Dear
Parishioners,
I
always preface the situation when I write something concerning politics. I am neither Democrat nor Republican nor hold
any party affiliation for that matter. I am an independent, conservative. I try to vote for the best person I see running
for office and will cross party lines to do so. I will not sell my soul to any political party—ever. Parties and candidates all have their faults
and failings—some more than others. My
soul belongs definitively and solely to Jesus
Christ.
That
being said, what I see happening in the political arena is quite amazing. If you would have asked me who the frontrunners
in the 2016 presidential election would be at this point in time, I might have
been one for two (.500). Do I like what I see? Nope.
People
for years have been saying that we seem to have to choose between the lesser of two evils. Would
you prefer to die by firing squad or lethal injection? Either scenario appears quite dreadful.
What
does a person do in such circumstances?
There is often disagreement among Catholics and other Christians and sometimes
even among the Church hierarchy. Do I
vote my conscience? A basic moral principle is that we should
always follow our conscience. This is
not as simplistic as it may seem. We
have an obligation to see to it that our conscience is rightly formed. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) teaches
the following:
Conscience must be
informed and moral judgment enlightened. A well-formed conscience is upright and
truthful. It formulates its judgments
according to reason, in conformity with the true good willed by the wisdom of
the Creator. The education of conscience
is indispensable for human beings who are subjected to negative influences and
tempted by sin to prefer their own judgment and to reject authoritative
teachings. (CCC, #1783)
The Catechism continues:
In the formation of conscience the
Word of God is the light for our path, we must assimilate it in faith and
prayer and put it into practice. We must
also examine our conscience before the Lord's Cross. We are assisted by the gifts of the Holy
Spirit, aided by the witness or advice of others and guided by the
authoritative teaching of the Church. (CCC, #1785)
The United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has authored a document entitled Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship intended to assist in the process of voting in an election. I suggest that Catholics and people of good
will read it before stepping into the voting booth. There will be a link to it on the parish website. I quote one pertinent
paragraph:
The formation of conscience includes
several elements. First, there is a
desire to embrace goodness and truth. For
Catholics, this begins with a willingness and openness to seek the truth and
what is right by studying Sacred Scripture and the teaching of the Church as
contained in the Catechism of the
Catholic Church. It is also
important to examine the facts and background information about various
choices. Finally, prayerful reflection is essential to discern the will of God.
Catholics must also understand that if
they fail to form their consciences in the light of the truths of the faith and
the moral teachings of the Church they can make erroneous judgments.
Educate
yourselves, read Sacred Scripture, pray and listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit within.
Try not to breathe in the stench that is
sometimes emitted from various political candidates. It's pretty repulsive.
Fr. Ed Namiotka
Pastor
(PS, More to follow in the
months ahead.)
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