Looking back at the weekly messages of Father Paul Counce, first published in The Carpenter, our weekly Parish Bulletin
Published: September 13, 2020
First off, let me again thank you for all you’re doing to aid the recovery of our neighbors in southwest Louisiana who were devastated by Hurricane Laura. You may have noted on the Facebook pages of the Parish and diocese that more items are now being gathered in this effort, so there are more “things to give.” While monetary gifts are always welcome, perhaps you will be inspired to be more creative, and for that both God and the people we help are grateful.
Now I’m going to venture into dangerous waters. Many ask me for guidance – almost daily! – regarding the upcoming elections. While the Church in general and the clergy in particular are able to speak about issues, for many reasons we do not support individual candidates. But even to touch on politics is risky, given the fact that in the past few decades civil discourse has given way so much to partisan wranglings. But it is incumbent upon me, as a pastor, to offer a few ideas.
First, I advise you go to the US bishops’ website and read their entire “Faithful Citizenship” document (http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/faithful-citizenship/upload/forming-consciences-for-faithful-citizenship.pdf). I admit, it’s long and overly detailed, and so is hard to work through. But you’ll find in its text much information and guidance (and many other links to other important Church documents and teachings). But I’ll try to summarize a few important points in an organized, and for the moment I hope helpful, way:
Faithful Citizenship points out Church teaching is coherent and rests on a comprehensive vision of the inviolable dignity of the human person (no. 8). Also, some “intrinsically evil” things exist, which must always be rejected and opposed and never supported or condoned. Putting these two together, we realize that chief among these is the intentional taking of innocent human life; the classic examples of this are abortion, euthanasia, and targeting of civilians in time of war or other civil unrest.
Many other acts are also intrinsically evil. The timely example of racism is mentioned. Human trafficking is another immoral thing that has recently grown in scope and seriousness. In sections 40ff. there is a longer litany of other issues: “…poverty, hunger, employment, education, housing, and health care…” In this vein the Church upholds the common good, and particularly family life, economic justice for all, a preferential option for the poor, and solidarity with those who suffer. Under Popes Benedict and Francis awareness of the vital need to care for the environment has grown too.
So, what to do? Vote, of course. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “Service of the common good require citizens to fulfill their roles in the life of the political community” in this way (no. 2239).
But also: decide WHY one votes for a candidate, and go about discerning this in the right way. This is also called “forming one’s conscience.” As Faithful Citizenship no. 17 indicates: “Catholics have a serious and lifelong obligation to form their consciences in accord with human reason and the teaching of the Church. Conscience is not something that allows us to justify doing whatever we want, nor is it a mere ‘feeling’ about what we should or should not do. Rather, conscience is the voice of God resounding in the human heart, revealing the truth to us and calling us to do what is good while shunning what is evil.”
Perhaps the most important clarification made by Faithful Citizenship is in its no. 34, where it points out “A Catholic cannot vote for a candidate who favors a policy promoting an intrinsically evil act, such as abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, deliberately subjecting workers or the poor to subhuman living conditions, redefining marriage in ways that violate its essential meaning, or racist behavior, if the voter's intent is to support that position.” Read that last part again, for it means that a voter must discern WHY he or she is voting that way, not just blindly following emotion, past party loyalty, or the promptings of others.
At the same time, the bishops go on to say that just because a candidate is right about one thing doesn’t justify ignoring other wrong things he or she espouses. It’s good when a candidate opposes evil, but voters still must notice where that candidate may be wrong. In its number 35, Faithful Citizenship notes that there may be times when a Catholic who rejects a candidate's unacceptable position on one policy promoting intrinsic evil may still reasonably decide to vote for that candidate for other morally grave reasons.
In other words, to deliberately choose intrinsic evil would be a grave sin. To deliberately choose something good, aware that evil will still inevitably accompany this goodness, may not be sinful at all.
Who can say? I see where some media pundits claim that no Catholic can vote for a Democrat without sinning. Others claim that no Catholic can vote for a Republican without sinning. I do smile inwardly at such posturing – politicking, really – since no matter who’s being supported it’s too simplistic to be correct in and of itself. Decide and then tell God WHY you’re voting for someone: whether something is sinful, after all, is up to Him, and you will properly hear Him informing you in the privacy of your own conscience.
Since I think we can all agree that no candidate in any election, ever, is perfect, this puts a tremendous burden upon each voter. We must strive our utmost to know the Gospels and Church teaching, examine the issues in light of these, pray humbly for God’s guidance, and then notice what choice the Lord is urging our conscience to make here and now. If you approach it this way the decision won’t be easy, but it will be the right one in the circumstances.
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Paul D. Counce
