Joshua Bennett
While the Catholic Church does not dictate to Catholics whom to vote for or which policies to support, it does provide guiding principles for making decisions about voting. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that Catholics have a moral obligation to vote, stating that it is the duty of citizens to contribute along with the civil authorities to the good of society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom. This is further supported by the Baltimore Catechism, which says that Catholics should exercise their right to vote. This is a moral obligation when the common good of the state or the good of religion, especially in serious matters, can be promoted. However, there are examples of conscientious objectors, like Dorothy Day, who abstained from voting.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Obligation to vote | The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that Catholics have a moral obligation to vote. |
| Voting as a moral duty | The Baltimore Catechism states that "Catholics should exercise their right to vote. This is a moral obligation when the common good of the state or the good of religion, especially in serious matters, can be promoted." |
| Voting as a civic duty | The Church teaches that citizens have three primary responsibilities: to pay taxes, defend their country, and to vote. |
| Voting as a means to promote the common good | Catholics should vote for candidates who will promote the common good, as defined in the Catechism as "the sum total of social conditions which allow people, either as groups or as individuals, to reach their fulfillment more fully and easily." |
| Voting with a well-formed conscience | Catholics are encouraged to form their consciences according to Church teachings and human reason, striving to make sound moral judgments. |
| Voting for candidates who oppose "intrinsically evil" acts | Catholics are advised not to vote for candidates who promote intrinsically evil acts such as abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, racist behavior, or policies that subject workers or the poor to subhuman living conditions. |
| Voting as a means to protect the vulnerable | Catholics agree on the moral obligation to "help build a more just and peaceful world, protecting the weak and vulnerable, and defending human rights and dignity." |
| Guiding principles for voting | The Church provides guiding principles for voting, such as submitting to legitimate authorities and contributing to the common good, but does not dictate whom to vote for or which policies to support. |
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What You'll Learn
Voting as a moral obligation
The Baltimore Catechism, which was the primary text for religious instruction in 1926, states that "Catholics should exercise their right to vote. This is a moral obligation when the common good of the state or the good of religion, especially in serious matters, can be promoted". However, there are examples of conscientious objectors like Dorothy Day, who abstained from voting.
The U.S. bishops' document is aimed at helping Catholic voters discern their consciences when deciding whether to vote and for whom to vote. It states that voters may choose not to vote for any candidate if all candidates hold positions that promote intrinsically evil acts. In such cases, Catholics are encouraged to make decisions that contribute to the common good and are shaped by moral convictions, focusing on human dignity and the protection of the weak and vulnerable.
Catholics are also advised to form their consciences according to human reason and the teachings of the Church, striving to make sound moral judgments. They are reminded to reject and oppose "intrinsically evil" actions, such as abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, and racist behaviour. Voting is seen as a means to promote justice and peace, protect human rights and dignity, and defend the weak and vulnerable.
In conclusion, while voting is considered a moral obligation for Catholics, the specific choices made during voting are guided by personal conscience and the principles provided by the Church. Catholics are encouraged to participate in political life and contribute to the common good through their votes, always prioritizing the protection of human dignity.
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Voting as a civic duty
The Catholic Church teaches that voting is a civic duty and a moral obligation for Catholics. This is based on the belief that citizens have a responsibility to contribute to the common good of society and promote social justice. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, which is the official teaching of the Church, states that "submission to authority and co-responsibility for the common good make it morally obligatory to pay taxes, to exercise the right to vote, and to defend one's country".
While the Church does not dictate to Catholics whom to vote for or which policies to support, it provides guiding principles for making decisions about voting. These principles include the protection of human life, dignity, and rights, especially for the weak and vulnerable. Catholics are encouraged to form their consciences according to these principles and to vote for candidates who will promote the common good and uphold moral values.
However, there are differing opinions among Catholics regarding the obligation to vote. Some, like Dorothy Day, have abstained from voting as a matter of conscience. Additionally, the U.S. bishops' document on political participation allows for the possibility of not voting if all candidates promote intrinsically evil acts. In such cases, Catholics are faced with the dilemma of choosing the candidate who will do the least moral harm.
Ultimately, the Church encourages Catholics to be informed and discerning in their voting decisions, striving to make the best choice possible to build a more just and peaceful world through morally acceptable means.
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Voting with a conscience
Voting is a moral obligation for Catholics, according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This document states that citizens have a "duty" to "contribute to the common good of society". However, the Church does not dictate whom Catholics should vote for or which policies to support. Instead, it provides guiding principles for Catholics to make decisions about voting. These principles are rooted in the belief that Catholics should strive to form their consciences according to the teachings of the Church and human reason.
