When Pope Francis spoke to Congress in September he told
members, “You are called to defend and preserve the dignity
of your fellow citizens in the tireless and demanding pursuit
of the common good, for this is the chief aim of all
politics.” He further encouraged legislators and “the entire
people of the United States” to use “the Golden Rule” (MT
7:12) as their guide.
“This Rule points us in a clear direction. Let us treat
others with the same passion and compassion with which we
want to be treated,” the Holy Father said. “The Golden Rule
also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend
human life at every stage of its development.”
Throughout his pontificate Pope Francis has encouraged all of
us to become involved in political life, which he called one
of the “highest forms of charity,” because it seeks the
common good. The common good is “the sum total of social
conditions which allow people, either as groups or as
individuals, to reach their fulfillment more fully and more
easily.” Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1906.
How should we act responsibly in the political sphere? First,
we stay educated and informed on important issues. Secondly,
we engage in year-round advocacy by communicating with our
public officials on matters affecting the common good.
Thirdly, we vote, which is both a privilege and a duty. On
Tuesday, November 3, Virginia voters will elect all state
Senators and Delegates in the Virginia General Assembly.
But before voting, we must form our consciences, guided by
the consistent social doctrine of our Faith. Please
prayerfully consider the following points to support your
voting decisions and advocacy efforts.
Respect and defend the sanctity and dignity of every human
life, marriage and family and God’s creation. “Every human
being has a right to life, the fundamental right that makes
all other rights possible, and a right to access to those
things required for human decency – food and shelter,
education and employment, health care and housing, freedom of
religion and family life.” Forming Consciences for Faithful
Citizenship, para. 49.
Recognize that not all issues have equal moral weight. Some
issues involve questions of intrinsic evil, actions that are
always wrong and always incompatible with love of God and
neighbor and natural law. “[T]he moral obligation to oppose
intrinsically evil acts has a special claim on our
consciences and our actions.” Forming Consciences for
Faithful Citizenship, para. 37. Intrinsically evil actions
include abortion, euthanasia, research that destroys human
embryos, genocide, racism, torture and the targeting of
noncombatants in acts of terror or war, and offenses against
natural law, including redefining marriage, an institution
founded as the union of one man and one woman. Issues
involving other human rights, such as the right to food,
shelter, health care and the right to migrate, for instance,
require us to act and call for us to apply our prudential
judgment to determine how best to resolve them.
Give highest priority to the fundamental right to life. The
direct and intentional destruction of innocent human life
from the moment of conception until natural death is always
wrong and is not just one issue among many. This right to
life must have first claim on our consciences. The clearest
example is abortion. Each year, abortion claims more than a
million lives in the U.S. and tens of thousands of lives in
Virginia alone.
To learn more about conscience formation and faithful
citizenship, please visit the Virginia Catholic Conference’s
website (www.vacatholic.org). In addition to its advocacy
network, which you are encouraged to join, the Conference
also provides resources, including a Voters’ Guide to the
upcoming elections, to assist you.
We pray that all of us will embrace our heritage as faithful
Catholics and Americans and let our Church’s consistent moral
principles guide us in the voting booth on November 3 and as
we encounter the world in the public square.
Faithfully Yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Paul S. Loverde
Bishop of Arlington
Most Reverend Francis X. DiLorenzo
Bishop of Richmond
