By Bishop Joseph M. Siegel
The Bishop’s Corner
As we move through September, election season is on full throttle and in fact, some states have already begun early voting. As campaigning intensifies, political invective grows on television and social media, and robo texts and emails from political parties invade our electronic devices. The increasing divisiveness we see in the campaigns is regrettable. However, as we look at our national political history, we can see that name-calling and mudslinging are not new to our electoral process, but simply have become more high tech. Of course, this year’s presidential race is unique in many ways, from the assassination attempts of Former President Trump to President Biden stepping aside and Vice-President Harris moving to the top of the ticket.
What is the Church’s role in the electoral process? As you might imagine, people have various opinions and suggestions. I have already received letters and emails demanding that the Church endorse or condemn a given party or candidate and, of course, others that insist I must do the opposite. Over the years, the bishops in the United States have tried to maintain a position of non-partisanship in elections. Many claim we do this only out of fear that the IRS would revoke our tax exempt status. That is certainly a practical concern, knowing the impact a change in our status could have on our parishes, schools, hospitals and other Church institutions. However, there is a deeper wisdom involved.
Over the centuries, the Church has learned the danger of aligning herself with a certain leader, regime or political affiliation for when the regime or group goes rogue or becomes corrupt, then the Church is identified with that corruption. Often the Church has faced rejection or even persecution when that regime is removed as during the French Revolution. The Church’s focus on faith allows her to stand above partisan politics and leaders, who come and go with great frequency, while the Church and her mission perdure until the end of time. The Church must have a voice in the public square, and she must be free to affirm and challenge those of every political persuasion based on Gospel values and her moral and ethical teachings.
It is the sphere of the Church and her clergy to teach the fullness of the Gospel, in season and out of season, whether popular with current political views or not. But it is not the Church’s role to make, implement or interpret civil laws. As I wrote in my column last week, it is for the lay faithful to inculcate and internalize the teachings of their faith, and then apply them in their lives and help those values to transform society through family, business, community, voting and yes, even running for political office.
Voting is certainly an important right and responsibility of every Catholic citizen. We need to have a good understanding of the issues and well-formed consciences so that we can vote to promote the common good of all our citizens. To assist with this, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issues a guide every four years to help Catholics make informed choices. The document is called “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship” and can be found at www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/faithful-citizenship/forming-consciences-for-faithful-citizenship-title. This guide has been updated this year with an introductory note that looks at current issues and the contemporary situation of the nation. I would encourage you to carefully read this document. It serves as a guide to how I approach the electoral process. Further, the Indiana Catholic Conference (ICC) offers a practical guide for parishes on how to engage parishioners in the election cycle while avoiding activity and comments that could be construed as partisan. This information can be found at www.indianacc.org/political-guidelines-for-parishes.
As we engage in the electoral process, messy and imperfect as it can be, let us pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance and direction. Through the intercession of Our Immaculate Mother Mary, patroness of our country, may we have the wisdom and prudence to learn about the issues, about the candidates and then incorporate our Catholic faith as we make our choices. With informed voting in accord our well-formed consciences, we will help our country fulfill the promise of our founders, to ensure “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” for her citizens of every age and stage of life. Then may we truly be “one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”