Catholics…vote for freedom, vote for our faith and vote for life!
Catholics during this election period are standing on the precipice waiting for the election of a new President of the United States. Strangely enough, the American Catholic Bishops have been moderately instructional to the Catholic followers, passively sitting on the sidelines while Catholics are wrestling with the choice of their political selections. In most cases the various Catholic newspapers that have elaborated on the Catholic responsibility to vote have relied on the document from the U.S.Bishops Conference, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, which clearly illustrates the Catholic responsibility to participate in voting for properly disposed political candidates. However, what the document does not always clearly indicate is the great role the local bishop of a diocese has in keeping the faithful informed on the moral and ethical correctness of a candidates platform in the proper context that supports the Catholic theological perspective.
A few weeks ago, another Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary graduate, Bishop Joseph Martino of Scranton, Pennsylvania publically reinforced in his diocese the role and responsibility he has in teaching properly and in accordance with Catholic Church beliefs in his diocese. Perhaps most Catholics have forgotten to acknowledge the of teacher that the Bishop holds as part of his jurisdiction over the spiritual and temporal affairs of the local Church entrusted to him. As faithful Catholics, once again it is time for us to faithfully support Catholic teachings in our political instrument of our democratic vote, not because we are good citizens, but because firstly we are good Catholics.
There is a unique duality that exists with American Catholics that involves both spiritual and temporal responsibility to both our Church and State. However, we have the highest responsibility and obligation to follow the teachings of our Catholic Bishops and hierarchy. Unfortunately this notion seems contrary to Americans, that are rooted and established in the popular notions of democratic electoral freedom. However, moral law, natural law and God’s divine law should be the foundation for all of our political, social and ethical activities that encompass our American citizenship.
It is frequently said that Catholics are at times, a one issue Church; namely the right to life. Well quite honestly, if we cannot advocate, defend and support the most elementary rights to human life then our understanding of the entire message of the Gospel is in serious error. Yes, we are a single issue Church, primarily because it is in the right to life issue that all other human freedoms and obligations spring forth.
November 4th , 2008 is more than just an election day in the United States. It is a day on which American Catholics can properly show their religious fidelity and fortitude with the most fundamental teachings of the Catholic Church’s sacred obligation to defend, preserve and foster the rights of human life.
Vote for change…has been a popular slogan in this electoral campaign. We as Catholics have the obligation to vote for change, especially when it means supporting political and social changes that are reflective of our Catholic values and sacred beliefs. Vote for the Catholic transformation and change that comes with the power of the Holy Spirit as we publically manifest our Catholic desire for social, moral and ethical transformations that will change the world through our most sacred beliefs of human rights, dignity and most especially the right to human life.
Hugh McNichol is a Catholic author and journalist that writes on Catholic topics and issues. Hugh studied both philosophy and theology at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia. He writes daily at: http://verbumcarofactumest.blogspot.com & http://catholicsacredarts.com & http://pewsitter.com
He writes about Irish Catholic experiences at http://graysferrygrapevine.blogspot.com
Comments are always welcome @ hugh.mcnichol@trinettc.com
6 users commented in " Catholics…vote for life! "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackAbortion is never mentioned in the New Testatment, but Jesus specifically condemns divorce.
Why don’t the bishops condemn the grave evil of divorce? Surely they must realize that divorce and single-parent homes — more than anything else — are destroying our society.
Why can’t our bishops hear the cry of children and spouses whose lives are ruined by divorce?
The bishops should demand that all Catholic elected officials immediately abolish all divorce laws. Any Catholic who refuses — who is locked into the culture of death — should be summarily excommunicated.
Where have you been living Pierre? On the Moon? The teachings against divorce by the Catholic Bishops are legion. You’re just trying to be a wise-guy and not doing a very good job of it, either. By the way you ought to know that the Catholic’s teachings are not only based up on the Sacred Scriptures, but also on Sacred Tradition – both constitute ONE deposit of the Word God – that’s right out Vatican II repeating the constant teaching of the Church over the ages. If you understood that then you’d know the very first teaching against abortion in the Catholic Church appeared in a document called the Didache (c. A.D. 50) which is part of Sacred Tradtion. 50 million kids killed in 36 years in the U.S. constitutes a greater moral issue than ANY moral issue, past or present, that this country has ever faced.
So, go ahead, vote for Obama tomorrow. But be aware that you’re committing Mortal Sin by doing that. Then compound it on Sunday after Sunday after that as you blithely go up and commit a sacrilege against the Holy Eucharist by receiving it in that state of sin. I do hope you repent and be confessed before it’s too late.
What about that McCain supports embryonic stem cell researcch. Does that mean that I should not vote for McCain as well?
It is strange that The USA polarises the Abortion debate into those two words “Life” and “Choice”. There is no equivalance. “Choice” means that, within limits, a pregant woman has the right to choose whether to proceed with the pregnancy. “Life” means that she doesn’t have that choice. So the pro-life lobby think that the law should insist that a woman goes to full term and produces a child almost irrespective of whether that is her wish or not. Surely that can’t be right – can it? We moved on from that decades ago and we can’t roll back.
No one has the right to end the life of an unborn baby. This is wrong and always will be wrong. There is no excuse these days for a woman to say ” I didn’t know” The evil of abortion is coming to an end and soon.
First, and foremost abortion is a sin! No matter what! Let’s say the bill passes, ok, well that is acually great for Catholics no health plan would be required to offer coverage for abortion. Also, expanding health insurance coverage to the 46 million Americans who currently lack it is a necessary component of building a culture of life. It also provides an opportunity to reduce the number of abortions in the U.S., by making sure that families can afford the expense of pre- and postnatal care. It will provide health insurance coverage for every American. The new reform healthcare bill will take days, if not weeks to read! So noone really knows whats in the bill, some believe the bill does not provide adequate care for uninsured Americans. 81.7 percent of Catholics are opposed of the bill. Remember after the bill passes, it goes back to the Senate, after the Senate it goes to the House of Representatives again for final approval making sure no changes are made. Then the bill lands in the office of the President’s desk which he signs or vetos which everyone knows he will not veto, he is for the healthcare reform bill to make the bill go in effect. After he signs the new reform healthcare reform bill, he can and has the power to alternate that bill and instead of separating public and private dollars in the new system bill, in other words, women could access the public plan but abortion coverage would come from their private dollars, which is stated in the newly reform bill. The President can make a change and oppose the legal funding of abortions,federal dollars paying for abortions in the bill,funding for abortion. The President has the abilty to change parts of the bill around. Remember the Prsident rhetoric on the campaign has not yet matched his actions as president. I see the healthcare bill passing, which is acually great for catholics, but, i also see the unapologetic pro-choice presidential candidate making changes to the abortion plan to cover our expenses to the U.S.reform bill. I studied all differnet relious beliefs, and I am a firm believer in Catholism. So whatever the Pope and Bishops are for, they see something wrong with the bill, maybe that health reform will force taxpayers to fund abortions? maybe they think that this bill is unambiguously pro-life, and will vigorously oppose those who suggest otherwise. Or that the Pope and the Bishops are not satisfied with its restrictions on abortion funding and coverage. Whatever it is our Holy Pope and Bishops sees wrongful for this bill to pass, i am with them all the way! We have to support and stand by our Pope! KILL THE BILL !
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