Post on 11-May-2015
U.S. Bishops’ Reflection on Catholic Teaching and Political Life
Forming Consciences
Apostolicam Actuasitatem #141965 Vatican II Document on the Lay Apostolate
In loyalty to their country and in faithful fulfillment of their civic obligations, Catholics should feel themselves obliged to promote the true common good. Thus they should make the weight of their opinion felt in order that the civil authority may act with justice and that legislation may conform to moral precepts and the common good.
“[Christians] teaching is not based upon reveries inspired by the curiosity
of men. Unlike some other people, they
champion no purely human doctrine… They
pass their days upon earth, but they are citizens of heaven.
Obedient to the laws, they yet live on a level
that transcends the law.”
Epistle to Diognetus
THE APOLOGIST: A TRADITION OF ADVOCACY
Introduction
• “In this statement, we bishops do not intend to tell Catholics for whom or against whom to vote. Our purpose is to help Catholics form their consciences in accordance with God’s truth. We recognize that the responsibility to make choices in political life rests with each individual in light of a properly formed conscience, and that participation goes well beyond casting a vote in a particular election.” (2011)
The Church and Political Life“The Church cannot and must not
take upon herself the political battle to bring about the most just society possible. She cannot and must not replace the State. Yet at the same time she cannot and must not remain on the sidelines in the fight for justice. She has to play her part through rational argument and she has to reawaken the spiritual energy without which justice, which always demands sacrifice, cannot prevail and prosper….” Benedict XVI, Deus
Caritas Est: #28 (2006)
The Church and Political LifeThe direct duty to work for a
just ordering of society, on the other hand, is proper to the lay faithful. As citizens of the State, they are called to take part in public life in a personal capacity. …The mission of the lay faithful is therefore to configure social life correctly, respecting its legitimate autonomy and cooperating with other citizens according to their respective competences and fulfilling their own responsibility.
Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est: #29 (2006)
Conscience must be informed and moral judgment enlightened. A well-formed conscience is upright and truthful. It formulates its judgments according to reason, in conformity with the true good willed by the wisdom of the Creator. #1783 -Catechism of the Cathol ic Church (1995)
In forming one’s conscience please consider the following three principles Intrinsically Evil Acts Consistent Ethic of Life Catholic Social Teachings
FORMATION OF CONSCIENCE
INTRINSICALLY EVIL ACTS
Reason attests that there are objects of the human act which are by their nature "incapable of being ordered" to God, because they radically contradict the good of the person made in his image. These are the acts which, in the Church's moral tradition, have been termed "intrinsically evil" (intrinsece malum): they are such always and per se…
The Second Vatican Council itself, in discussing the respect due to the human person, gives a number of examples of such acts: "Whatever is hostile to life itself, such as any kind of homicide, genocide, abortion, euthanasia and voluntary suicide; whatever violates the integrity of the human person, such as mutilation, physical and mental torture and attempts to coerce the spirit; whatever is offensive to human dignity, such as subhuman living conditions, arbitrary imprisonment, deportation, slavery, prostitution and trafficking in women and children; degrading conditions of work which treat labourers as mere instruments of profit, and not as free responsible persons: all these and the like are a disgrace, and so long as they infect human civilization they contaminate those who inflict them more than those who suffer injustice, and they are a negation of the honor due to the Creator".
John Paul II: Veritatis Splendor
#80 (1995)
Adopting a consistent ethic of life, the Catholic Church promotes a broad spectrum of issues "seeking to protect human life and promote human dignity from the inception of life to its final moment." Opposition to abortion and euthanasia does not excuse indifference to those who suffer from poverty, violence and injustice. Any politics of human life must work to resist the violence of war and the scandal of capital punishment. Any politics of human dignity must seriously address issues of racism, poverty, hunger, employment, education, housing, and health care. Therefore, Catholics should eagerly involve themselves as advocates for the weak and marginalized in all these areas.
