Proclaim the good news this election cycle

When I mention to other Catholics that I will not be voting for either the Republican or Democratic candidate for President of the United States on November 5, the most common reaction I receive is shock.

Finally, as the head of one of the largest Catholic publishing houses in the United States, I should know (so they say) that the Catholic Church teaches that we must vote for one of the two major party candidates. Otherwise, the argument goes, we are neglecting our duty to participate in the political life of our country.

The last part of her answer is true: The Church teaches that Christians have a duty to participate in the political life of their country – or more precisely, their society – because our duty goes far beyond the national level and beyond elections. also on state and local political structures.

But this duty does not require that we vote in every single election in every single race, let alone that we vote for the “lesser of two evils” in those races in which both major party candidates represent policies opposed to the The Catholic Church differs from the moral and social teachings of the USA. There is nothing divine about the American electoral process or its dominance by two political parties.

“Man is a political animal,” as Aristotle writes, but Aristotle’s understanding of politics—and that of the church—is much broader than the quadrennial vote. We are all called to participate in society in ways that promote the common good. For Catholics, this means both promoting the truth of the Church’s moral and social teachings and not giving in quietly when an elected official – or our preferred candidate or political party – chooses to ignore or reject the Church’s teachings.

The practical implications of voting in a presidential election are vastly overstated. In virtually every state, in every presidential election over the last 236 years, the likelihood that your particular vote would have made a difference in the outcome of the race has been infinitesimal.

But what can make a difference — not necessarily to the outcome of a presidential election, but to the shape of society in the long run — is talking to people about where each candidate stands on issues that touch on the church’s moral and social teaching . Not everyone has a medium like this column to reach people, but we all have spouses, children or other relatives, friends, colleagues and acquaintances who spend a significant amount of time every four years discussing the presidential election.

If the topic comes up, be honest and open – and calm. You don’t have to attack a candidate to explain why the policies they propose or the actions their government takes are inconsistent with Catholic teaching. Explain why you find it difficult to vote for one or both candidates because they differ from the truths that the Church represents. Talk about how much better our society would be if our political leaders used these truths for the greater good.

Ask the person you are speaking to what they think we could do to overcome our society’s obsession with partisanship and national politics. Brainstorm together about how we can focus on the things we can actually change closer to home – in our state capital or, better yet, in our hometown – to start building a more virtuous and just society – The only way you can build it: from the ground up.

Most importantly, approach discussions about politics and participation in political life at all levels without cynicism, anger or despair. Don’t shout “Doom, doom!”; Be hopeful. No matter how bleak this world may seem at times, we know how its story ends. Christ has already defeated evil; Because he has done this, we can proclaim the good news that the fate of humanity does not depend on another middlingly important election.

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