Every four years we are presented with the prospect of the “most important election of our lifetime.” Perhaps this admonition is accurate. The milestones of history are marked by the rise and fall of empires, kingdoms and even democratic republics. Whether our American republic will be successful depends largely upon – as Benjamin Franklin cautioned in 1787 – “… if you can keep it.”
Our second president, John Adams, echoed similar sentiments when he warned, “Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
Ultimately, formation in our Catholic faith is aimed at developing virtue, which aids our journey toward the ultimate end of eternal happiness with Jesus in Heaven. But, we would be remiss if we became “so heavenly minded, we’re no earthly good.”
In his classic work, the “City of God,” Saint Augustine wrote of the mandate to transform the City of Man, which is marked by human vice, into the City of God, marked by virtue.
We enter upon that great enterprise through baptism into the Church, and among the most essential duties for citizens of the City of God are duties of a civic nature.
In a word: voting.
We are blessed to live in a nation of self-government founded uniquely in history on the concept of “inalienable rights.” This, however, is a double-edged sword. Without a citizenry formed in virtue, those rights become easily trampled as government becomes the province for the City of Man.
That is precisely why our participation in self-government as well-formed Catholic Christians is essential.
By engaging in the civic sphere as ambassadors for Christ, we transform lives and our communities. As Archbishop Charles Chaput explained some years ago in “Render Unto Caesar” – “We need to make the Gospel's social dimension a powerful part of our own and other people's lives. And we need to restore a commitment to truly Catholic action in the political process, in our party politics, in our voting and also in our political leadership.”
Archbishop Chaput continued, “If we really love this country, and if we really treasure our faith, living our Catholic beliefs without excuses or apologies, and advancing them in the public square are the best expressions of patriotism we can give to the nation.”
It is for this reason that the Church developed its Catholic Social Teaching to serve as a set of principles by which we guide our involvement in the civic sphere, and as a measuring stick for policies that foster human flourishing.
Through the work of the Catholic Conference of Oklahoma, that framework aides our efforts to advance human flourishing in six key areas: life/human dignity; education/health/welfare; marriage/family/faith; criminal justice/punishment; labor/economics/stewardship; and immigration/solidarity.
We use these categories in evaluations of elected officials to determine if they will be collaborators in our advocacy for sound policy.
In a similar way, this framework can and should be used by all Catholics as a tool to guide voting decisions.
Even though voting decisions can be complex and difficult, approaching them with one simple question in mind aids the process, “Which candidate is more likely to put policies in place that promote a truly Catholic understanding of human flourishing?”
Equally important, we must take time to prioritize these policies. As the U.S. bishops have clearly stated in our Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship document, defending the sanctity of life is and will continue to be the “preeminent priority,” in the hope of one day ending abortion in our country. Choosing a candidate who is most likely to promote a policy that respects innocent life is the primary consideration.
In November, we have numerous candidates on the ballot for president, congress, the state legislature and local offices for whom this rubric will serve us well.
There also will be numerous appellate judges on all ballots across the state, each of whom must stand for “retention” to remain on the court. Discerning whether to retain a judge can be a challenging decision, which is why resources are available online (https://ocpathink.org/judicial-scorecard) that catalog decisions by the courts and how each judge has voted on issues of concern to the Catholic Church.
These judges, particularly members of the Oklahoma Supreme Court, often are overlooked. They serve as the endpoint for whether laws passed by the state legislature and signed by the governor survive judicial review.
When preparing to consider each of these candidates, we need to consider the words of Jesus that Archbishop Chaput called the first and best voter guide in history, “You shall know them by their fruits” (Matt 7:20).
As Catholics and faithful citizens, I encourage you to vote Nov. 5.