Sarah Mitchell
There is debate over whether Catholics can vote for pro-choice candidates. Some argue that Catholics cannot vote for a candidate who endorses an intrinsic evil such as legal abortion, while others argue that Catholics may vote for a pro-choice candidate if there are proportionate or truly grave moral reasons. These reasons could include the candidate's stance on other issues such as racism, the economy, climate change, and immigration. Ultimately, Catholics must decide in their own consciences how to vote, and Catholic teaching does not prohibit voting for a pro-choice candidate.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Voting for a pro-choice candidate | Not a mortal sin |
| Voting for a pro-choice candidate | Permissible in the presence of proportionate reasons |
| Proportionate reasons | Protection of innocent human life |
| Proportionate reasons | Candidate supports more evils of gravity equal to abortion |
| Proportionate reasons | Candidate supports other serious issues like racism, climate change, etc. |
| Proportionate reasons | Candidate will limit the evil of abortion |
| Proportionate reasons | Candidate will do the least moral harm |
| Proportionate reasons | Candidate will do more for the culture of life |
| Proportionate reasons | Candidate will help the poor |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
- Catholics may vote for a pro-choice candidate if they have proportionate reasons
- Voting for a pro-choice candidate is not always considered formal cooperation with abortion
- Catholics may vote for a pro-choice candidate if they are deemed less likely to advance a pro-abortion stance
- Catholics may vote for a pro-choice candidate if they are against other intrinsic evils
- Catholics may vote for a pro-choice candidate if they are against other evils of equal gravity
Catholics may vote for a pro-choice candidate if they have proportionate reasons
Catholics are generally discouraged from voting for a pro-choice candidate. However, Catholic voters may vote for a pro-choice candidate if they have "proportionate reasons" for doing so.
The concept of "proportionate reasons" was developed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) in 2004. According to Ratzinger, it is considered "remote material cooperation" when a Catholic votes for a candidate whose stance on abortion they do not share but votes for them for other reasons. This can be permitted in the presence of "proportionate reasons".
The "proportionate reasons" would have to show that the alternative candidate supports more evils of a gravity equal to or worse than abortion. For example, a Catholic could vote for a pro-choice candidate if the other candidate wanted to force Catholic hospitals to perform abortions. In this case, the pro-choice candidate is preferred to prevent the election of a candidate who endorses an even more evil act.
Another example of a "proportionate reason" could be if a Catholic voter had to choose between three candidates: Candidate A, who is completely for abortion-on-demand; Candidate B, who is in favour of very limited abortion; and Candidate C, who is completely against abortion but is seen as unelectable. In this case, the Catholic voter cannot vote for Candidate A as this would be formal cooperation in the sin of abortion. Instead, they may choose to vote for Candidate B as this would be considered remote material cooperation, which can be justified by the proportionate reason of limiting the harm of abortion.
It is important to note that while Catholic teaching provides ways for voters to evaluate candidates on the basis of abortion, it also encourages voters to consider other serious issues such as the pandemic, racism, the economy, climate change, and immigration. Catholics are not bound to vote on the basis of abortion alone, and it is generally better to consider the full range of serious issues at stake.
Catholic Countries: Soccer Flop or Top?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Voting for a pro-choice candidate is not always considered formal cooperation with abortion
Firstly, it is important to understand the difference between formal and material cooperation with evil. Formal cooperation occurs when an individual intends to promote an evil act, such as directly voting for a candidate because they support abortion. On the other hand, material cooperation occurs when an individual provides some means for the evil act to occur without intending for it to happen. Catholics may never formally cooperate with evil, but material cooperation may be permissible in certain rare cases.
One such case is when the alternative candidate endorses other evils that are considered equally grave or worse than abortion. For example, a Catholic voter may choose to vote for a pro-choice candidate if the alternative candidate also wants to force Catholic hospitals to perform abortions, as the pro-choice candidate is then considered the "lesser of two evils". Additionally, voting for a pro-choice candidate may be justified if their policies are expected to benefit the poor or vulnerable, as Catholics have a duty to prioritize helping those in need.
Furthermore, Catholics are not bound to vote solely on the basis of abortion. They are encouraged to consider a range of serious issues, such as the pandemic, racism, the economy, climate change, and immigration, when evaluating candidates. Therefore, a Catholic may vote for a pro-choice candidate if they disagree with the alternative candidate's positions on these other significant matters.
In summary, while Catholics should generally avoid voting for pro-choice candidates, there are exceptional circumstances where it may be permissible. These include situations where the alternative candidate endorses greater evils, where the pro-choice candidate's policies are expected to benefit vulnerable groups, or where the Catholic voter disagrees with the alternative candidate's positions on other serious issues. Ultimately, Catholics must use their conscience and carefully evaluate the full range of issues at stake when deciding how to vote.
The Catholic Commandment Change: What's the Truth?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Catholics may vote for a pro-choice candidate if they are deemed less likely to advance a pro-abortion stance
The Catholic Church's official stance on abortion is that it is an "intrinsic evil". As such, Catholics are not permitted to vote for a candidate who endorses abortion. However, in some cases, Catholics may vote for a pro-choice candidate if they are deemed less likely to advance a pro-abortion stance. This is referred to as "remote material cooperation" and is permitted in the presence of "proportionate reasons".