When voting, Catholics are expected to be guided by their moral convictions, focusing on the common good and the protection of the weak and vulnerable. They are encouraged to vote for candidates who will promote the common good, as defined by the Catechism as "the sum total of social conditions which allow people, either as groups or as individuals, to reach their fulfilment more fully and more easily".
However, this does not mean that Catholics must always vote, and there are examples of conscientious objectors within the Church who abstain from voting. The US bishops, for instance, acknowledge that Catholics "may decide to take the extraordinary step of not voting for any candidate" if all candidates promote an intrinsically evil act.
When faced with imperfect choices, Catholics are advised to exercise prudence and deliberate over the choices before them, striving to make the best choice possible. In such situations, it is important for Catholics to avoid the two extremes of a lax conscience and a scrupulous conscience, and to ensure that they are correctly informed and certain in their judgment.
In summary, while voting is considered a moral obligation for Catholics, the specific choices they make are guided by their own conscience and interpretation of the Church's teachings, rather than direct instructions from the Church.
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Voting for the common good
Voting is a moral obligation for Catholics when it can promote the common good of the state or the good of religion, especially in serious matters. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that it is "the duty of citizens to contribute along with the civil authorities to the good of society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom". This means that citizens are obligated to contribute to the common good of society. Submission to legitimate authorities and service of the common good require citizens to fulfil their roles in the life of the political community.
The Church teaches that Catholics have three primary responsibilities as citizens: to pay taxes, to defend their country, and to vote. Each of these responsibilities asks Catholics to put the good of society and their fellow citizens above their individual desires and needs. Thus, a primary question Catholic voters must answer is whether the needs of the weakest and most defenceless among them are being addressed. In the voting booth, Catholics have a privileged opportunity to contribute to their nation and promote the common good by bringing the values and teachings of their faith to bear on the issues facing society.
The Church does not dictate to Catholics whom to vote for or which policies to support. However, Catholics have been given numerous guiding principles for making decisions about voting. These principles include the rejection of "intrinsically evil" actions, such as the taking of innocent human life, which is considered incompatible with the love of God and neighbour. This is why the Church strongly opposes abortion and physician-assisted suicide (euthanasia). In such cases, the lives of the weak and vulnerable are endangered, and there can be no good reason to allow or vote for legislation that would allow these evils.
When faced with difficult choices, Catholics are encouraged to exercise prudence and deliberate over the choices before them, determining who is most deserving of their support in light of Church teachings and their formed consciences. In a world of imperfect choices, the goal is to strive to make the best choice possible, with the fundamental moral obligation to "help build a more just and peaceful world through morally acceptable means, so that the weak and vulnerable are protected and human rights and dignity are defended".
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Voting for the vulnerable
Voting is considered a moral obligation for Catholics, as it is one of the three primary responsibilities of citizens, along with paying taxes and defending their country. This is in line with the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which states that "submission to authority and co-responsibility for the common good make it morally obligatory to pay taxes, to exercise the right to vote, and to defend one's country".
When voting, Catholics are guided by their moral convictions and the teachings of the Church, which include the dignity and sanctity of human life and the obligation to protect and serve the most vulnerable. This means that Catholics should vote for candidates who will promote the common good and protect the weak and vulnerable.
However, the Church does not dictate to Catholics whom they should vote for or which policies to support. Instead, Catholics are expected to form their consciences according to their faith and make voting decisions based on their well-formed consciences. This means that Catholics cannot vote for candidates who support intrinsically evil acts, such as abortion, euthanasia, racist behaviour, assisted suicide, or redefining marriage in ways that violate its essential meaning.
In some cases, a Catholic may decide to vote for a candidate who holds an unacceptable position on intrinsically evil acts if there are other morally grave reasons that outweigh this position. Ultimately, Catholics are called to be a light to the nation by allowing their faith and values to guide their voting decisions and promote the common good.
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Frequently asked questions
The Catholic Church teaches that there is a "moral obligation" to participate in an election when Catholics have the opportunity to vote. This is explained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. However, the Church does not dictate whom Catholics should vote for or which policies to support.
Catholics are guided by their moral convictions and not their attachment to any one party or interest group. Catholics should vote for candidates to the extent that they will promote the common good and the dignity and protection of every human being, especially the weak and vulnerable.
Yes, Catholics can abstain from voting. The document "Forming Consciences" states that "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."
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that it is “the duty of citizens to contribute along with the civil authorities to the good of society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom.” It also states that “submission to authority and co-responsibility for the common good make it morally obligatory to pay taxes, to exercise the right to vote, and to defend one's country.”
