CATHOLICS AND POLITICS 1

 CATHOLICS IN ACTIVE POLITICS 1

UNDERSTANDING THE ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLES OF THE SOCIAL TEACHING OF THE CHURCH

Rev Fr Utazi Prince Marie Benignus Zereuwa

INTRODUCTION

As we seek to promote the common good, Catholics have a role to play in society that no one else may fill. To do this, we must form our consciences in harmony with faith and reason. This is because the complexities of our political landscape cause political decision making to be far from a simple task. The question will be: How then do we make practical political decisions? This question indicates and intimates active involvement in politics. However, the first thing we must do as Catholics is to take everything to prayer. We must pray for the virtue of prudence, right reason in action (Catechism of the Catholic Church, CCC no. 1805) as well as for the gifts of the Holy Spirit, especially the gift of wisdom, and counsel. Having received these gifts when we received the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, these gifts also obliged us to frequent the Sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist. Then, it is imperative to remember prayerfully that “political decisions are all moral decisions”, as they are aimed at the good of society, and every individual. 

Thus, we must properly evaluate how we should vote in the same way that we evaluate all other moral actions. We must consider the quality of the three sources of morality in the action (Catechism of the Catholic Church CCC no. 1750) viz.: the object, intention, and circumstances. These three make up the sources, or “constitutive elements” of the morality of human acts. By properly evaluating each of these sources, we can come to a sound conclusion of the goodness of a political action. For an act to be morally good, all these three: the object, the intention, and the circumstances, must be good. If any one of these is evil, the act is morally evil.

ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLES OF CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING

The essential principles of Catholic Social Teaching, which give us a clear view of the moral priorities that make for a just and good ordering of society, includes: the dignity of the human person; the common good is the goal of political action; the subsidiarity accomplishes justice by ensuring that decisions are made at the most immediate level of society; and solidarity.

First is the principle that hinges on the dignity of the human person. It is obvious that Human life is sacred. The dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision of society, (USCCB, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, 44). Without this principle, justice is not possible. Every human being, from the moment of conception to natural death: is created in the image and likeness of God; is willed by God; is irreplaceable, and immeasurably valuable. All morally good human actions, including political actions, affirm this truth. All intrinsically immoral actions violate this principle in some way, or directly, such as abortion, racism, tribalism and nepotism, ethno-religious genocide, euthanasia, and others. Intrinsically evil acts are always and everywhere wrong. Therefore, in the first place, we must consider carefully how a piece of legislation, or a political candidate, aims at defending and promoting human life and dignity.

Second is the principle that the common good is the goal of political action. It is the sum total of social conditions which allow people, either as groups or as individuals, to reach their fulfillment more fully and more easily (Gaudium et Spes, GS 26). It must not be fashioned in a way that pits the good of the majority against the good of the minority or the individual. It is a recognition that there are goods common to a whole community, above and beyond my individual good, including the good of the most vulnerable. The Scripture says in the book of Isaiah 1:17c thus: Hear the plea of the orphan, defend the widow.

Third is the principle that the subsidiarity accomplishes justice by ensuring that decisions are made at the most immediate level of society. Higher levels of society should only aid lower levels when they are in real need of intervention. Subsidiarity does not simply apply to different levels of government. The state cannot achieve the common good entirely through its own agencies. A detriment to justice, this would undercut the competency and agency of people and authorities closest to a given decision. Therefore, to accomplish the common good, the government must empower the natural and free agency of the lower associations, especially the family. For it is impossible to promote the dignity of the person without showing concern for the family, groups, associations, local territorial realities  to which people spontaneously give life and which make it possible for them to achieve effective social growth. (CCC, 1882; Congregation for the Social Doctrine of the Church CSDC, 185)

Four is the principle that solidarity is the commitment toward others in society that highlights in a particular way the intrinsic social nature of the human person, the equality of all in dignity and rights and the common path of individuals and peoples towards an ever more committed unity (Congregation for the Social Doctrine of the Church, CSDC, 192). Both a social principle and a moral virtue (CSDC 193) solidarity is characterized as a deep commitment to the common good and every individual; an affirmation of the unity we share as Gods children. Therefore, candidates and legislation must aim at building solidarity among all people.

