St. Mary Church

1. Pray: As the life of grace requires, we are to have daily contact and conversation with Almighty God, and so prayer is an indispensable part of forming one’s conscience. Genuine prayer opens our minds and hearts to know the Truth—what is of God and what is not.
2. Examine Candidates and Issues: After prayerful consideration, look directly at policies being promoted by examining each candidates’ own words and actions from objective sources, not just based on political opponents’ statements. Platforms of political parties (usually heavily influenced by presidential candidates) need to be read and understood, as they chart the course a candidate or party intends to follow if elected. Consider the candidate’s actual influence and competence over the issues, as the influence of the President is not the same as the County Water Commissioner. It is important to remember that political ads, political analysis, political opinion pieces offer no guarantee of truth or accuracy regarding the candidate and issues, and it is important to examine the resources used and political slant of any news organization from which you get information. Finally, it should be kept in mind that third party candidates may have valuable positions to be considered. In all things, we must choose candidates and parties that reflect best the moral teachings of the Church.
3. Discern according to Jesus’ Teaching: The Church’s teaching is, by definition, Jesus’ teaching, and is the only repository guaranteed by the Gift of the Holy Spirit, and therefore unchanging. As Catholics, we need to understand the teachings of the Church on all of the issues at play in the political realm, and weigh the issues according to what Christ teaches through the Church’s moral and social teaching. This includes understanding identifying issues that are morally intrinsically evil, assessing proportionality in voting the issues, and consideration of other moral issues (see below). It would be helpful to seek out others who may have a greater knowledge of 2 the moral teachings of the Church, who “think with the Church” and not the popular and political thinking in vogue at the moment.
4. Charity Above All: Our Lord always calls us to a life of virtue, and our political convictions and emotions are never to be allowed to compromise the charity we owe, even to those we dislike or who might hold very different positions. When discussing politics and speaking with others, especially those who do not agree with you, charity must always to guide what we say and how we treat others. As disciples of Jesus, we should never belittle others or treat them with less than their human dignity deserves.
5. A Catholic Christian First: As baptized Catholics, our existence is defined by our relationship with Christ in the Church, not by political or social groups or movements that are part of the “passing” world. For this reason, our faith must form and direct our decisions when voting. We must actively guard against the influence of any political party, activist group, or mass media on how to interpret Catholic teachings, and, subsequently, in dictating how to cast your vote.
6. Vote your Conscience: By conforming our minds and hearts to Jesus’ teaching in the Church, our consciences continue to be formed in a way pleasing to God. A well-formed conscience in this way provides the best basis for a conscientious and morally-sound participation in the elections process.