- USCCB: “Living the Gospel of Life” (1998)
CONSISTENT ETHIC OF LIFE
Catholic Social Teachings Life and Dignity of the Human
Person
Call to Family, Community, and Participation
Rights and Responsibilities
Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers
Solidarity
Care for God’s Creation
Human Life• Opposing Abortion,
Euthanasia, and the Death Penalty
• Genocide, torture, targeting of noncombatants in war or terrorism
• Concern with Biotechnology: specifically the cloning and destruction of human embryos
• Promoting Peace and the avoidance of war, concern about the preventive use of military force, Disarmament
Family Life
Definition of Marriage Policies to strengthen the
Family: services, taxes, work/wages, immigration (family reunification)
Protection of children: human trafficking, contraceptive mandates,
Education: Right to choose a school
Media impact: offensive material and violence
Social Justice Dignity of Work: Employment growth, just
wages, unjust discrimination, right to organize, economic freedom.
Human Services: Poverty reduction programs, Tax Credits, Social Security, Affordable Housing, Affordable and Accessible Healthcare, Food security (eg. food stamps), Circle of Protection Campaign
Comprehensive Immigration Reform, Dream Act
Criminal Justice system reform Ecological concerns: sustainable
agriculture, global climate change Discrimination
Global Solidarity
Alleviate Global Poverty Increased development aid, equitable trade
policies, debt relief Defend Human Rights
Religious Liberty End the use of torture
Support UN programs and reforms to strengthen international bodies and law.
Provide Refugee Asylum International leadership
In addressing regional conflicts Peaceful solution for the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict Respond to the Human Consequences of War in
Iraq and Afghanistan
Do’s and Don’ts
For Parishes
PLEASE DO NOT…!!! Endorse/oppose Political
Candidates Homilies/Bulletin inserts regarding
specific candidates Distribute partisan or candidate
rating material on Church property Arrange Groups to work for a
candidate Fund or support Candidates, PACs
or Party Invite Candidates to address your
Church sponsored group or host political meetings on Church Property
Conduct partisan voter registration Share parish mailing lists to
political parties or campaigns
PLEASE DO…!!! Endorse/oppose Legislation and
Referendum Homilies/Bulletin inserts on moral
issues Provide educational material on
public policy issues Organize Prayer services/vigils or
Novenas encouraging Faithful Citizenship.
Encourage local legislative district meetings with their elected official to advocate on issues and legislation
Encourage letter-writing/emails or phone calls with elected officials regarding issues and legislation
Conduct a nonpartisan voter registration drive on Church property
Civil DiscourseO Catholics should try to
cooperate with all men and women of good will to promote whatever is true, whatever just, whatever holy, whatever lovable (cf. Phil. 4:8). They should hold discussions with them, excel them in prudence and courtesy, and initiate research on social and public practices which should be improved in line with the spirit of the Gospel. (Apostolicam Actuasitatem #14)
O Ground Rules:O Make sure everyone has an
opportunity to speakO Share your personal experience not
someone else’s.O Listen carefully and respectfully. Do not
play the role of know it all, convincer or corrector. Dialogue is not a Debate.
O Don’t interrupt unless for clarification or timekeeping
O Accept that no group or viewpoint has a monopoly on the truth.
O “Be more ready to give a favorable interpretation to another’s statement than to condemn it.”
O Be cautious about assigning motives to another person.
Being a Faithful Citizen
VOTE… (Make a Moral Decision)
but don’t stop there! Develop an ongoing relationship with
your local, state and federal elected official: Visit, Write/email, Call (take copies of
our “Contacting Your Elected Official” handout.
Vote with your money. Be a conscientious consumer Be a socially responsible Investor
What Can Catholics Do?
Organize Prayer or Faith Sharing Groups related to Catholic social teaching
Develop or join a Parish advocacy/social justice Committeeo Organize a Parish Voter’s registration where you offer resources from
the USCCB or NY State Catholic Conference (NYSCC)o Promote upcoming advocacy events like the:
• Catholic Social Ministry Gathering (sponsored by the USCCB in Wash. DC)• Catholics at the State Capitol (sponsored by the NYSCC in Albany)
o Take part in advocacy campaigns that are promoted by the USCCB• Respect Life Program• Poverty USA• Justice for Immigrants • Religious Liberty• Catholic Mobilizing Network to end the use of the Death Penalty• Catholic Coalition on Climate Change• Catholics Confront Global Poverty