Pre-Election Letter to the People of Arlington

By Bishop Paul S. Loverde
Special to the HERALD
(From the issue of 11/1/01)

October 30, 2001

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

On Nov. 6, within the state of Virginia, we have the opportunity to elect a governor, a lieutenant governor, an attorney general, all of the members of the House of Delegates, and numerous local officials. We have not only a right, but also a moral responsibility to vote in each of these elections. It is a responsibility that we should not take lightly. I urge you to participate in this very important process in solidarity with other citizens across the state to elect candidates who will "contribute to the building of a society in which the dignity of each person is recognized and protected and the lives of all are defended and enhanced" (cf. The Gospel of Life, 90).

The events since Sept. 11 have caused each of us to sharpen our focus on what is important in life. This horrific attack on America revealed in new ways the compassion and goodness inherent within the hearts of so many American citizens. As we viewed the rescue and recovery operations at the World Trade Center buildings, the Pentagon and in the field in Somerset, Pa., we witnessed a basic human desire to respect the dignity of each and every human person. This scene was again vividly portrayed in a newspaper photo of the remains of one of the victims being removed as nearby workers stood at attention and saluted. Pope John Paul II identified this American trait by proclaiming that the greatness of the United States lies "especially [in its] respect for the dignity and sanctity of human life in all conditions and at all stages of development" (John Paul II, 10/8/95; Origins 25:18 (October 19, 1995): 318.). Such respect for the dignity of the human person must be part of our consciousness as we enter the voting booth.

Prior to the 2000 presidential elections, the Administrative Board of the U.S. Catholic Bishops published a small booklet entitled Faithful Citizenship: Civic Responsibility for a New Millennium. The purpose of the booklet is to identify those issues which should be the concern of all Catholics. They include the protection of human life, the promotion of family life, the pursuit of social justice, and the practice of global solidarity. These four principles are just as important today in identifying the issues by which we should judge those who run for elected office.

The foundation for these principles is the first, the protection of human life, since without it the other three would be rendered meaningless. If we do not uphold and protect human life in its beginning at conception, there will be no life to uphold and protect thereafter. As we read in Living the Gospel of Life, "We cannot simultaneously commit ourselves to human rights and progress while eliminating or marginalizing the weakest among us (20)….We must begin with a commitment never to intentionally kill, or collude in the killing, of any innocent human life, no matter how broken, unformed, disabled or desperate that life may seem" (21). To be a faithful and serious Catholic necessarily means that one is pro-life and not pro-choice. To be pro-choice essentially means supporting the right of a woman to terminate the life of her baby, either pre-born or partially born. No Catholic can claim to be a faithful and serious member of the Church while advocating for, or actively supporting, direct attacks on innocent human life. In reality, protecting human life from conception to natural death is more than a Catholic issue. It is an issue of fundamental morality, rooted in both the natural law and the divine law.

The Church’s God-given responsibility is to propose the Truth, thereby offering people the proper criterion for examining issues and making informed decisions that are moral and positive. "The Church must be committed to the task of educating and supporting lay people involved in law-making, government and the administration of justice, so that legislation will always reflect those principles and moral values which are in conformity with a sound anthropology and advance the common good" (The Church in America, no. 19, quoting Synod for America, proposition 72). There is no doubt that protecting all human life, promoting the family, pursuing social justice and practicing global solidarity are in conformity with a sound anthropology and do, indeed, advance the common good.

As citizens and Catholics, we must be involved in the political process and in the electing of our local, state and national leaders. "The arena for moral responsibility includes not only the halls of government but the voting booth as well" (Living the Gospel of Life, 33). Once again, I urge you to weigh carefully the issues and the candidates from the perspective of the four moral priorities I outlined above, especially the priority to protect the human life of all persons, pre-born and born.

In these days preceding the elections on November 6, please pray and fast that the citizens of Virginia will elect those leaders who will renew our communities, our state and our society by enabling all citizens to restore the culture of life.

One with you in prayer and in the exercise of our privileged right to vote, I remain

Faithfully in Christ, 

Most Rev. Paul S. Loverde
Bishop of Arlington

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