Faithful Citizenship

Just as the presidential primary season is heating up, the U.S. Catholic bishops have issued a helpful document that provides a thoughtful framework for participation by Catholics in the political process. The document, issued last November and entitled “The Challenge of Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship” can be found in full online at www.faithfulcitizenship.org. Next week, at Mass, we will distribute as a bulletin insert a two-page summary of the document for all to take home for further consideration.

Here, I would like to raise the questions the Bishops raise and address in Faithful Citizenship as a way to get the ball rolling on an ongoing conversation about the responsibility and role of people of faith and religious groups in the political process.

Should the Church weigh in on matters of public policy at all?
Some believe that the Church should stay out of the public square and quit meddling in places it doesn’t belong. Others argue that the Church, by its own missteps, has irrevocably compromised its moral authority and its ability to speak credibly on moral issues.  Nevertheless, we, the Church, have an obligation to offer the insight and wisdom of the Christian moral tradition to the public dialogue shaping society. A robust faith compels us to seek understanding about the truth about human life and dignity. We must offer that understanding to our fellow citizens in appropriate settings and formats and always with the common good in mind. I would hope that we have something valuable to offer after 2000 years of striving to live a life in service to others as modeled on the life of Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit. This is a lofty statement, for certain. We often fall short, but we can act with conviction when our action and participation is motivated by the authentic imitation of Christ’s love for all.

How does the Church help Catholics Address Political and Social Questions?
As the title of the document states, the Church primarily guides the faithful by helping them develop well-formed consciences. Conscience is a judgment that recognizes through reason that a concrete act has moral dimensions. It sounds simple, but each of us is called to a lifetime of forming our conscience as we grow in wisdom and knowledge, as we are enlightened by the teaching of Christ and as we serve his mission through the Church. Conscience is aided by prudence and acted upon with courage in our attempt to do good and avoid evil. In that way, our participation in society cannot be characterized by lobbing single-issue criticisms from the back bench, but rather by engaging actively with others in the complex frontline struggle to alleviate suffering in our corner of the world. Not only do we have a responsibility to speak out against anything that threatens human life and dignity – abortion, euthanasia, human cloning, genocide, torture, racism, for example – we have an obligation to do something about it. The moral choices we make – in the voting booth, the marketplace, or in family life – must be made in an effort to work toward the protection of human life, especially among the weak and vulnerable, and the restoration of justice for all.

Next week's bulletin insert will also explore seven key themes that have emerged from our search for a consistent means of applying these principles of participation in society and politics.  Often referred to as Catholic Social Teaching, they provide a “consistent ethic of life” that prevents us from oversimplifying issues and compels us to appreciate the complexity of life lived with others.