Resources for the 2008 General Election

10/29/2008
Check them out!

Voting According to a Well-Formed Conscience
"Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility”

This statement from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops does not tell Catholics how to vote, but to vote according to a well-formed conscience. A well-formed conscience can feel violated when legislation decrees a person act in defiance of God’s law. A well-formed conscience compels one to act rightly, in spite of desire, feeling, or opinion. A well-formed conscience leads us to the candidate who best expresses an understanding of the common good.

Catholics in the Public Square
"Just how ‘Catholic’ does a Catholic have to be in the public square?" "Should I ‘impose my religious views’ upon others?" "Are there any ‘non-negotiable’ issues for Catholics in the political sphere?"

Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted, in his question-and-answer voters guide, clarifies the intrinsic connection between the universal call to holiness and each Catholic’s responsibility to "contribute to the common good, to defend the dignity of every human person, and to live as faithful citizens." (See an excerpt here.)

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Overview of Conscience Formation
"Forming Catholic Consciences"

A well-formed conscience has a voice that tells us how to conform our will to God’s will. God’s will is divine law, revealed to us through Scripture, tradition, and Holy Mother Church. A well-formed conscience is formed by study of the teachings of the Church. The conscience is formed in the life of grace, especially through the Eucharist and Penance.

Pro-Life and Single Issue Voting, Proportionate Reasons
"Our Moral Responsibility as Catholic Citizens"
Joint Pastoral letter of September 12, 2008; Bishop W. Robert Finn, Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, and Archbishop Joseph Naumann, Archdiocese of Kansas City, KS.

The bishops lay out fundamental principles for voting, including the concept of “proportionate reasons” which must exist for a Catholic to vote for a pro-abortion candidate.

Religion and Politics
Render Unto Caesar: Serving the Nation by Living our Catholic Beliefs in Political Life
by Archbishop Charles J. Chaput (Doubleday, New York, 2008)

Few topics in recent years have ignited as much public debate as the balance between religion and politics. Does religious thought have any place in political discourse? Do religious believers have the right to turn their values into political action? What does it truly mean to have a separation of church and state? The very heart of these important questions is here addressed by one of the leading voices on the topic, Charles J. Chaput, Archbishop of Denver.

~ Free Book Offer ~ Catholics in the Public Square  by Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted
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