| The Wisconsin General Election is coming up next Tuesday, November 3 and early voting is underway. There are congressional, statewide, local races, and constitutional amendments on the ballot. To view what's on your ballot, visit myvote.wi.gov. If you missed last week's debate with the candidates for governor, you can watch the replay here.
To help Catholics prepare, the WCC is sharing resources to reflect on what it means to be a faithful citizen in public policy and voting issues. Faithful Citizenship is a call to action to become involved with legislative policy and to exercise the right to vote, so as to protect human life, uphold human dignity, and promote the common good. The WCC resources are based on the U.S. bishops' statement, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility from the Catholic Bishops of the United States.
Catholic Social Teaching helps to discern which public policies and politicians best embody a respect for human dignity and the common good. This is especially important at election time. As the U.S. bishops wrote, "On these often complex matters, it is the laity's responsibility to form their consciences and grow in the virtue of prudence to approach the many and varied issues of the day with the mind of Christ."
To form our consciences, the following questions can help Catholics discern who best embodies the principles of Catholic Social Teaching.
Where does a candidate stand on:
- protecting human life from conception to natural death?
- eliminating abortion, assisted suicide, euthanasia, and the death penalty?
- upholding the innate equality, dignity, and complementarity of male and female?
- protecting marriage as the lifelong union of one man and one woman?
- respecting the family and parents as the primary educators of their children?
- providing resources to vulnerable women and children?
- protecting religious freedom at home and abroad?
- eliminating violence, whether by guns, war, terrorism, torture, abuse, or trafficking?
- assuring basic support for people living in poverty, domestically and internationally?
- treating all migrants and refugees with dignity and respect?
- eliminating racism?
- increasing access to housing, healthcare, and education?
- upholding the dignity of work and the rights of workers?
- preserving our environment and natural resources?
- and all that promotes human dignity and the common good?
Catholic Social Teaching does not neatly fit into party platforms. Rather, it reflects ethical principles that can unite all people. As faithful Catholics and American citizens, we are all called to participate in public life with the mind of Christ. Read more in the letter from Wisconsin's bishops here.
Statement from Archbishop Grob
Over the weekend, Archbishop Jeffrey Grob of Milwaukee explained in a statement that his recent trip to the White House to advocate alongside other bishops on issues important to Catholics was "in no way an endorsement" and the private meeting and prayer was publicized without the bishops' consent. The Catholic Church does not endorse candidates for public office. |