In addition, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) marshaled out 7 themes of social teaching of the Church for her children for active involvement in politics. They are as follows: (1) The life and dignity of the human person; (2) the call to family, community, and participation; (3) rights and responsibilities (that every true right has corresponding responsibilities); (4) the option for the poor and vulnerable; (5) the dignity of work and the rights of workers; (6) solidarity; and (7) care for the creation of God.

With these principles and themes in mind, we can gain a reliable understanding of the morality of the object (as well as the intention) of political decisions that we must make.

VOTING AS A PRACTICAL ILLUSTRATION

As we discuss this, we will use voting as our main consideration, though it is far from the only political action in which we have the responsibility to engage. In doing so we will also explore these additional moral principles: the principles and themes of Catholic Social Teaching (in our consideration of the moral object), the ends do not justify the means (in our consideration of moral intention), formal and material cooperation, and the principle of double effect.

OBJECT OF VOTING

The most important source of morality, the object, is the act itself, the thing done as it tends toward some end. As faithful Catholics, we must then evaluate either the legislation or the candidate according to the principles of Catholic Social Teaching, in order to determine the moral nature of the object (of the act of voting). 

INTENTION OF VOTING

Intension is the second element in making moral decision. The intention is the purpose that motivates a person to act. In voting, we choose a candidate or legislation so that some set of objectives may be fulfilled through the actions of the candidate, or through the directives of the legislation. Our intentions must be founded on more than mere sentiment, and conversely, we must refrain from votes solely motivated by the promise of personal gain. To do so would cause democracy to become the tyranny of the masses. Rather, any moral act must aim at the charity and justice as the proper intention, including political action. Love or charity is to will the good of another, and justice is the virtue which gives to each his due (CCC, 1766; 1807; 1928).

The principles of Catholic Social Teaching essentially flow from and expand on charity and justice. Thus, if we act with intentions informed by Catholic Social Teaching, and which take into account the specific nature of the political action, we can be confident that our intentions are good.

ENDS OF VOTING

Ends do not justify the means. The moral object is the most important source of moral actions. No matter how good the intention may be, it cannot make an objectively unjust action good: such as encouraging an abortion with the intention of increasing the quality of life for the mother. Seemingly good desires for someone can never outweigh the moral evil of taking an innocent life. We must never promote grave and intrinsic evil or consent to the morally evil actions of others. Likewise, we cannot attempt to solve societal problems for some groups by disenfranchising others.

CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING VOTING

Neither circumstances nor good intentions can make an intrinsically evil action good. But otherwise considered, the surrounding circumstances can increase or diminish the goodness or badness of a moral action. Circumstances can be hard to judge in voting. An indispensable way to know and judge the circumstances is careful and balanced research into relevant factors on the political and legislative scene. This can help determine the true context of the vote. When circumstances call for or reduce the need for legislation, it can increase or diminish the goodness of the proposed legislation. An example would be circumstances surrounding the expenditure of public funds: if the expenditure does not provide a notable advantage for those in need, then to use funds to create them may be unjust. The inverse may also be the case.

FORMAL AND MATERIAL COOPERATION 

When you aid in the action of another person by your own actions or intentions; it is called cooperation. And this cooperation can be material or formal, or both. If you share the intention of the act, such as offering moral support, it is formal cooperation. If you aid the act through material help, such as funding in support of an act or voting in favor of it, it is called material cooperation. It is never acceptable to offer any degree of formal cooperation with evil actions. While we must always avoid material cooperation, at times we are unable to avoid remote material cooperation. Remote material cooperation occurs when you cooperate in some way with a moral act by providing the conditions or material that makes the act possible in a manner that is some steps removed from the act itself, and does not give the impression of sharing the intention (scandal), such as paying taxes that in part go to immoral acts. We are always required to avoid close material cooperation, such as voting for legislation that directs tax funding to unjust purposes, especially intrinsically evil ones.

