As I think about the current election cycle, the candidates running for various offices, and the proposed referendums in various states, it dawned on me that I should use key principles of Catholic social teaching to help discern which candidates, political parties, and platforms best align with my religious and moral values.
If one listens to 30-second sound bites and political infomercials, any candidate can be made to appear as if he or she aligns best with such a framework, while a referendum can be made to confuse everyone. It takes research and investigation to get to know the candidates and what they stand for. It’s through this process that we can have a set of standards in place to determine those that are best aligned with Catholicism. The following are the seven principles of Catholic social teachings.
Life and Dignity of the Human Person
The Catholic Church’s teachings that human life is sacred, and the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral society is the underpinning of all the principles of our social teaching.
Call to Family, Community, and Participation
The Church teaches that all people have a right and a duty to participate in society, working together for the common good and well-being of all, especially the poor and vulnerable.
Rights and Responsibilities
Catholic tradition teaches that human dignity can be protected and a healthy community can be achieved only when human rights are protected and responsibilities are met.
Preferential option for the Poor and Vulnerable
Catholic teaching asserts that a basic moral test is determined by how our most vulnerable members are faring. With the increasing divisions between rich and poor, our tradition recalls the story of the Last Judgment (Mt 25:31-46) and directs us to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first.
The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers
For the dignity of work to be protected, the basic rights of workers must be respected, including the right to productive work, to decent and fair wages, to the forming and joining of unions, to private property, and to economic initiative.
Solidarity
We live in a world surrounded by violence and conflict that requires that we promote peace in the spirit of being our brothers and sisters’ keepers, wherever they may be. The pursuit of justice and peace should be global.
Care for God’s Creation
Catholic tradition holds that we show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. We are called to live our faith in relationship with all of God’s creation while protecting people and the planet.
Samantha Smith
Another way to discern is to learn whether the candidate or political party is following Jesus’ teachings. Politics and governance have become dirty business. Billions are spent annually to tear down candidates while opposing political parties practice gridlock and divide our nation. Jesus taught us to turn the other cheek, help the poor, and take the high road. If we are called to live our lives this way, shouldn’t our voting pattern reflect these teachings? The gospels provide a good measuring stick for discernment.
The principle of Catholic social teaching provides a simple clarification of Church teachings. If we review this teaching, search scripture, and pray for wisdom, each of us will be better positioned to choose candidates and platforms that best reflect our Catholic values. Most Christians should embrace this philosophy since it’s based on the scriptures, not 21st-century, manmade doctrine or religious thought designed to influence politics. Our country has been divided and separated by the left and the right. There are Christians on both sides of the issues. If Christians would behave like we are called to in the Bible, we might turn from the bitterness of the past 25 years and begin to move our country forward in a respectful manner that is reflective of the needs of the people and nation. We will still disagree on policy, but if we do so with civility, we can achieve compromise and govern.
If my advice is not good enough, let’s analyze what Pope Francis says. For example, if you read his encyclical, “Laudato Si,” your vote would be one that takes climate change seriously. If you study the pope’s statements on immigration and migration, you will develop compassion, knowing people may be fleeing a bad situation or seeking a better way of life. Biblically speaking, Jacob and his family migrated to Egypt during a massive famine; moreover, St. Joseph took Jesus and Mary and fled to Egypt to flee Herod’s persecution.
Pope Francis’ positions may not please everyone, but as he is the leader of our Church, we must trust his wisdom and discernment. We must also accept this teaching as being aligned with Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 22, to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”
The pope and the Church calls us to be accepting of all God’s children and to stop being hypocrites. We do not have to accept people’s behaviors or agree with their opinions, but we can treat people respectfully as we ask them to treat us. We must discern how God wants us to behave in our thoughts, our words, and our deeds—and our votes.
The pope also calls us to do all we can to help the poor. Our nation’s leaders should be open-minded and willing to follow this guidance. Additionally, our foreign policy should focus on helping nations rather than allowing their continued exploitation. We should invest in rather than pull away from the poor. We should forgive debt when feasible to allow nations to invest in their infrastructure, technology, health care, and education systems to ensure that all countries can grow their economies and one day become economically self-sufficient. I believe this should lead one to vote for leaders who are aligned with these policies and approaches.
I do not have all the answers, nor can I recommend fully how people should vote. I can, however, put forth a Christ-centered approach based on Catholic teachings for people to consider as they make their own decisions. We should keep in mind that the average Catholic in America is what Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington recently described as a “cafeteria Catholic”: a person who picks and chooses what Church teachings they want to believe and follow.
Before you think about your tax bill, rising inflation, issues facing the public school system, school vouchers, the death penalty, abortion, unaffordability of college education, political gerrymandering, affirmative action, judicial court appointments, DEI, immigration policy, or the potholes needing fixing, read the Bible and pray over the Church’s teachings. Then exercise your constitutional and Christian right and responsibility to participate. If all else fails, ask a simple question: What would Jesus do?
Ronald E. Smith, Ed.D is a lifelong Catholic who enjoys writing. He is a Rotarian, member of the Thea Bowman Council #406 of the Knights of Peter Claver, and a parishioner at St. Edward the Confessor Church in Dana Point, California, and St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Rubuguri, Uganda. He and his wife Sandy recently founded Friends of St. Kizito Rubuguri Primary School in Rubuguri, Uganda, where they serve as missionaries. He can be reached at resmithinc@aol.com.
