Day 12: Friday, October 14, 2016

FORMING CONSCIENCES FOR FAITHFUL CITIZENSHIP

Day Twelve

Conclusion

Summary: In light of these principles and the blessings we share as part of a free and democratic nation, we bishops vigorously repeat our call for a renewed kind of politics:

--Focused more on moral principles than on the latest polls…

--Focused more on the needs of the weak than on benefits for the strong…

--Focused more on the pursuit of the common good than on the demands of narrow interests.

This kind of political participation reflects the social teaching of our Church and the best traditions of our nation.

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Day 11: Thursday, October 13, 2016

FORMING CONSCIENCES FOR FAITHFUL CITIZENSHIP

Day Eleven

Solidarity

Summary:  In reference to solidarity, a special emphasis must be given to the Church’s preferential option for the poor. While the common good embraces all, those who are weak, vulnerable, and most in need deserve preferential concern. A basic moral test for any society is how it treats those who are most vulnerable. In a society marred by deepening disparities between rich and poor, Sacred Scripture gives us the story of the Last Judgment (see Mt 25:31-46) and reminds us that we will be judged by our response to the “least among us.”

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Day 10: Wednesday, October 12, 2016

FORMING CONSCIENCES FOR FAITHFUL CITIZENSHIP

Day Ten

The Common Good

Summary:  Human dignity is respected and the common good is fostered only if human rights are protected and basic responsibilities are met. Every human being has a right to life…and a right to access those things required for human decency-food and shelter, education and employment, health care and housing, freedom of religion and family life. The right to exercise religious freedom publicly and privately by individuals and institutions along with freedom of conscience need to be constantly defended….

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Day 9: Tuesday, October 11, 2016

FORMING CONSCIENCES FOR FAITHFUL CITIZENSHIP

Day Nine

Dignity of the Human Person and Subsidiarity

Summary: The dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. Direct attacks on innocent persons are never morally acceptable, at any stage or in any condition….  It is impossible to promote the dignity of the person without showing concern for the family, groups, associations, local territorial realities; in short, for that aggregate of economic, social, cultural, sports-oriented, recreational, professional and political expressions to which people spontaneously give life and which make it possible for them to achieve effective social growth.  

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Day 8: Monday, October 10, 2016

FORMING CONSCIENCES FOR FAITHFUL CITIZENSHIP

Day Eight

Four Principles of Catholic Social Teaching

Summary:  This culture of life begins with the preeminent obligation to protect innocent life from direct attack and extends to defending life whenever it is threatened or diminished:  “Any politics of human dignity must seriously address issues of racism, poverty, hunger, employment, education, housing, and health care. . . . If we understand the human person as the “temple of the Holy Spirit”--the living house of God--then these issues fall logically into place as the crossbeams and walls of that house. All direct attacks on innocent human life, such as abortion and euthanasia, strike at the house’s foundation.   

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Day 7: Sunday, October 9, 2016

FORMING CONSCIENCES FOR FAITHFUL CITIZENSHIP

Day Seven

Making Moral Choices

Summary: 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 favors a policy promoting an intrinsically evil act…if the voter’s intent is to support that position….  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.

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