Most Reverend Joseph A. Galante, D.D., J.C.D.
As published in the October 27, 2006 edition of the CATHOLIC STAR HERALD
With the midterm election cycle now drawing to a close, we stand ready to exercise that most cherished right of citizenship, the right to vote. As November 7 approaches we may feel lulled into apathy, turned off by the tactics of career politicians and their handlers, bombarded by the media and commentators who tell us how we should view the choices before us. Before you throw up your hands and resolve to stay home this year, recall that we, as Catholics, see the exercise of our vote not as an option, but as a duty, a moral obligation. With so many issues before us that cry out for attention and action in light of Gospel values, I urge you to become informed and exercise your right to vote!
Concern for the Common Good
In God’s plan we are saved not as individuals, but as a people. Through baptism we become sons and daughters of God and brothers and sisters to each other. We are all one in Christ, united in solidarity with our neighbor. As such, we concern ourselves not only with individual rights, but with the common good.
It is not enough, then, to create the conditions that will give most of our brothers and sisters access to a good and full life if we are indifferent to those who are unable or fail to achieve in social or economic arenas. Free markets or private and business initiative should not be stifled, but we must reject excessive individualism. Every person and society must be answerable to the needs of the poor and to the common good, particularly in a nation like ours which has both great material resources and huge disparities in wealth. As stated in Vatican II’s Gaudium et Spes, it is necessary to “consider every neighbor without exception as another self, taking into account first of all his life and the means necessary for living it” (27). Every person, then, bears responsibility for eliminating the injustices that impede human freedom, dignity and well-being.
Upholding Human Dignity
For this reason we always must ask how and whether various policies and programs uphold human dignity, especially that of the weakest and most disadvantaged among us. As Pope John Paul II asked in Novo Millennio Ineunte:
How can it be that even today there are still people dying of hunger? Condemned to illiteracy? Lacking the most basic medical care? Without a roof over their head? [Threatened by] drug addiction, by fear of abandonment in old age or sickness, by marginalization or social discrimination…And how can we remain indifferent to the prospect of an ecological crisis which is making vast areas of our planet uninhabitable and hostile to humanity? Or by the problems of peace, so often threatened by the specter of catastrophic wars? Or by contempt for the fundamental rights of so many people, especially children? (50-51).
The Church throughout its history, adhering to the words of Jesus himself, has given special preference to the poor and marginalized, to the hungry, homeless and imprisoned. It has concerned itself with those with disabilities, those who labor under unjust working conditions and substandard wages, to those who are unemployed or lack basic healthcare. As Catholics, it is not sufficient for us to call on government to assist those who are in need. Nor is it enough to make charitable donations to organizations that work to alleviate these conditions. Really, because these are not matters that demand charity, but justice, we also must individually and collectively work to change the conditions that undermine human dignity, including through the exercise of our vote.
Crime, domestic violence, abuse, and addiction also threaten human dignity, as does any form of discrimination, whether it is on the basis of race, gender, physical or mental health, age, religion, economic or legal status.
In recent months we have seen fear and prejudice as an influx of undocumented workers has challenged our nation to reform its immigration system. Of course, violations of the law cannot be sanctioned and we must respect the right of this country to protect its borders for national security reasons. Yet, it would be wrong to make it a felony to enter the country without proper documentation or to assist with humanitarian care those who do, or to treat intercepted migrants in an inhumane way. People do not give up their human dignity or the right to due process because they — often compelled by forces that left them with no other option — entered this country without proper documentation. Border enforcement measures must be coupled with expanded opportunities for safe entry and legalized status. Likewise, our responsibility to welcome the stranger applies to refugees who have fled their countries of origin in the face of persecution and intolerance.
Global Solidarity
Given our concern for human dignity, we look beyond our borders to insist on policies, including international trade and debt policy, that contribute to the economic growth of this country and that further the development of other nations, particularly those of our poorest brothers and sisters. We insist that policy makers and government officials in this country and the entire international community work together to stem human rights abuses, to promote religious freedom, and to promote the peaceful coexistence of nations. As we work to eradicate terrorism and to contain the proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, we must always seek alternatives to war to resolve conflict since war must be undertaken only as a last resort, in self-defense, and under the strictest of conditions.
Marriage and the Family
As Catholics we insist that the family is central to the proper functioning of society and that it is founded on a permanent marriage between one man and one woman for the raising of children. This marriage relationship, predicated on the natural complementarity of male and female, is distinct in essence from every other arrangement and must be protected, strengthened and promoted. Efforts to legalize other unions as marriage must be opposed. Indeed, to call other arrangements “marriage” or to attempt to equate them is to offend the integrity of marriage, to diminish it and to hurt society whose well-being depends on strong marriages and families.
In order to strengthen families and promote the well-being of young people, parents must have access to quality education for their children. We must ensure that our public school systems are strong. We also must help non-public schools flourish with public financial support since these schools provide a valuable service that benefits the public good. We also welcome programs which support the right of parents to choose schools that are best suited for their children, especially low income children, whether these be private, public or religious.
The dignity and well-being of God’s people also is linked to the quality of our land, air and water. We must be responsible stewards by safeguarding the environment and ensuring that God’s creation is not tainted or exploited through carelessness, neglect or greed.
