ELECTIONS – WE NEED TO TALK
September 3, 2019
JOINING THE DISCUSSION ABOUT CHOOSING WISELY AT ANY ELECTION
When elections come up - be they municipal, provincial or federal - OR in our organization, at school, for parish council, etc. the question is - for whom should I cast my ballot?
Well, the first questions that need to be answered are things like:
What does the position entail?
What would be the qualities of the one who is to fill that position?
Do the candidates have the required qualities? And, if so,
Which of the candidates scores best regarding the qualities?
Is he/she the one that would do best in the position in fulfilling the mandate of that position?
Sometimes, we may find the issues 'clouded over' by factors that may seem important, but may have little bearing on the capability to fulfil the role and do the best job. The cloudy factors have included physical appearance... personal charisma... eloquence... pleasing promises... celebrity endorsements... past mistakes... personal friendship, etc. These factors may have some importance, but they usually don't compare to the real issues. What are the real issues? Of course, they are the matters that are urgent and must be dealt with as soon as possible and/or matters that are "deal breakers" by which other issues pale.
For example, if a concern for a school community was to raise the school's overall grade-point average, then a candidate that either didn't think that was important or was actually opposed to raising academic standards would not be an acceptable candidate.
If a candidate was running for civil office and had a lot of good qualities and made positive promises, but he/she did not consider road repair as a priority, well... for the voters convinced that they could not tolerate another year of poor driving conditions - that would be a deal breaker. They would logically choose the one who might not have all the qualities they would like, but he will get those long-neglected roads repaired.
In the Church, Canon Law sets the basic criteria for valid, honest elections that will choose the best possible candidate - if... the election follows the rules and if all candidates and voters are honest about choosing the best candidate for the good of the group in question. (cf. Title 20, Chapter 1, Article 1). For some offices, there are actual basic qualifications that a candidate should have before he/she can be entered among the possible candidates. Among the qualities are such aspects as, solid faith, good morals, piety, zeal for souls, a good reputation; and practical requisites as age, years of experience and academic training" (cf. CCEO, c. 180, 273, 285, 769, 1086).
In our day, there are a lot of social issues that have polarized the electorate. These would include, a higher minimum wage, social status of same-sex relations and transgender issues, various healthcare issues and some issues that seemingly will not go away until they are adequately addressed: abortion, palliative care and concern for the environment (to name a few).
Before we even get into lengthy discussions about the "issues" associated with an election, let's take a look at some of the fundamental principles that 2000 years of Christian wisdom have proposed. The Catechism, "Christ - Our Pascha" offers us some concise, but very clear considerations to help us begin a valuable pre-election discussion in our parishes... in our families and with our friends at the local coffee shop, or at any get-together...
Really an understanding of the WHOLE Catechism is what will guide us to be great citizens and make informed decisions as followers of Christ. However, we'll touch upon a few excerpts that deal with civil society, democracy and our potential role...
"Christ, Our Pascha": Ukrainian Catholic Catechism (2011)...
C. The Social Dimensions of the Church
a. Democracy and Christian Social Virtues
932 Democracy-as a social system aimed at safeguarding the dignity of every human person and their rights, and also protecting a concern for the common good as the criterion for political life-can be considered consistent with the Christian world-view. The Church values the democratic system inasmuch as it ensures the participation of citizens in making political choices, guarantees to the governed the possibility both of electing and holding accountable those who govern them, and of replacing them through peaceful means when appropriate.
933 The existence of formal democratic institutions is not yet proof that democracy has been implemented. True democracy reflects the diversity of interests evident in society. When the democratic order is reduced to a collection of egoisms, society loses its high moral core: in such a society the human person is regarded primarily as a consumer and an object for manipulation. Such illusory democracy is incapable of safeguarding respect for the dignity of every person and facilitating solidarity among people. Where democratic systems serve only the interests of the most
powerful, simply because they are more effective at manipulating the levers of power, democracy becomes an empty word.
934 The foundation of the democratic system is respect for human rights, the most important of which are: the right to life, family, a formative upbringing and education, the ability to choose one's own path in life, as well as the right to employment, and the right to obtain the means for a dignified existence. A guarantor for the attainment of these rights is religious freedom, that is, the right to seek and confess the true God. 560
935 The moral criteria of political life in a democratic society should become such social virtues as: responsibility, honesty, justice, mutual respect, and diligence in work, truth, a sense of duty, solidarity, and concern for the common good. Democratic society requires moral values for its survival and growth. It is responsible to defend them
3. Social Justice
a. Private Property, Just Stewardship, Fair Exchange, and Distribution of Material Goods
942 Justice as a social virtue consists in giving God and each person-each member of society-that which is their due. Such justice in social life is realized in two basic forms: in a fair distribution of material goods, on the one hand, and their fair exchange, on the other. Distributive justice is safeguarded when communal goods-in accordance with just laws - become accessible to all members of society. Examples of this are: appropriate social security, health care, pension protection, etc. Fair or just exchange is achieved through the fair trade of material goods between different members of society. One example is when the price of a product corresponds to its quality. Distributive justice regulates what the community owes its citizens in proportion to their contribution and needs; it ensures that no member of society is denied access to basic goods and services (for example, appropriate social protections, health care, pension income, and the like). Legal justice concerns what the citizen owes in fairness to the community, and insures that all citizens have equal protection under the law, regardless of status or wealth.
