In 2008 the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops specifically called on us to use this teaching as a framework for examining the leaders and the issues of the day.
USCCB 2008 Statement on Faithful Citizenship, ¶41:
41. Catholic voters should use the framework of Catholic teaching to examine candidates’ positions on issues affecting human life and dignity as well as issues of justice and peace, and they should consider candidates’ integrity, philosophy, and performance. It is important for all citizens “to see beyond party politics, to analyze campaign rhetoric critically, and to choose their political leaders according to principle, not party affiliation or mere self-interest” (Living the Gospel of Life, no. 33).
Some of the Bishops and Cardinals of the Church have gone far beyond this principle to suggest that only one or a handful of issues should be taken into consideration. These prelates have generally made these statements in an effort to convince their flock to vote for a particular candidate or party, or at least to not vote for the opposing candidate or party.
In the Presidential Election of November 4, 2008, Catholic voters resoundingly rejected these partisan prelates, these GOPriests, and elected Democratic Candidate Senator Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States of America, along with Senator Joe Biden as Vice President, the first Catholic to hold that office in the history of our Nation.
This blog is a direct response to those prelates' improper interference in the democratic process and their distortion of the Church's teaching on both the issues in particular, and the rights and obligations of voters generally.
Accordingly, I will highlight those times when either or both of our Parties and their leaders either conform to or violate the Church's Social Doctrine, as well as those times when individual Priests', Bishops' and Cardinals' do the same.
No comments:
Post a Comment