The right to life
As we consider the choices before us and how they impact on the quality of human life and the common good, we give special attention to the right to life because this is the fundamental condition for all other rights. We start with the principle that all life — from conception to natural death — is not only worthwhile, but is sacred and has dignity, not because of some kind of human determination, but because God has created it and has created it in his own image. For this reason, it is never acceptable to deliberately cause the death of a human person, whether it is through an act of commission or omission.
Because of our belief in the sacredness of human life we b
elieve that abortion (including partial-birth abortion and emergency contraception when it acts to prevent implantation after fertilization) is an especially grave offense.
This has been the constant teaching of the Church since apostolic times, and since it rests on a foundational moral principle, it is never morally acceptable. At the same time, we must help support policies which will provide assistance, care and counseling to women who are struggling with the difficulty of an unplanned pregnancy so as to ensure the well-being of the mother and the developing life within her. Likewise, we cannot minimize the profoundly difficult situations involving individuals and families who are struggling with serious, life threatening or terminal illnesses. These families, in the face of great burdens, deserve our compassion and support. And yet, as difficult as these cases are, no one is absolved from the obligation to provide the suffering person with basic human sustenance and care. If a person is on the verge of death because of a particular condition, it is morally licit to refuse extraordinary medical treatment that would prolong the person’s life, so long as normal care to the person (such as nutrition and hydration) is continued.
However, it is not morally permissible to deny normal care (food and water) to a person who is not in danger of imminent death due to an underlying medical condition in order to bring about the person’s death or to accelerate it because one is frustrated at the perceived quality of that person’s life or the pace of that the person’s demise. As such, euthanasia and assisted suicide — which prematurely terminate human life — are gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person and always are incompatible with the moral law.
The Church favors medical progress and every morally acceptable means to bring about cures for diseases that cause such suffering, including research involving adult stem cells and those derived from placenta or umbilical chords. However, embryonic stem cell research and human cloning are never permissible because harvesting these stem cells terminates the life of the developing human embryo. The Church opposes the direct destruction of innocent human life for any purpose, including research.
Finally, despite the right of public authorities to punish offenders who would commit grave offenses and to protect society from aggressors, the Church believes that there is virtually no need for capital punishment in modern society since there are other non-lethal means for preventing crime and protecting the society.
Weighing Issues and Moral Choices
With so many issues vying for our attention and concern, how do we make decisions regarding candidates and parties? When considering the range of issues, some issues admit of exception. For example, as much as we abhor war and work for peace, the Church teaches that there may be circumstances under which war may be necessary and just. While the Church has raised serious moral concerns about preemptive or preventive use of force, there may be divergent opinions on whether a particular military action meets just war criteria. Similarly, as much as we oppose capital punishment, the Church teaches that there may be circumstances — however rare and unlikely in a modern society — under which it may be justified.
Some issues admit of more than one approach. For example, while marriage must always be between a man and a woman, Catholics may disagree as to how to best promote this principle, whether through legislation, as some would support, or through some other means. While we are all obligated to alleviate poverty and ensure that people live in dignity in affordable housing with adequate wages and good schools, we can disagree as to how best to accomplish these ends.
Some issues, however, do not admit of exception and are never permissible. Abortion and euthanasia are two such issues that must be given special priority and weight because they rest on a foundational moral principle that can never be compromised, namely, the dignity of innocent human life from conception to natural death.
So, while the Church concerns itself with a broad range of issues that have serious moral implications, it also recognizes that all issues do not carry equal moral weight. Some issues, including abortion and euthanasia, have unique status and must weigh more heavily on the Catholic conscience. That is why all Catholics must never promote but must work to oppose any law that threatens innocent human life.
Is it possible, then, for a faithful Catholic to vote for a candidate that supports abortion rights or euthanasia? The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has emphasized that a Catholic is not in communion with the Church if he or she votes for a candidate precisely because of that candidate’s permissive stance on abortion or euthanasia. The Congregation has also stated that when a Catholic does not share a candidate’s permissive stance on these issues, but votes for that candidate for other reasons, this can be permitted in the presence of proportionate reasons. Note that this does not mean simply weighing a wide range of issues against abortion and euthanasia and concluding that they cumulatively outweigh the evil of taking an innocent life. Rather, for there to be proportionate reasons, the voter would have to be convinced that the candidate who supports abortion rights would actually do more than the opposing candidate to limit the harm of abortion or to reduce the number of abortions.
Moral Integrity and Conscience
Some Catholics say their faith permeates their life, but at the same say that they would be uncomfortable imposing that faith on someone who doesn’t share it by seeking to influence legislation or political outcomes based on this faith. Yet, personal and moral integrity require that our faith inform all aspects of life. A person’s moral and ethical principles — and the judgment of one’s conscience — should influence a person’s positions on all the political and moral issues of the day.
While the Church teaches that we must always obey the judgment of our own conscience, it is possible that one’s conscience may be in error due to sin, confusion, or ignorance. As such, we have a special obligation to form it properly, in the light of faith. This means becoming informed about the issues before us, carefully studying and reflecting on the Church’s teaching on the issues, and prayerfully considering which parties and candidates would best advance the dignity of human life and the common good. In acting on our faith, we will not only fulfill our civic duty, but we also will, as our diocesan Vision states, reveal the mind and heart of Jesus, thereby helping to renew and transform our nation and the world.