Every election cycle, the questions remain about the same: Whom should I vote for, if anyone? Should I vote “yes” or “no” on a particular ballot proposal? In some years, we may be very enthusiastic, the choices seem crystal clear to us. As we approach our nation’s 250th birthday in 2026, it is only right that we should celebrate and give thanks to God for His providence and for the blessings of freedom and self-government.
In other years, our enthusiasm may be diminished by the quality of discourse, a lack of clarity, or other factors. It’s understandable if one may sometimes feel inundated, hesitant, discouraged or simply fed up with the political process. But the truth is we cannot simply sidestep civic affairs. Voting is not only a privilege; it is a sacred responsibility that we shoulder for the direction of our community, state and nation. As Pope Francis said early in his pontificate, “None of us can say, ‘I have nothing to do with this.’ No, I am responsible for those chosen to be our leaders, and I have to do the best so that they perform well by participating in political processes according to my ability.”
To accomplish that task correctly, we must be informed about fundamental principles and knowledgeable about where the candidates stand and about the great issues that we face as a people. While in some cases our electoral decisions may be simply a matter of prudential judgment and personal preference, some entail positive obligations to seek the common good. Conversely, not every decision, public policy or enacted legislation is proper or worthy of the human person. Some matters involve inherently immoral acts, which can never be approved. Not all issues are of equal importance or have immediate personal consequences, but all of them taken together impact us today, and will do so tomorrow.
Right around election time, we in the Church will soon hear the universal call to holiness on All Saints Day as we start to turn our gaze toward Christ the King. Whether this is by sheer coincidence or divine providence, it certainly puts things into proper perspective.
First, we are not only – or even primarily – citizens of any worldly nation such as the United States. As People of God, we are also citizens, representatives, and builders of the kingdom of God in our midst, a kingdom of social fraternity, truth, justice and peace. Our first allegiance to God and His plan for humanity of a good and just society lies at the heart of any of our decisions. We have an obligation in conscience at all times to love one another in truth, and the choices we make in any aspect of our lives must be grounded in and directed toward the good and away from injustice.
On Election Day, Tuesday, November 5, these principles and the other revealed social and ethical doctrines of the Church will be the same as they were on Sunday, November 3 – calling us to love our neighbor as ourself.
On occasion, people have said to me that the Church should not be in the political arena, that one’s faith and public engagement should be distinct. But the Church lives in society, not merely within the four walls of those structures wherein we worship. The Church has not only the privilege, but the obligation of offering a voice in favor of the fundamental values of human existence and the common good. The Church does not tell you how to vote, but wisely recommends only ethical principles and a moral framework for people to consider and to evaluate when you are about to make crucially important decisions regarding your vote in this election.
The bishops of the United States have jointly issued a statement on these vital concerns entitled Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship. This resource is available on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website at usccb.org/issues-and-action/faithful-citizenship/upload/forming-consciences-for-faithful-citizenship.pdf.
We bishops believe that this statement describes the comprehensive range of social and moral concerns that every Catholic should consider as you exercise your responsibility in voting for our public elected officials and on ballot proposals.
We need to know and then bring our moral values and vision to the process, including into the voting booth. Otherwise, public policy would soon be the rule of the powerful, disengaged from objective truth and social justice. Besides, to live out our Catholic faith in civic engagement is not to impose our religious beliefs on anyone but is instead to summon our nation to its own highest principles.
Many conflicting voices compete for our attention in today’s campaign environment. Some may suggest that all moral and social issues are of uniform importance. However, the dignity of human life will always be a foundational issue that we face in our society and in our world.
Yes, we must also assess some very complex issues involving the economy, jobs, housing, healthcare, the just care of the poor, the rights of workers, the dignity of migrants, the conservation of the environment, public safety and national security, as well as the most basic unit of the human community – the family itself – to list only some of the issues that we now face. It is right that we speak up for these concerns, which we cannot ignore or dismiss, because they flow from the very human dignity that we all enjoy as God’s children. But at the head of all of these vitally important concerns is the issue, and inalienable right, of human life and human dignity itself.
In addition to voting for candidates for office, voters in Maryland will find Question 1 on their ballot, which if passed would declare “reproductive freedom” a fundamental right, thereby enshrining abortion throughout pregnancy in the Maryland Constitution so as to prohibit or restrict laws to protect human life equally, as well as health and safety laws to protect pregnant women, among other things. Although this measure purports to promote “freedom,” as Pope Francis has explained, one should not “confuse genuine freedom with the idea that each individual can act arbitrarily, as if there were no truths, values and principles to provide guidance, and everything were possible and permissible” (Amoris Laetitia, 34).
Whether a person might be described as pro-life or pro-choice, you should realize that Question 1 is objectively and profoundly unjust and dangerous. It does not uplift women or advance freedom; rather, it diminishes both.
My brother Maryland bishops and I have issued a joint statement urging voters to stand in true solidarity with women and human life and dignity by voting NO on Question 1. As we stated, “Instead of a sole focus on access to abortion, it is necessary to advocate for comprehensive solutions that provide women with access to healthcare, resources for families, and education and job opportunities. We must foster a culture of life where every person is valued and supported, and where women facing difficult decisions regarding pregnancy and parenthood feel respected and empowered.”
Every election places before us serious choices. What defines us as a people is, in no small way, how we respond. When a voter once asked him for advice during an election with particularly difficult options, Pope Francis responded, “Study the proposals well, pray, and choose in conscience!”
This has been a long political season. I very deliberately chose to save this column so that I could speak with you about these issues in these closing moments before you cast your ballots. Quite often the last words that we hear are the ones that stay with us. When all of the campaigning is exhausted, when the commercials are silenced, when the pundits are preparing to pivot from what they think will happen to what actually did occur, you and you alone must cast a ballot that will be your contribution to the future of this community and nation. The Holy Father’s advice here is sound – pray first, and then choose in good conscience. May you make your electoral decisions fully informed and inspired by the wisdom of our faith in building toward a society of goodness, justice and fraternal harmony.
Related link:
Maryland Catholic Conference information on voting ‘no’ on Question 1
https://www.mdcatholic.org/protect-women-no-on-abortion/
(Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the archbishop of Washington, writes his “What I Have Seen and Heard” column for the Catholic Standard and Spanish-language El Pregonero newspapers and websites of The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington.)
