Dear Parishioners,
We have been living in turmoil in recent weeks with our government and financial problems. We don’t exactly know what God wants of us in all this and how we are to react. On November 4, we will be using our mind and hearts to choose our political leaders. We need God’s guidance. Our Bishops here in Florida have spoken about this and in your bulletin you will find their statement. I am also copying in this bulletin four paragraphs about forming consciences for faithful citizenship:
A Call to Political Responsibility from the Catholic Bishops of the United States
34. Catholics often face difficult choices about how to vote. This is why it is so important to vote according to a well formed conscience that perceives the proper relationship among moral goods. A Catholic cannot vote for a candidate who takes a position in favor of an intrinsic evil, such as abortion or racism, if the voter's intent is to support that position. In such cases a Catholic would be guilty of formal cooperation in grave evil. At the same time, a voter should not use a candidate's opposition to an intrinsic evil to justify indifference or inattentiveness to other important moral issues involving human life and dignity.
35. There may be times when a Catholic who rejects a candidate's unacceptable position may 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.
36. When all candidates hold a position in favor of an intrinsic evil, 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.
37. In making these decisions, it is essential for Catholics to be guided by a well-formed conscience that recognizes that all issues do not carry the same moral weight and that the moral obligation to oppose intrinsically evil acts has a special claim on our consciences and our actions. These decisions should take into account a candidate's commitments, character, integrity, and ability to influence a given issue. In the end, this is a decision to be made by each Catholic guided by a conscience formed by Catholic moral teaching.
Blessings are upon you and your family, my good people of God!
Fr. Alex Dalpiaz, c.s.
Pastor