How to Vote Catholic
Public Witness
Should a political candidate talk publicly about his faith? Should an elected official allow his or her faith to inform political decisions? These are questions that have been discussed for decades, but the debate has grown more heated in recent years.
The Church's position is clear: "A well-formed Christian conscience does not permit one to vote for a political program or an individual law which contradicts the fundamental contents of faith and morals" (Doctrinal Note on Some Questions Regarding the Participation of Catholics in Political Life, 4).
The Church teaches very clearly that the political order is not separate from the divine order revealed by faith (Gaudium et Spes, 74). Yet some well-known Catholic politicians over the past decades have argued that Catholic values should remain personal, not political. These same politicians, however, claim a Catholic basis for policies addressing, for example, a preferential option for the poor, yet wholeheartedly reject Catholic teachings on the protection of life.
This insistence on compartmentalizing faith restricts our compassion and concern to our immediate family. A religion with "love thy neighbor" as its central tenet cannot remain restricted to one's family.
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