The concept of "proportionate reasons" was introduced by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI). According to Ratzinger, a Catholic may vote for a pro-choice candidate if their intention is not explicitly to support abortion and there are serious reasons that justify this decision. These reasons could include the candidate's stance on other important issues such as the pandemic, racism, the economy, climate change, and immigration.
In addition, Catholics may consider the likelihood of a candidate advancing their pro-abortion stance. For example, if one candidate is completely pro-abortion and likely to win the election, while another candidate is anti-abortion but not expected to win, Catholics may vote for the former to prevent the election of a candidate who endorses even more evil. This is based on the idea that it is better to limit the harm done by a pro-abortion law rather than completely abrogating it, as stated by Pope John Paul II in his encyclical, Evangelium Vitae.
However, it is important to note that the protection of innocent human life may outweigh other considerations. If one candidate is completely for abortion-on-demand, a Catholic voter cannot vote for them as it would be formal cooperation in the sin of abortion. Instead, they should choose the candidate who will do the least moral harm, even if that candidate is not perfectly anti-abortion.
In summary, while Catholics are generally discouraged from voting for pro-choice candidates, it may be permissible in certain circumstances. The key considerations are the intention of the voter, the presence of proportionate reasons, and the potential impact of the candidate's stance on abortion policy. Catholics must use their own conscience to weigh these factors and make an informed decision that aligns with their religious beliefs.
Call the Midwife: Are the Nuns Catholic?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Catholics may vote for a pro-choice candidate if they are against other intrinsic evils
Catholics are advised to consider a range of serious issues when deciding how to vote, including abortion, the pandemic, racism, the economy, climate change, and immigration. While Catholic teaching does not prohibit voting for a pro-choice candidate, Catholics may never formally cooperate with evil. Formal cooperation occurs when one intends to promote evil, for example, by giving money to support abortions.
However, Catholics may materially cooperate with evil under certain circumstances. Material cooperation occurs when one provides some means for the evil but does not intend for it to happen. For example, buying goods from a store that donates some money to support abortions.
In the context of voting, formal cooperation with abortion would be voting for a candidate because they support abortion. This is gravely sinful and never permissible. However, a Catholic could, in rare cases, materially cooperate with abortion if their cooperation is remote and there are proportionately good reasons.
Proportionate reasons would need to show that the alternative candidate supports more intrinsic evils of equal gravity to abortion. For example, a Catholic could vote for a pro-choice candidate if they are against other intrinsic evils, such as racism, euthanasia, or assisted suicide, and their opponent supports these issues. In such a case, the Catholic voter is tolerating the pro-choice candidate to prevent the election of a candidate who endorses even more intrinsic evils.
Ultimately, Catholics must decide how to vote using their own consciences, carefully considering the full range of serious issues at stake and seeking to minimise the advancement of intrinsic evils.
America's Historical Treatment of Catholics: A Complex Story
You may want to see also
Explore related products
![A Question of Faith [DVD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81M0I2oEwwS._AC_UY218_.jpg)
Catholics may vote for a pro-choice candidate if they are against other evils of equal gravity
Catholics are generally discouraged from voting for pro-choice candidates. However, in some cases, they may be able to do so if the alternative candidates support other evils of equal gravity. This is referred to as "remote material cooperation", which can be permitted in the presence of "proportionate reasons".
The concept of "proportionate reasons" is key to understanding when it may be permissible for Catholics to vote for a pro-choice candidate. The idea is that Catholics should take abortion seriously but also consider the full range of serious issues at stake. In other words, they should not vote on a single issue but consider the candidate's stance on various moral issues. These issues could include the management of the pandemic, racism, the economy, climate change, immigration, and peace, among others.
For example, a Catholic may vote for a pro-choice candidate if they believe that candidate will do much more for the culture of life than a pro-life candidate. This could include considerations such as serving the poor, which is obligatory for Catholics as an exercise of solidarity. If a pro-life candidate has ideas that will hurt the poor, this could be considered a proportionate reason to vote for a pro-choice candidate instead.
Another example is when a Catholic voter must choose between a pro-abortion candidate and a completely anti-abortion candidate who is universally recognized as being unelectable. In this case, voting for the unelectable candidate would be a serious abdication of the Catholic voter's civic and moral obligation to participate in the election. By not voting, the Catholic could be indirectly assisting in the election of the pro-abortion candidate, which would still be considered sinful.
In summary, while Catholics are generally discouraged from voting for pro-choice candidates, there may be rare cases where it is permissible to do so if there are proportionate reasons that show the alternative candidates support other evils of equal gravity to abortion.
The Eucharist: Receiving Catholic Communion
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
It is not a mortal sin for Catholics to vote for a pro-choice candidate. However, Catholics should not vote for a pro-choice candidate because they support the party or dislike the opposing candidate.
Catholics may vote for a pro-choice candidate if there are "proportionate reasons" or "truly grave moral reasons". These reasons would have to show that the alternative candidate supports more evils of a gravity equal to or worse than abortion.
An example of a proportionate reason for voting for a pro-choice candidate is if the opposing candidate also wanted to force Catholic hospitals to perform abortions. Another example is if the pro-choice candidate will most likely limit the evils of abortion or any other moral evil at issue.
The Catholic Church teaches that Catholics should evaluate candidates based on abortion and other serious issues like racism, the economy, climate change, etc. The Church does not prohibit voting for a pro-choice candidate, but Catholics should not vote for a candidate who intends to promote abortion.
![Finding Faith [DVD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71teRY+YW0L._AC_UY218_.jpg)
