POLITICS AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
An Essay by Friar Bob Showers OFM Conv.

 
May the Roman Catholic Church or its clergy tell the individual Catholic how to vote in a democratic election?

Short answer: No!

The longer answer is a bit complicated, so please allow me to be long winded!

Some Basic Principles

 
"Politics" means, how people interact, cooperate and communicate. It comes from the word "polis", meaning town or city. "Politics" means, then, being a neighbor. It is not meant to be a dirty word.

This explains the old story that a citizen was asked, "Are you a Christian?" He responded, "Ask my neighbors."

Although the pagan Greeks first used the word politics, it was very much Christian theologians who developed the concepts we use today. It was a Franciscan friar, for example (Marsilius of Padua, Defendor pacis, 1324) who first wrote, "The legitimacy of any government is based on the consent of the governed."

Here are some basic Catholic principles when it comes to politics in the modern world. Most of this is summarized from the book: Joseph Ratzinger, Introduction to Christianity (1968/2004).

1) The Common Good

Catholic moral teaching is based on the notion of the common good. The common good is based on respect for the human person, the social well-being and development of the group, and peace (stability and security of a just order). [Gaudium et Spes § 26, Catechism of the Catholic Church §1906]

2) The priority of the person (the individual)

"For Christians, civil society comes after the person" [DOCAT §197] Yet despite the priority of the person, we cannot do without the State - or else there is chaos, and no individuals truly prosper in chaos.

3) The human person is the reason for the existence of the political community.

The prospering of the individual is the sole reason for the legitimacy of political power. [DOCAT § 293]


4) Catholics are called to participate in the political process

"All citizens ought to be aware of their right and duty to promote the common good by casting their votes. The Church praises and esteems those who devote themselves to the common good and who take upon themselves the burdens of public office in order to be of service. ... Citizens should cultivate a generous and loyal spirit of patriotism, but without narrow-mindedness. ... Christians should be a shining example by their sense of responsibility and their dedication to the common good." [Gaudium et spes no. 75]

5) Politics is the duty of the LAITY and NOT of the clergy

"Lay people have the special obligation to permeate and perfect the temporal order of things with the spirit of the Gospel." [Code of Canon Law  can. 226]

"The clergy are forbidden to assume public political office whenever it means sharing in the exercise of civil power." [Canon Law can. 285 §3]

6) No party may ever claim to be the "Catholic party" or the "Christian party" - nor may the Church ever declare a party to be the "Catholic" one

"The Church, by reason of her role and competence, is not identified with any political community nor is it tied to any political system. It is at once the sign and the safeguard of the transcendental dimension of the human person." [Gaudium et Spes § 76] Indeed, if a priest ever tells the people from the pulpit how they "must" vote if they are good Catholics, that priest is guilty of a sin. [Canon Law can. 285]

Civilize It!
Dignity Beyond the Debate

 
A divided country. Fights at the dinner table. Political vitriol. What does it mean to love our neightbor in the midst of such a climate?

As Catholics, we have a long tradition of engagement in the political process as a means of putting our faith into action. We are called to bring the best of ourselves and our faith to the public square—and yet today, many shy away from such involvement because our national and local conversations are filled with vitriol and harsh language, often directed at people themselves.

The Catholic Church in the United States, under the directions of the U.S. Bishops' Conference, has launched an initiative called Civilize It.

Why? When personal attacks replace honest debate, no one wins. This kind of attack, no matter the reason, only serves to further divide our communities. As Catholics, we must model a better way.

We invite you to join the Civilize It campaign by taking the pledge as a way to promote civility, love our neighbors, and build community.

Civilize It is about making room in your heart for those with whom you disagree. We are called to recognize that each one of us is a beloved child of God and to respond in love to that reality. Civilize It is a non-partisan call to focus on the dignity of all people, even when we disagree, and to put faith in action by bearing witness to a better way forward.

Click on the button below to take the pledge.

 
MAKE ME AN INSTRUMENT OF YOUR PEACE: A PRAYER FOR CIVILITY IN THIS ELECTION YEAR

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where uncivil words prevail, show me how to model love.

