A
CANADIAN CATHOLIC VOTER'S CATECHISM
Office
of Life and Family - > Archdiocese of Vancouver
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Does
it matter whether I vote?
Yes.
We have a moral obligation to vote.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that it is "morally
obligatory to pay taxes, to exercise the right to vote, and to defend one's
country."
Why
is voting obligatory?
"It
is the duty of citizens, to contribute along with the civil authorities to the
good of society."2 As
the Second Vatican Council taught, "Every citizen ought to be mindful of
his duty to promote the common good by using his vote."3
We are not obliged to vote for the sake of voting but to vote in a way
that we think will make our country better for all Canadians.
Does
the Church give us specific guidance on how to vote?
Yes.
While "the Church is not identified with any political community nor
bound by ties to any political system" and does not endorse a particular
party.4 the Church does "pass moral judgements even in matters related to
politics, whenever the fundamental rights of man or the salvation of souls
requires it."5
What
about separation of Church and state? Is
it right for us to vote according to our religious beliefs?
The
Second Vatican Council teaches that as Christian "citizens among citizens,
everywhere and always (we) have to seek the justice of the kingdom of
God."6 We must seek that
justice when we vote. Our activities in the Church and in the state are
distinct, but we remain the same Christian people whatever we do. We belong both
to Christ and to Canada - and we must not separate ourselves from either when we
vote.
What
moral judgements has the Church made that affect my vote in Canada today?
The
Church has many teachings about social justice, solidarity with our fellow
citizens, the common good and human rights.
We must take all of these into account.
But two basic issues stand out in Canada today: the right to life and the
status of marriage and family.
Why
is the right to life the most important issue in deciding my vote?
The
most basic of all our rights is the right to life - the right from which all
other rights flow. Without life, no
other right can be enjoyed. Any
threat to the right to life, then, is a threat to all our rights. Any threat to
the right to life not only puts human beings at risk of being killed, but also
"is a threat capable, in the end, of jeopardizing the very meaning of
democratic co-existence,"7
Pope
John Paul II warns in the Gospel of Life. This is because "the inalienable
right to life of every innocent human individual is a constitutive element of a
civil society and its legislation. The moment. (the) law deprives a category of
human beings of the protection which
civil legislation ought to accord them, the state is denying the
equality of all before the law. When
the state does not place its power at the service of the rights of each citizen,
and in particular the more vulnerable, the very foundations of a state based on
law are undermined."8
Why
are marriage and family policies also very important?
Pope
John Paul II wrote that, "a family policy must be the basis and driving
force of all social policies."9
This is simply because the family is "the original cell of social
life."10 Therefore,
"the importance of the family for the life and well-being of society
entails a particular responsibility for society to support and strengthen
marriage and the family. Civil
authority should consider it a grave duty 'to acknowledge the true nature of the
family, to protect and foster them, to safeguard public morality and domestic
prosperity.'"11
So
what do I look for in a candidate and party?
First,
we must vote for candidates and parties that uphold the right to life for all
Canadians and for all human beings everywhere. Second, we must vote for
candidates and parties who recognize that a family is "a man and a woman
united in marriage, together with their children"12; who will enact
policies that recognize that children are the responsibility and duty first and
foremost of their parents and not of the state; and who will enact policies that
assist and do not hamper parents in raising their children.
What
if I cannot find a suitable candidate?
If
no candidate upholds the right to life and the rights of the family, we are
still obligated to vote. We can
vote for the candidate who is the least hostile to the right to life and to the
family. In the words of one theologian, "At times, the voter can do no
better than make a choice of the lesser of two or more evils.
He must choose the group or individual who, everything considered, is the
most favourable to faith and morals or is the least hostile."13
To quote another theologian, "It is sinful to vote for the enemies
of religion or liberty, except to exclude a worse candidate."14
When
no truly good option is given to voters, we are then forced to use our vote to
ensure the least objectionable outcome.
Besides
casting a pro-life vote, what else can I do?
Apart
from always voting for a greater recognition and protection of the right to life
and other human rights, we must also constantly strive to use other means to
build a culture of life. As
Christians we are called to evangelize our culture by bringing Christian values
into the market place, into every phase of our life in society. One important
way of doing this is by voicing our views publicly and by getting involved in
the political process, influencing the nominations of candidates, the setting of
party policy and supporting candidates who stand for the Gospel of Life in all
its aspects.
Office
of Life and Family
Archdiocese
of Vancouver
150
Robson Street
Vancouver
BC V6B 2A7
Notes
1.
CCC #22402.
2.
CCC #22393.
3.
GS #754.
4.
GS #765.
5.
CCC #22466.
6.
AA #77.
7.
EV #188.
8.
CCC #2273.
9.
EV #90.
10.
CCC #2207.
11.
CCC #2210.
12.
CCC #2202.
13.
Bernard Haering, C.Ss.R., The Law of Christ, Vol. II pp.513-514
14. Davis, Moral and Pastoral Theology, vol.2., p. 90