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Each year at my checkup, my doctor
tells me all the things I have come to
expect: Eat healthy, exercise more, take
vitamins, get the required tests for my
age, etc. It’s my doctor’s job to tell me
those things. In fact, if he didn’t, I
would question just how good a doctor
he is. But the reality is, once I walk out
of that office, what I do with his advice
is up to me.
I was reminded of this while at the
meeting of the U.S. bishops in Baltimore
this past November. During that
meeting, the bishops passed the document
Forming Consciences for Faithful
Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility
from the Catholic Bishops of the
United States. They have issued a version
of this document before every presidential
election since 1976.
The purpose of the 2007 document
is clear: “We bishops seek to help
Catholics form their consciences in
accordance with the truth, so they can
make sound moral choices in addressing
these challenges. We do not tell
Catholics how to vote. The responsibility
to make political choices rests
with each person and his or her properly
formed conscience.”
Almost immediately after the document
was passed, the analysis began. In
a press conference, one reporter asked
if the document, which speaks very
strongly against abortion, meant
Catholic voters could never vote for a
Democrat. (The answer was no, that’s
not what was meant.)
What about denying Communion
to Catholic politicians who are pro-choice?
This document is for voters
and is not meant to address politicians,
the bishops said.
The bishops again reiterated that the
document is simply a tool to help voters
form their own conscience. Nothing
more, nothing less.
The document addresses a wide range
of topics such as war, health care, education,
the environment and numerous
other issues. In the end, the bishops
note, it will be up to each of the voters
to decide how the candidates address
these issues.
“We have a responsibility to discern
carefully which public policies are
morally sound. Catholics may choose
different ways to respond to compelling
social problems, but we cannot differ
on our moral obligation to help build
a more just and peaceful world through
morally acceptable means, so that the
weak and vulnerable are protected and
human rights and dignity are defended,”
they said.
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In his final presidential address, Bishop
William S. Skylstad of Spokane, Washington,
talked of the bishops’ leadership
role, as illustrated in Faithful
Citizenship.
“For us as bishops,” he said, “a deep
and Christlike vision of leadership must
be at the heart of our service. Christ has
called us, as successors of the apostles,
to be his voice in our time.”
The bishops have simply done their
job by raising these issues up for us to
reflect on and think about. They can
only enhance the political debate by
highlighting issues they see as important
not only for Catholics, but also
for the country as a whole.
In fact, they point out, “Our nation’s
tradition of pluralism is enhanced, not
threatened, when religious groups and
people of faith bring their convictions
into public life. The Catholic community
brings to the political dialogue a
consistent moral framework and broad
experience serving those in need.”
Politics and Religion
There are those who feel the bishops
have no business getting involved in
politics. But like it or not, religion plays
a big role in politics. Don’t believe me?
Then go back to the 1960 presidential
election when John F. Kennedy gave a
speech to a group of Protestant ministers
assuring them that his Catholic
faith would not control his presidency
if he was elected.
And in the 2004 election, Senator
John Kerry took heat for the seeming
disparity between his religious beliefs
and his platform and voting record.
Last December, Republican presidential
candidate Mitt Romney gave a
speech addressing his Mormon faith
and the important role he felt religion
plays in our country.
And let’s not forget that our forefathers
repeatedly cited religion in documents
establishing our country.
So, yes—for better or worse—religion
and religious values do play a
role in politics. It seems quite logical,
then, that the U.S. bishops would identify
for the country’s 67.5 million
Catholics some issues they might want
to think about before heading to the
polls.
Leading up to an election, we all
should spend time examining a candidate’s
platforms, stands, records,
promises, etc. Treat this election like a
jigsaw puzzle. Take each piece and look
at it closely, turn it around and upside
down to see how—and if—all the
pieces fit together. Watch the debates
and delve into important issues. For
instance, as a parent, I am always interested
in education issues. Faithful Citizenship provides Catholic voters with
just one more piece of that puzzle.
But again, this is just a guide. Just
as your doctor provides you with the
best advice he/she can, so do our bishops.
And whereas your doctor is worried
about your physical body, the
bishops’ concern is your spiritual well-being
and the common good. You can
take their advice, or not. That’s your
call.—S.H.B.
The full text of Faithful Citizenship is
available at www.usccb.org/bishops/FCStatement.pdf.
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