Pastor's Page: "Faithful Citizenship"

Last Sunday, September 17, the central message of my homily was that God has everything to do with every aspect of our lives. The Gospel was from Luke 16: 1-13, the parable of the dishonest administrator.

So I asked the question if God has anything to do with money … with family life … with politics … I was expecting a resounding “Yes!” to each of my questions. When I asked about politics at one of the Masses a man stood up immediately and asked who I’m voting for. I responded that it makes no difference who I’m voting for, because God has something to say about politics no matter what party or candidate I prefer. God … the Gospel of Jesus Christ speaks to us about justice, honesty, charity, human dignity, brother/sisterhood, care for the poor and vulnerable, and so forth. The Gospel and, for us as Catholics, the teaching of the Church address the fundamental value of human life and the common good of all people. These teachings are a guide and a challenge for all politicians and civil servants. They are particularly important for us in this general election year.

The U.S. Catholic Bishops have taken the opportunity to publish Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship to guide us in our responsibilities as “faithful Catholics and American citizens with rights and duties as participants in the civil order.”

Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship is available for download on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ webpage: http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/faithful-citizenship/forming-consciences-for-faithful-citizenship-title.cfm I recommend reading it, studying it, discussing it and sharing it. Allow me to highlight some parts that strike me.

5. This statement highlights the role of the Church in the formation of conscience and the corresponding moral responsibility of each Catholic to hear, receive, and act upon the Church's teaching in the lifelong task of forming his or her own conscience. Foremost amongst those teachings are the four basic principles of Catholic social doctrine: the dignity of the human person, the common good, subsidiarity, and solidarity (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, no. 160). With this foundation, Catholics are better able to evaluate policy positions, party platforms, and candidates' promises and actions in light of the Gospel and the moral and social teaching of the Church in order to help build a better world.

11. Some question whether it is appropriate for the Church to play a role in political life. However, the obligation to teach the moral truths that should shape our lives, including our public lives, is central to the mission given to the Church by Jesus Christ. Moreover, the United States Constitution protects the right of individual believers and religious bodies to participate and speak out without government interference, favoritism, or discrimination. …

12. The Catholic community brings important assets to the political dialogue about our nation's future. We bring a consistent moral framework-drawn from basic human reason that is illuminated by Scripture and the teaching of the Church-for assessing issues, political platforms, and campaigns. We also bring broad experience in serving those in need-educating the young, serving families in crisis, caring for the sick, sheltering the homeless, helping women who face difficult pregnancies, feeding the hungry, welcoming immigrants and refugees, reaching out in global solidarity, and pursuing peace. We celebrate, with all our neighbors, the historically robust commitment to religious freedom in this country that has allowed the Church the freedom to serve the common good. 

I hope that these three paragraphs whet your curiosity, and certainly your desire to read the Bishops’ document. I believe they speak to our role as Catholic citizens at this moment in our history.
 
Fr. Jim Gilmour, C.Ss.R.