catholicsphere

The Catholic Conference of Illinois Bishops has issued this statement on voting in the upcoming election.

Catholics should always vote for that person most committed to being a public servant dedicated to the common good. This being said, it should be noted that any candidate who supports a public policy where part of humanity (such as the pre-born, the elderly, the handicapped, or the sick) is excluded from the protection of law and treated as if they were non-persons is gravely deficient in his or her view of the requirements of a just society.

Catholics (and all Christians) must examine the candidates closely — especially incumbents — to determine whether they are truly acting responsibly in regard to protection of all persons, from the moment of conception through natural death. In the case of incumbents, one should check the voting records, to determine whether the platform that the candidate is running on matches his/her record.

Too often, the choice of candidates for elected office falls short of a vision of the common good as rich and full as Catholic social teaching. This may be discouraging, so we call on Catholics who understand and accept the Church’s teaching to become more engaged in political life.

[tags]bishops, illinois, politics, voting, election, catholic, common good, news, church, faith[/tags]