PRINCIPLE OF DOUBLE EFFECT 

In this principle, we see that some good actions may have unintended but sometimes unavoidable bad side-effects. In this consideration, an action can be morally good if: the action or object itself is good, one only intends to accomplish the good effect and not the bad effect, the good effect cannot come as a side-effect to the bad effect (this would violate the ends dont justify the means), and the bad effect is not disproportionate in gravity to the intended good effect.

It would be a very rare situation that a political candidate sees eye to eye on every point of importance for Catholics. Even more difficult, often every candidate in an election espouses views contrary to Catholic teaching. Do you vote for no one? While this is an option, it would still be out of the ordinary (USCCB, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, 36).

Therefore, we must first evaluate the good that a candidate, or legislation, promotes with a proper understanding of the degrees of value between moral issues. We must then choose the option that produces the greatest good closest to the foundation of human life and dignity. 

BEYOND VOTING EFFECTS

Beyond voting there are many different manners of political engagement that we can employ that can all be morally evaluated using the principles discussed above, including urging our legislators regarding just decisions; engaging in civil discussion and debate; raising awareness about issues to peers and elected representatives; peaceful protests, among others. We should then return in prayer to our loving God who is the Lord of history. Remembering that there are no just structures without people who want to be just (CCC, 2832) we must pray for our leaders, country, and world, that through charity and truth together we may build a just community, culture and civil society, for the glory of God.

POLITICS SHOULD BE THE DNA (DeOxyRibonucleic Acid) OF EVERY CATHOLIC

On May 1 2015, Thursday, during an informal question and answer session with members of Christian Life Community and the Student Missionary League Italy, groups inspired by Ignatian spirituality, Pope Francis said: Catholics must get involved in politics even if it may be dirty, frustrating and fraught with failure. He continued: Given the throwaway culture of today and so many problems unfolding in the world, Do I as a Catholic watch from my balcony? No, you cannot watch from the balcony. Get right in there! Christians have a duty to work for the common good in the world of politics. This does not mean forming a Catholic political party. This is not the way. The church is the community of Christians who adore the Father, follow the way of the Son and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is not a political party. However, individual Catholics must get involved and embroiled in politics, because it is one of the highest forms of charity since it seeks the common good.

It is obvious that this task is not easy, especially when there is so much corruption. It then means that it is a kind of martyrdom, where one carries the cross of the ideal of the common good every day without letting yourself be corrupted or discouraged in the midst of failure.

It is hard to be in the middle of it all without getting your hands or heart a little dirty. Yet, this is what a Politician who is a core Catholic is called to do.  Pope Francis would say: Ask the Lord to help you not to sin, but if you get your hands dirty, ask for forgiveness and keep going; do not get discouraged.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Carol Glatz. Catholics must be active in politics, no matter how 'dirty,' pope says. May 1, 2015. Catholic News Service Vatican https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/francis-chronicles/catholics-must-be-active-politics-no-matter-how-dirty-pope-says August 23 2021

Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Doctrinal Note on Some Questions Regarding the Participation of Catholics in Political Life.

https://cacatholic.org/article/making-practical-decisions-using-themes-principles-catholic-social-teaching August 23 2021

Stephen Schneck. How Catholics should think about politics and government. November 1, 2017 https://uscatholic.org/blog/how-catholics-should-think-about-politics-and-government/ August 23 2021

Rino Fisichella. The Duty of Catholic Politicians. L'Osservatore Romano Weekly Edition in English 25 June 2003, page 10. https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/duty-of-catholic-politicians-3134 August 23 2021

© Rev Fr Utazi Prince Marie Benignus Zereuwa

Updated January 17 2023