Are you an American Catholic or a Catholic American? What is the difference, and does the difference matter?
On October 14, Eric Failing, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference, offered a masterclass about the role of Catholics in Pennsylvania politics.
Failing said, “We are not Republicans. We are not Democrats or Independents or Socialists or Communists or any other political label. We are Catholics. … In other words, we are all brothers and sisters, regardless of our birthplace, our faith, race, sex, political leanings or anything else.”
We are Catholics, and that difference matters. How we form our consciences based on the teachings of our faith matters, and how we live our lives in the public square matters, so before we cast our votes this November, we must be responsible citizens and use all the tools at our disposal to help us choose candidates with policies that promote human dignity and the common good. The Church has provided us with strong and steady direction to help us make the best possible choices.
Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), stated what is, no doubt, felt in the hearts and thought in the minds of so many Catholics and non-Catholics alike today: “In a time of deep political division, the temptation is to be discouraged and to not participate in the election process.”
But it is our duty as Catholics to engage in the political forum. That is why the USCCB has provided the resources needed for every Catholic to make informed decisions.
Failing encouraged, “Go to the USCCB [website], look at the Faithful Citizenship documents and what they say are the preeminent issues, and how to prayerfully discern where candidates are going to land on those. That’s our guide.”
When we look at our duty through the lens of our Catholic faith, it is no longer daunting or discouraging. Before acting, we have the awesome privilege of prayer. Spend time in prayer; go to Mass. Rest assured that Christ is in control, but do not shirk your duty to show up at the polls and vote.
Archbishop Coakley reminds us, “For citizens in a representative democracy such as our own, participation in public life — including voting — is both a right and a responsibility.”
So let us pray, read, talk with our priests and deacons, reach out to our current state and local representatives and engage with one another. Although the current political and social landscape may seem dark, we are to be the light shining in that darkness.
“A Catholic is not to sit on the sidelines and wait it out or never get involved,” Failing advised. So let us light the way to the victory we know is assured.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3. Election resources from the Diocese of Harrisburg and the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference will be released in the coming days at www.hbgdiocese.org.
The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference is the public affairs arm of Pennsylvania’s Catholic bishops and the Catholic diocese of Pennsylvania. Learn about their efforts at www.pacatholic.org.
(Photos by Laura Loose, The Catholic Witness.)
By Laura Loose, The Catholic Witness
