It's Monday, so now that the yawns of the new week are out of the way, here's what's coming up in the CS&T on Thursday.
The voter's guide that we had planned to publish on Oct. 23 has been moved up by a week, to give voters a chance to read and digest the candidates' stands on issues near and dear to Cathoics and, hopefully, all people of good will. Before flipping the pages to get to the good stuff in the middle of the paper, go no further than page 2 for a few minutes. There's you'll find a statement from the Catholic Bishops of Pennsylvania.
They explain a few things, such as how there are many moral issues such poverty, war, immigration, care of creation and others. But there is one issue that leads them all and must be the primary consideration: protection of innocent human life and rejection of any policy that would threaten the right to life for everyone, from womb to tomb. It must be considered first and foremost. On the other hand, it cannot be the only consideration for voters.
Yes, this is a nuance. What it means is, every Catholic must put on his or her own thinking cap, read, understand and live out the social teaching of the Church especially with regard to the ultimate issue of justice -- the right to life. Then we each must weigh how (or if) the candidates address these teachings. Putting all that together and taking it to prayer, we can then enter the voting booth with a well-formed conscience. It enables us to cast a vote in the most responsible way possible.
It not only means we don't have to rely on being told how to vote -- the Bishops aren't going to do that in this or any election -- but also that we can better handle the moral challenges we face every day.
It's not easy. But then what aspect of living the Christian life in a challenging world is? As the election approaches, here's a way to pray for peace, justice and life: the novena for Faithful Citizenship.
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