D. The Christian Understanding of the State
954 The state is a form of organizing the life of a nation. Every people strive to preserve its identity through the creation of a state. As a political community, the state exists for the common good when, through its pertinent activities, it deepens, actualizes, and defends the moral values of a people. Such a state can successfully promote the development of every individual, if it does not neglect the fundamental social values of freedom, justice, and equality.
955 The state performs its functions through the mechanism of political rule. Governance is needed to coordinate the efforts of citizens in achieving the common good. One of the fundamental responsibilities of the state is to limit various manifestations of evil through due process of the law. In this respect, political governance is the moral force of society. State power, which resides supremely in the people, ought to promote the development of civil society and democratic institutions, as well as guarantee the freedom and rights of its citizens.
1. The Functions of State Rule
956 The aim of state rule lies in creating conditions for the harmonious development of individuals, social groups, and society as a whole. From this aim flows the sphere of activity of state rule in the areas of legislation, administration, and judicial procedure.
957 The Venerable Metropolitan Andrey taught that "The aim of governing authority is to service the social good, to preserve and protect the natural and truly authentic freedom of citizens, families, and community organizations." Representatives of state rule are bound by the moral mandates that society places before the government. Christians who hold political power are accountable not only to society and the law, but to God as well.
958 Among the primary functions of state authority are: defence against external aggression; maintenance of foreign policy; defence of constitutional order, defined by economic, civil, and criminal law; just state administration and a fair judiciary; and finally, concern for general welfare. A government is called to care for the common good, whose distinguishable characteristics are religious liberty, culture, education, and scholarship.
3. Moral Responsibility for the State
964 In accordance with Christian social teaching, every member of society has moral obligations towards the state. These obligations entail the performance of a citizen's civic duties. They also require the citizenry to reject the transformation of the state into an instrument in the hands of social groups of various kinds.
965 In a democratic system, all citizens are responsible for the welfare of all, both at the level of the local community, and of the region and country as a whole. Civic duties include: PARTICIPATING IN ELECTIONS, paying taxes, defending one's country against aggressors, abiding by the law, solidarity with others, and mutual respect among members of society. Christians who run for elected office or serve in government in other ways must not compromise their faith. Metropolitan Andrey states: "The more that citizens participate in government, the more it is necessary that these citizens be righteous, that is, that they possess a moral formation permeated with gospel principles."
966 A particular manifestation of self-interested abuse of state authority is corruption and bribery. These ruin the state and deform social relations. A state's level of corruption is sometimes an indication of the moral state of society as a whole, and of each individual member thereof. Both those who demand and accept bribes and those who offer and pay them perform a corrupt act.
967 Corruption is a dangerous phenomenon for society, and - from the Christian point of view - a sin. A government loses its purpose: it ceases to represent and defend its citizens, and instead becomes a menace to them. A Christian may not participate in corrupt acts, and should not remain silent when others commit them.
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Proposed Discussion points
How am I arranging to go vote at the upcoming elections (provincial, federal, parish council, League, Branch, etc.)?
What are the major issues? What are the "deal-breaker" issues for me as a follower of Christ and a member of His Church?
What do the candidates in my riding stand for on major and lesser issues?
What do the parties of my possible candidates stand for on the major issues?
How will I vote if it seems that no local candidate or no party has the major issues right?
If "choosing the lesser evil" (or the one that will likely do the least harm) seems to be the only option, how will I make an informed decision?
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There are several Catholic sites online that deal with some of these issues of being a true and active citizen and yet remaining faithful to the Lord and His Church. It is best to read a couple of the sites (some are better than others).
But also, and surely above all - PRAY for inspiration and guidance.
Sacred Scripture - i.e. the Bible - tells us a lot about courageously doing the right thing at all times for the right reasons. The Bible also stresses the importance of earnest prayer and gives inspiration about this - especially in the life of the Lord. One great example is when Jesus is about the choose (elect) the first leaders of His Church, the Apostles. Scripture tells us that He spent the whole night in prayer before making the announcement the following morning (cf. Luke 6:12 ff )
