Early voting in Virginia begins Thursday, Sept. 23. Now is time to review our duties and responsibilities as Catholics in the public square.
Many complex and important issues face voters in this midterm election. The overturning of Roe v. Wade makes these elections even more important. This decision did not outlaw abortion; it merely returned the responsibility to regulate abortions to the people of the various states, increasing the significance of many state and local elections.
Our responsibility as citizens and Catholics calls us to have properly formed consciences, a continuous process based on Scripture and Church teaching. Catholic organizations, dioceses, parishes and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) publish various documents and guides to help, including the USCCB document, “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship.” We are obligated to follow our properly formed consciences meaning our efforts should be directed at the common good.
We need this regular review because man’s conscience “by degrees grows practically sightless as a result of habitual sin” (“Gaudium et Spes”) as is evident by what is occurring in society and the Church.
The issues include abortion, euthanasia, in-vitro fertilization, human cloning and research on human embryos — all intrinsic evils which can never be supported. “One may never do evil so that good may result from it.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church #1789)
These are sins. Being compassionate toward sinners does not mean we condone their sin. An intrinsic evil is something that, by its very nature, is evil. Abortion is an intrinsic evil because it takes an innocent life and harms the mother.
Other important issues include the family, religious freedom, freedom of speech, homosexual activities (not inclination, the action is the sin), transgender mutilation — especially of minors, racism, poverty, etc.
We must also look at the background information about potential choices. While an issue like immigration and border security may seem straightforward, one must consider the effects of open borders, e.g., drug trafficking, crime, human trafficking, on the common good.
Consider which candidate or party supports:
- Intrinsic evils?
- Church and societal interests, i.e., religious freedom, school choice, free speech, etc.? The sanctity of the family? The elderly? Marriage and marital relations?
- Truth and transparency? Personal responsibility?
- The fullness of human sexuality as taught by the Church, e.g., the complementarity of the sexes, reality of birth gender, etc.?
Consider these thoughts: “The refusal to take sides on great moral issues is itself a decision. It is a silent acquiescence to evil.” – Bishop Fulton Sheen
“It is obvious that truth cannot be created through ballots. A statement is either true or false. Truth can only be found, not created.” – Then-Cardinal Josef Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI.
Klocek, a 1969 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, a retired naval officer and a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus, is a member of St. Stephen, Martyr, Parish, Chesapeake.