I want to repeat here what I spoke about during the 4pm Mass last Saturday when we heard a gospel passage which discussed political issues in Jesus’ time such as taxes, the Roman government & about Caesar, the man in office at the time. On the homepage of our website, I put a link to a YouTube video produced by the Word on Fire organization which was created by the popular Bishop Robert Barron. He and the content producer had a 20 minute discussion regarding Catholics & Politics where Bishop Barron answered questions based on a recent article by the Pew Research Center called “8 Facts about Catholics & Politics in the U.S.” (which I’ve also linked on the website). What I most appreciated was how he pointed out that when someone asks him whether he is a Republican or Democrat, his response is, “I am a Catholic before all else.” Though every bishop, priest & deacon has a political opinion like everyone else, when we represent the Church, we speak about issues that are important to us as Catholic people. The Pew Research Center said that Catholics are split down the middle politically: 48% identify as Republican & 47% as Democrat. So the Bishop pointed out that issues that are typically associated with those on the left, are values that are upheld in Catholic Social Teaching over the Church’s very long history, like concern for the poor, social justice, migrants, refugees, opposition to capital punishment & concern for the environment. And issues usually associated with those on the right are also upheld in Catholic Social Teaching, such as religious liberty, opposition to abortion & euthanasia, defense of the traditional family, opposition to gender choice & gay marriage. So Catholic Teaching speaks to issues on both sides.
What the Bishop finds regrettable is that a majority of Catholics (62%) believe churches should keep out of politics, which is very troubling as faith and politics both have to do with the issues we face every day in society. 75% of Catholics also believe the Church should not endorse a political candidate, which the Church agrees with.
I then pointed out that the (first) letter Bishop Malesic wrote to the faithful of the Cleveland Diocese (published in the bulletin & on our website) adds to Barron’s remarks by saying that while we must consider all the issues when choosing to vote for a particular candidate, some issues are more weighty or fundamental than others. For example, the bishops have said that “the threat of abortion remains our preeminent priority because it directly attacks life itself...” and that “while we are not a ‘single issue’ Church...these additional rights flow from and are rooted in the fundamental right to life itself.” I believe the message from Bishop Barron and Bishop Malesic need to be heard and reflected upon together.
I urge you to watch the video mentioned above, to read Bishop Malesic’s letter, & to read the other articles which I’ve linked on our website. Each of us needs the guidance of the Holy Spirit to inform our conscience and to help us vote accordingly.
If you’re feeling heated up just by the mention of politics in this column, it’s probably just the heat that was just turned on in the church this past week. So enjoy the warmth and keep a cool head as we get closer to the election next week. And always remember that God is in control no matter what happens & asks that we trust he will remain faithful to us always.