We
have had a lot of inputs from
different bishops up to this
point. Now here is a summation
of how Catholics should vote,
if they are to be true to Christ
and to their faith. There is
a lot of talk about voting according
to one's conscience. That is
good, but conscience has to
be well formed. Study this,
and allow your conscience to
be formed accordingly. Then
go and vote for what is right
and just and true.
God bless.
frank
From: Spirit & Life e-Newsletter
<e-news@lists.hli.org>
Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2008 12:42:43
-0400
To: <e-news@lists.hli.org>
Subject: Fr. Tom Euteneuer: The
Catholic Vote
Spirit & Life®
"The words I spoke to you
are spirit and life." (Jn
6:63)
Human Life International e-Newsletter
Volume 03, Number 39 | Friday,
October 24, 2008
..................................................................................
http://www.hli.org/www.hli.org
The Catholic Vote
I have been asked by many people
to help clarify Catholic teaching
on exercising one's voting rights,
especially with respect to the
abortion issue. There are many
candidates across the nation
running on many issues, and
Catholics are trying to sort
through them all, so I will
state the Church's position
as unequivocally as possible
for the education of the faithful
and not as an endorsement of
any particular candidate or
candidates: true Catholics are
not "single-issue"
voters - we are principled voters.
That determines which candidates
we give our vote to and it determines
the state of our souls after
we vote.
With respect to the abortion
issue, the principle in question
is the moral impossibility for
a Catholic to cooperate in an
act or an institution that is
"intrinsically evil."
Now, something that is "intrinsically
evil" is not just a bad
thing - it is a heinous thing,
trumping all other moral considerations,
and we can never legitimately
commit the act ourselves or
approve of it in anyone else.
Casting a vote for a candidate
who forcefully advocates the
killing of innocent unborn babies
shows approval or unacceptable
toleration of that heinous crime
against humanity, and Catholics
can never do it in good conscience.
The Catechism of the Catholic
Church calls such an attitude
and action "formal cooperation"
in evil (#2272). This does not
mean that I commit the evil
myself. It means that I agree
with it and have made it possible
for a person in public office
to continue and/or advance that
evil in my society.
Formal cooperation in the evil
act of another is a sin, and
depending on the gravity of
the person's evil act, formal
cooperation in it can be a mortal
sin. Since procured abortion
is an intrinsically evil act,
and all promotion of it fits
into the same moral category,
voting for a person who forcefully
advocates it must be a mortal
sin. Add to the sin of formal
cooperation in evil the sin
of disobedience to legitimate
Church authority. To date the
USCCB and more than a dozen
US bishops and state bishops'
conferences have clarified these
principles for Catholics, and
their teachings couldn't be
clearer.
Further, add the sin of scandal
that a regrettable number of
priests and religious are giving
by their appalling disingenuousness
about Church teachings both
in and out of the pulpit. Catholic
parents and teachers equally
give scandal when they do not
teach their children the principles
that undergird moral behavior
or properly form their consciences
according to the Truth that
is in Christ.
Some ask if a Catholic may vote
for someone whose policies would
advance an agenda that is mostly
in line with the Catholic Church's
teaching? Also, what if the
Catholic disagrees with the
candidate's position on abortion
but still wants to vote for
this candidate for other reasons
consistent with our values?
Here the Church uses the term
"proportionate reason"
to indicate that there must
be some kind of balance in the
candidate's position that indicates
it is likely that a greater
good would be accomplished for
society despite the evil he
or she advocates. Proportionate
reasoning usually has to do
with positions that are not
intrinsically evil in themselves
or that, if they are, would
constitute such a minimal part
of the platform that they would
be "outweighed" somehow
in the grand scheme of the candidate's
public service. According to
the above principle, however,
the degree to which the candidate
would promote something as heinous
as abortion can literally nullify
all the other "good"
that he or she would do for
humanity! When the fundamental
right to life is denied in society,
all other rights and goods are
therefore threatened. The very
moral foundation of a people
is eroded. So the answer has
to be no, it is not legitimate
to disagree on abortion and
still vote for a radical abortion
candidate.
May a Catholic vote for an "imperfect"
candidate if the radical abortion
candidate is worse? The Church
says yes, but only if the vote
is not expressed as an agreement
with the "imperfect"
elements of the candidate's
policies and only if the vote
is intended to limit the evil
that other candidate would inevitably
do.
It is truly regretful that we
have gotten to the point where
we might have to surrender some
of our basic values in the voting
booth because we have not successfully
insisted on the very best candidates
for public office to serve the
common good. That is a discussion
for another day, but I anticipate
that if Catholics do not assert
Catholic values forcefully in
elections and public policy
from here on out, we may be
faced in future elections with
no choice whatsoever that can
morally satisfy the Catholic
conscience. Heaven help and
guide us all on November 4th.
SL Links
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the Author
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Us About Yourself
SL Action Items
* <>Bishop
Robert W. Finn: Freedom of Choice
Act Would Remove All Limitations
on Abortions
* <>Bishop
Vasa: Pro-Abortion Candidates
are "Disqualified"
- Clarifies "Faithful Citizenship"
* <>Bishops'
Statement: Forming Conscience
for Faithful Citizenship
Sincerely Yours in Christ,
Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer,
President, Human Life International