The US Bishops approved a statement today to help Catholics use their conscience and apply Catholic teaching when deciding how to vote. The statement, The Challenge of Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, is not a voter’s guide. Instead it is a guide for informing one’s conscience. Individuals then need to make the decision about which candidates earn their vote.
During an election year, it’s tempting to be swayed by ads and political polls. But if faith is truly to be integrated into our everyday lives, then our Catholic faith has much to say about how we make our voting decisions. The bishops’ statement “calls for a different kind of political engagement: one shaped by the moral convictions of well-formed consciences and focused on the dignity of every human being, the pursuit of the common good, and the protection of the weak and the vulnerable.”
The document recommends an approach with four components when making political decisions:
- A well-formed conscience
- The virtue of prudence (that is, discerning our “true good in every circumstance and choos[ing] the right means of achieving it”)
- Doing good and avoiding evil
- Making moral choices
The statement also explains the seven key themes of Catholic Social Teaching in the public square. In addition, it applies Catholic teaching to specific issues in contemporary society.
All-in-all, the statement is a very helpful resource for Catholics as the election year progresses. A summary of the statement is also available.
For those interested in further reading, two very helpful Catholic books, both written by bishops, discuss the interaction of faith and politics. In addition, several outstanding books are also available which give a more in-depth treatment of Catholic Social Teaching.
Posted by APWeb 
