It has been years since I had any reason to be in a Catholic Church, but last week provided such a reason. While I was there, I looked at the pamphlets in the foyer before the worship area. One I found quite interesting, Guidelines for Catholic Voters. The cover contains this excerpt from the Catechism of Catholic Church.
It is the role of the state to defend and promote the common good of civil society. (item 1927 from here)
While the pamphlet does not recommend a specific candidate or political party, it does provide specific guidance on certain issues. In addition, it clearly states that citizens have the duty to vote. Again the pamphlet references the catechism.
We believe that citizens have a duty to fulfill their roles in the life of the political community. This duty “make it morally obligatory … to exercise the right to vote.” (items 2239 – 2240 from here)
The pamphlet methodically deals with such issues as freedom of conscience and the separation of church and state. Then it speaks to the “non-negotiable issues” and references supporting documents. What are these issues?
- Abortion and infanticide. See items 62 and 73 in Evangelium vitae.
- Euthanasia. See item 57 in Evangelium vitae.
- Embryonic stem cell research. See 4.b in the Charter of the Rights of the Family.
- Human cloning. See I:6 in Instruction On Respect For Human Life In Its Origin and On The Dignity of Procreation.
- Homosexual unions. See I:2, 11 in Considerations Regarding Proposals To Give Legal Recognition To Unions Between Homosexual Persons.
If you care about the right to life and regard the institution of marriage as worth defending, then this pamphlet makes a good case for voting carefully and conscientiously. Nonetheless, I would add something more. Christ gave us the Great Commission.
Matthew 28:16-20 (New International Version)
The Great Commission
Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Executing the Great Commission never has been easy.
Ephesians 6:12 (New International Version)
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Therefore, to make certain our authorities do not undermine our efforts, we must each work for good government. In particular, we must work for freedom of religion. That includes protecting the right of parents to pass on their values to their children. Otherwise, we will lose the right to educate our own children in Christian values. Eventually, if we do not take up the political battle, our enemies will silence the Christian message with constant harassment, brutal punishment, the threat of death, and murder. In some lands that has already happened, and there is no reason why it cannot happen here.
Ephesians 6:12 (New International Version)
12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
What do you say about people who tout the presumably Biblical belief that our leaders have been selected by God; therefore we should not contest their decisions? People like that scare the hell out of me.
I support many Catholic initiatives, but not all for sure. I guess that’s why I am not Catholic, though I have great respect for those who work for the good of all. In general, I would say they try. No institution is perfect, however.
People of all religions are persecuted and murdered. It’s never right, and it always disgusts me. This country was founded on religious freedom. If we don’t protect that, we jeapordize it for all (I can never spell “jeapodize).
Katherine Gotthardt – Some people get quite mixed up when they read the Bible. They take a phrase or two out of context and go to town with it. Unfortunately, those are the folks who get all the publicity.
There is no “divine right” of Kings. Nonetheless, Christians do acknowledge the authority of legitimate leaders. What is a legitimate leader? That is a post by itself.
I look forward to that post!
Tom,
Any mention of the Death Penalty in that pamphlet?
b
The The Virginia Catholic Conference sends out alerts whenever someone is on death row. They are against the death penalty.
Bruce – There is no mention of the death penalty in the pamphlet. The Catholic clergy cannot raise an objection to the death penalty on religious grounds that is consistent with church doctrine. Catholics are not pacifists. However, as Katherine suggests, much of the Catholic clergy is against the death penalty.
Although an execution does involve killing, the commandments that God gave Moses do not prohibit such a killing. The applicable commandment has often been translated as “Thou shalt not kill,” but the commandment is more correctly interpreted as “You shall not murder.” An execution is not murder. The government executes criminals in order to protect the rights of the People. Thus, an execution is a form self defense.
So if religion is set aside, how does one oppose capital punishment? I think the answer in found in the mechanics of what one has to do to carry out the death penalty.
When someone commits premeditated murder, most people do not want to give such a person another opportunity to murder again. They put themselves in the shoes of the family of the victim, and they want the murderer stopped permanently. But there is a problem. The problem is the institution we have to trust carry out the arrest, trial, and execution. Government, even at its best, only works imperfectly, and once the execution is done there is no means of redress.
Given how well our government works these days, I personally doubt the wisdom of capital punishment. Moreover, because of the fervor of the opposition, capital punishment is rare, and, when it occurs, inordinately expensive. Nonetheless, the execution of murderers is not one of those things that causes me much angst. So I spend little time worrying about it.
“The Catholic clergy cannot raise an objection to the death penalty on religious grounds that is consistent with church doctrine.”
Are you sure of this? I’m not familiar enough with the doctrine to know. I’m curious now.
Katherine Gotthardt – For what it’s worth, it is only my opinion. However, you can check out the Vatican’s website. Here is an example, DECLARATION OF THE HOLY SEE TO THE FIRST WORLD CONGRESS ON THE DEATH PENALTY. The document does not cite scripture or any such thing. It is just provides an opinion.