Help me remember the God-given dignity of all and invite others to do the same.

Show me how to build bridges and not walls and see first what unites us rather than how we diverge.

Let me seek to understand before asking to be understood.

Give me a listening heart filled with empathy and compassion.

May I be clear in sharing my own position and respectful and civil in describing those of others.

Let me never tolerate hateful ideas.

May I invite all to charity and love.

Lord, help me to imitate your compassion and mercy.

Make me an instrument of your peace.

Amen.

Political Guidelines for Parishes
from the Catholic bishops of Indiana

 
Committed to principled nonpartisan engagement in the political process, the Catholic Church does not and will not engage in partisan politics.

The Church does not support or oppose any candidate or party but seeks to focus attention on the moral and human dimensions of issues.

We strongly urge all parishioners to become informed on key issues and to vote. In a democracy, loving our neighbor and caring for the least among us means supporting leaders and policies that promote the common good and protect society’s most vulnerable members.

Helping Catholics recognize and act on this
dimension of our faith is an essential task for parish leaders.

Keeping in mind our Catholic social teachings and responsibility to shape morality in the political arena, please avoid the distribution or placement at any parish or diocesan entity of materials that mention specific candidates or political parties in any manner. The Policy of the Indiana Dioceses is that no material should be distributed at the parish or parish schools unless it is published by the USCCB, ICC or the respective diocese in compliance with the following guidelines.

The following is specifically prohibited:
  • voter guides that mention a candidate’s or political party’s position on an issue;
  • voting records that state an incumbent’s record on an issue;
  • candidate surveys

The policy does not apply to materials that discuss voting in general, the issues, Catholic voting responsibility, or Church teaching on public policy issues so long as the materials do not mention a candidate or political party.

What is Allowed at a Parish Facility?
  • Addressing the moral and human dimensions of public issues
  • Urging parishioners to ask the candidates about the issues
  • Sharing the Church's teaching on human life, human rights, justice, peace, and political responsibility
  • Applying Catholic teaching to legislation and public issues
  • Being politically involved, but non-partisan such as participating in a voter registration or campaign to encourage voter participation without highlighting a candidate or party.

What is Not Allowed at a Parish Facility?
  • Supporting or opposing candidates for political office
  • Supporting or opposing political parties
  • Distributing "voter guides" that mention a candidate or political party
  • Providing a candidate with a list of parishioners
  • Inviting only selected candidates to address your church-sponsored group
  • Making church facilities available for partisan political purposes
  • Posting, sharing, liking, retweeting, etc. on social media posts that express an opinion or position of a candidate for office or of a political party*

* The above applies to parish, parish school or diocesan owned electronic equipment (tablets, computers, smart phones) or media accounts. This rule also prohibits political advertising in diocesan publications, on diocesan websites, in parish bulletins and on parish websites.


September 10, 2020
The Roman Catholic Bishops of Indiana
The essay in the leftmost column was written by friar Bob Showers OFM Conv. on 20 September 2020. He is responsible for its content.

The text in the center column comes from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2020.

The text in the rightmost column was published on 10 September 2020 by the Roman Catholic Bishops in Indiana (Indiana Catholic Conference).

For his essay, Fr. Bob mostly used the following sources:
  • Austin Flannery O.P., ed. The Basic Sixteen Documents of Vatican Council II: Constitutions, Decrees, Declarations. Dublin, Dominican Publications 1996
  • Joseph Ratzinger. Einführung in das Christentum. Munich, Kösel Verlag 1968
  • Pope John Paul II. Laborem Exercens: On Human Work. Vatican City, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1981
  • The Code of Canon Law in English Translation. Canon Law Society of Great Britain and Ireland. London, Collins Liturgical Publications 1983
  • Catechism of the Catholic Church. Ligouri MO, Ligouri Publications 1994
  • Austrian Bishops' Conference. DOCAT: What to Do? The Social Teaching of the Catholic Church. San Francisco, Ignatius Press, 2016