Alex for President by Fr . Richard Bayuk , c . pp . s ., Publications Editor
In the document “ Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship ” the American bishops state the following : “ In the Catholic tradition , responsible citizenship is a virtue , and participation in political life is a moral obligation . As Catholics , we should be guided more by our moral convictions than by our attachment to any political party or interest group .… Faithful citizenship is an ongoing responsibility , not just an election year duty .”
They offer the following policy goals that will hopefully guide Catholics as they form their consciences and reflect on the moral dimensions of their public choices ( listed here in brief , but greatly expanded upon in the document ).
• Address the preeminent requirement to protect human life .
• Protect the fundamental understanding of marriage as the life-long and faithful union of one man and one woman .
• Achieve comprehensive immigration reform .
• Help families and children overcome poverty .
• Ensure full conscience protection and religious freedom for individuals and groups .
• Provide health care while respecting human life and dignity .
• Continue to oppose policies that reflect racism , hostility toward immigrants , religious bigotry , and other forms of unjust discrimination .
• Establish and comply with moral limits on the use of military force .
• Join with others around the world to pursue peace , protect human rights and religious liberty , and advance economic justice and care for creation .
It should be noted that the bishops in their document give preeminence to protection of human life . But what if no candidate is fully in line with this teaching ? And what if a candidate is committed to restricting and eliminating abortion , but is in conflict with church teaching on every other life issue , as well as many of the other points above , e . g ., immigration , health care , and poverty ? It also needs to be stated that
2 • The New Wine Press • October 2016
Leadership
not every Catholic agrees in total with every Church teaching , and this affects how they choose to vote .
There is no excuse for not knowing what positions and policies a candidate promotes ; they have web sites outlining just that ( whether one believes their sincerity or intention to carry them out is another matter ). We also make judgments about candidates based on their personalities and temperaments , and we react and respond to them on emotional , intuitive levels . So for example , if a newspaper begins an editorial endorsing a particular candidate by saying , “ Our country needs calm , thoughtful leadership to deal with the challenges we face at home and abroad . We need a leader who will bring out the best in all Americans , not the worst ,” we are already putting a name to that before we read any further . And that will be influenced by how we perceive the different candidates .
No candidate is ever pure and perfect according to any one person ’ s opinions and moral convictions . We have to look at the total package and resist the temptation to be a one-issue voter . It is also important to remember that we are also electing leadership in our country at state and local levels , and this may well be where we as citizens have far more influence on the direction and tone of our democracy .
In another article in this issue , we are reminded of three corporate stances that our Province has taken in recent years , regarding the Death Penalty , Gun Violence , and Immigration Reform . The latter two in particular are an important part of the political and moral conversation in this election , and people find themselves on both sides .
For example , I live in Missouri , the so-called “ Show Me ” state , where several weeks ago the legislature passed a conceal and carry law that allows for state residents to carry concealed weapons , in public , without a permit , or a criminal background check or firearms training . ( This has led to some people calling us the “ Shoot Me ” state !) How do you react to this and how would you be inclined to judge a candidate on this issue ?
Or consider the tweet sent out by one of the presidential campaigns , which contained a photo of a bowl of Skittles of various colors , along with the following text : “ If I had a bowl of Skittles and I told you three continued on page 7