Responsibilities as faithful citizens
However, despite how exasperating this time can be, it also underlines our responsibilities as faithful citizens. Every vote will be extremely important.
First and foremost, it means that we need to educate ourselves on the candidates and the issues. It means watching the debates carefully and reading trusted print and Web materials.
It also means studying what the Catholic Church is saying about the issues involved, especially the Faithful Citizenship materials prepared at the state and national levels. The Catholic Herald has published a five-part voter education series produced by the Wisconsin Catholic Conference (also available at www.wisconsincatholic.org).
As our bishops have told us, “The Church equips its members to address political and social questions by helping them to develop a well-formed conscience. Catholics have a serious and lifelong obligation to form their consciences in accord with human reason and the teaching of the Church” (Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship).
Pray for guidance
We should also pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit. One suggestion is to use the nine-day “Novena for Faithful Citizenship” found on the bishops’ website (www.usccb.org under the Prayer and Worship tab).
Above all, we should vote: by early voting, by absentee ballot, or by going to the polls on November 8. Although I’ve heard that 40 percent of Americans have already voted, I admit that I like going to the polls on election day. Hopefully people will act in a respectful manner at the polls this year.
May God bless our swing state and our nation!