No folks, we’re not endorsing any candidates. We’re not even talking candidates. Instead, we try to thread the narrowest needle ever threaded by discussing why elections do and don’t matter, what Catholics need to consider every time we head to the polls, how to fund common ground with those who disagree with us, and what matters most the day after Election Day … all without talking about the actual people running in 2024.
Do we succeed? You’ll have to listen to find out.
Show Notes:
First, as promised, here is Emily’s more succinct and clear answer to one of the questions we discussed on the podcast:
Is it a sin to vote for someone who is pro-abortion?
The Church’s answer is, “It depends.” If you vote for someone who is pro-abortion because they are pro-abortion, yes, it is a sin. The U.S. Catholic Bishops explain:
“A Catholic cannot vote for a candidate who favors a policy promoting an intrinsically evil act, such as abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, deliberately subjecting workers or the poor to subhuman living conditions, redefining marriage in ways that violate its essential meaning, or racist behavior, if the voter's intent is to support that position. In such cases, a Catholic would be guilty of formal cooperation in grave evil,”(Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship—Part 1, 34).
On the other hand, if both candidates are pro-abortion, and you vote for the candidate who seems best on other issues, that is not a sin. Your vote wouldn’t have made any difference in abortion policy, so other aspects of a candidate’s platform can become the deciding factor. Alternately, if the prospect of voting for either candidate violates your conscience, you can make the decision to not vote for either.
If, however, one candidate is pro-abortion and one candidate is pro-life, it gets more complicated.
In general, under most circumstances, the Church teaches that Catholics should not vote for a politician who supports abortion if they have a pro-life option. But if the candidate who is against abortion is for other policies that are grave moral evils—say, launching a pogrom against the Jewish people or reinstituting Jim Crowe laws—Catholic voters who prudently and prayerfully weigh the moral evils supported by both candidates can decide the pro-abortion candidate is the less horrible option and vote that way in good conscience. They also can take into consideration whether they believe the anti-abortion candidate is sincere in his commitment to oppose abortion and capable of doing anything to effect change in that area. Again, from the U.S. Catholic Bishops:
There may be times when a Catholic who rejects a candidate’s unacceptable position even on policies promoting an intrinsically evil act may reasonably decide to vote for that candidate for other morally grave reasons. Voting in this way would be permissible only for truly grave moral reasons, not to advance narrow interests or partisan preferences or to ignore a fundamental moral evil (Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship—Part 1, 35).
Note: Your reasons for choosing a pro-abortion candidate over an anti-abortion candidate must be rooted in the anti-abortion candidate’s support for other truly grave moral evils that together equal or outweigh the evil of abortion. Not liking a candidate’s personality, not liking the candidate’s proposed changes to Medicare or student loan financing, not wanting to be associated with a certain candidate or party—none of that is sufficient. Grave moral evil on the level of the slaughter of the innocent in the womb is the measuring stick.
Ultimately, though, unless you’re supporting a pro-abortion candidate for their views on abortion, the Church trusts you to form your conscience in accord with Church teaching and make the best decision you can, given the knowledge you have. If you think you decided poorly, for the wrong reasons, with insufficient thought, or with disregard for Church teaching, Confession is the quickest way to rectify your situation.
Other Important Quotes
Quotes:
[T]he Church’s Magisterium does not wish to exercise political power or eliminate the freedom of opinion of Catholics regarding contingent questions. Instead, it intends—as is its proper function—to instruct and illuminate the consciences of the faithful, particularly those involved in political life, so that their actions may always serve the integral promotion of the human person and the common good (Congregation for Doctrine of the Faith, “The Participation of Catholics in Political Life,” 6).
“When all candidates hold a position that promotes an intrinsically evil act, the conscientious voter faces a dilemma. The voter may decide to take the extraordinary step of not voting for any candidate or, after careful deliberation, may decide to vote for the candidate deemed less likely to advance such a morally flawed position and more likely to pursue other authentic human goods,”(United States Catholic Bishops Conference, “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” 36)
“Moral conscience, present at the heart of the person, enjoins him at the appropriate moment to do good and to avoid evil. It also judges particular choices, approving those that are good and denouncing those that are evil. It bears witness to the authority of truth in reference to the supreme Good to which the human person is drawn, and it welcomes the commandments. When he listens to his conscience, the prudent man can hear God speaking,” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1777).
“Conscience is a judgment of reason whereby the human person recognizes the moral quality of a concrete act that he is going to perform, is in the process of performing, or has already completed. In all he says and does, man is obliged to follow faithfully what he knows to be just and right. It is by the judgment of his conscience that man perceives and recognizes the prescriptions of the divine law,” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1778).
“The threat of abortion remains our preeminent priority because it directly attacks our most vulnerable and voiceless brothers and sisters and destroys more than a million lives per year in our country," (United States Catholic Bishops, “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” Introduction, Revised November 2023).
Also Mentioned:
“The Way Forward After Dobbs,” by Ryan Anderson
“Stupid Is As Stupid Does: Politics, Prudence, and Priorities,” by Emily Chapman
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