uphold the dignity of
every human person. The principles give Catholics the tools to
live out our personal call to holiness despite the challenges of
modern society and to share the truths of the faith in the public
square.
It is often said that Catholics are politically homeless, as no
candidate or party perfectly embodies all of the Church’s
teachings. Sometimes it is frustrating that there are no obvious
answers when we take the whole of our teaching into account.
But by prioritizing issues that most directly affect human dignity
and the common good, and avoiding intentionally voting for
positions that conflict directly with Catholic principles, we can
allow our faith to inform our vote.
The Seven Principles of Catholic Social Teaching are:
Life and Dignity of the Human Person
Call to Family, Community, and Participation
Balancing Rights and Responsibilities
Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
Dignity of Work and Rights of Workers
Solidarity
Care for God’s Creation
Faithful Citizenship
The USCCB’s Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, though
lengthy, helps guide voting decisions – not prescribing specific
votes but instead providing essential elements to properly form
one’s conscience. This formation is crucial, prioritizing the
principles of life, dignity, and the common good in often difficult
choices before us.
Part III is useful for its direct statement of the Catholic Church’s
position on key issues before voters. While the views of some
Catholics do not follow this teaching, Catholic teaching itself
does not rest on popular approval but on the Gospel of Jesus
Christ and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Part III also presents questions to consider the positions and
proposals of candidates: where does each stand, and what do
they propose to do, about the following?
Address the preeminent requirement to protect the
weakest in our midst— innocent unborn children—by
restricting and bringing to an end the destruction of
unborn children through abortion and providing
mothers and families the supports needed to make a
decision for life.
Keep our nation from turning to violence to address
fundamental problems—a million abortions each year
to deal with unwanted pregnancies, euthanasia and
assisted suicide to deal with the burdens of illness and
disability, the destruction of human embryos in the
name of research, and the scourges of war to
address disputes.
Protect the fundamental understanding of marriage as the
life-long and faithful union of one man and one
woman and as the central institution of society;
promote the complementarity of the sexes; and
provide better support for family life morally,
socially, and economically to ready the coming
generation to build a better future for all.
Achieve comprehensive immigration reform that offers a
path to citizenship, treats immigrant workers fairly,
prevents the separation of families, maintains the
integrity of our borders, respects the rule of law, and
addresses the factors that compel people to leave
their own countries.
Help families and children overcome poverty: ensuring
access to and choice in education, as well as decent
work at fair, living wages, helping to overcome
widespread hunger and poverty here and abroad.
Provide health care while respecting human life, human
dignity, and religious freedom in our health care
system, education, and other social goods.
Continue to oppose prejudice, hostility, and all forms of
unjust discrimination.