faithful citizenship – Madison Catholic Herald Archive (2001-2025)

On April 2, there is a state-wide election in Wisconsin. Offices on the ballot are justice of the state Supreme Court, Court of Appeals judge (Districts 2, 3, and 4), and Circuit Court judge in several counties. There are also candidates for local offices.

State Supreme Court election

Perhaps one of the most important elections is one new justice for the state Supreme Court. This court is the highest appellate court in Wisconsin.

The court has seven justices, who are selected in nonpartisan elections for 10-year terms. The court has jurisdiction over all other Wisconsin courts and can also hear original actions.

With Supreme Court justices serving such a long term, voters should be vigilant to study where the candidates stand on the issues they value.

Responsibility to vote

As Catholics we have both a right and a responsibility to vote.

Even Pope Francis has encouraged people to be involved. “We need to participate for the common good. Sometimes we hear: a good Catholic is not interested in politics. This is not true: good Catholics immerse themselves in politics by offering the best of themselves so that the leader can govern,” the Holy Father said.

Editorial

On October 18, 2018February 15, 2022

Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Vote: Voting is both a right and a responsibility

Ever since I was old enough to vote, I have always voted in every election. I think of it as both a right and a responsibility.

On November 6, we will have a midterm election. These happen every four years near the midpoint of a president’s four-year term of office.

Editorial

On October 18, 2018February 15, 2022

Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Vote: Voting is both a right and a responsibility

Ever since I was old enough to vote, I have always voted in every election. I think of it as both a right and a responsibility.

On November 6, we will have a midterm election. These happen every four years near the midpoint of a president’s four-year term of office.

Word on Fire

On July 12, 2018

Bishop Robert Barron

Our bishops: the question behind the question

On the afternoon of June 14, a rather spirited, fascinating, and unexpected debate broke out on the floor of the USCCB spring meeting in Ft. Lauderdale. At issue was the possibility of reconsidering Faithful Citizenship, the 2007 statement of the U.S. bishops on the formation of conscience regarding matters political.

Editorial

On October 27, 2016February 15, 2022

Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Voting is our responsibility as faithful citizens

Four years ago, during the last presidential election, I wrote that living in a swing state isn’t much fun. We had been inundated with television advertising and campaign phone calls for many months.

Just as it was four years ago, this election season has also been a trying time for Wisconsinites, who find themselves bickering with relatives, friends, co-workers, and even church members over political candidates and issues. I’ve noticed people have even requested Facebook friends to stop posting information on politics.

Around the Diocese

On September 22, 2016

Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Voters urged not to sit on sidelines

MADISON — This election year, Catholics may find it difficult to choose candidates and be tempted not to vote.

However, failure to vote would not be in keeping with Catholic teaching, which emphasizes that faithful citizens should be involved in the political process.

That’s what Barbara Sella told those gathered recently at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Madison for her presentation, “Be Catholic First: Tools for Discerning as We Approach Election 2016.”

Sella is associate director for respect life and social concerns for the Wisconsin Catholic Conference (WCC), the public policy arm of the state’s Catholic bishops.

Role to play

Faithful citizens “cannot and must not remain on the sidelines,” she said in quoting Pope Francis. “We have an actual role to play in the politics of our nation.”

Sella said, “The Church emphasizes that our choices have to be grounded in moral principles, and we have to use our prudential judgment based on the values of our faith.

“Forming our conscience is the first step. But we have to form it in line with the teachings of the Church.”

The role of the Church itself is as a “teaching institution.” The bishops and priests teach the laity. “We are the doers,” Sella emphasized.

“The bishops and priests rely on the expertise of lay people.”

Key principles

This year, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is emphasizing four key principles in its materials on Faithful Citizenship (see www.faithfulcitizenship.org):

Editorial

On February 10, 2016February 15, 2022

Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Get involved in the election process

We’ve been inundated with presidential election news for many months, but most of the activity has been happening in other states.

Soon the election process will get underway in Wisconsin. In our state, the spring primary election will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 16. This primary is for nonpartisan state and local candidates.

The spring election and presidential preference vote (presidential primary) will be held on Tuesday, April 5.

Editorial

On September 4, 2014February 15, 2022

Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Shame on us! Few Wisconsin voters go to the polls for primary election

Shame on Wisconsin voters! Approximately 12.7 percent of eligible voters turned out for the August 12 partisan primary, according to results certified by the state’s Government Accountability Board (GAB).

There were 552,342 votes cast in primaries for governor, which is 12.7 percent of Wisconsin’s 2014 voting-age population of 4,348,307, according to Census estimates.

Before I proceed, I have to confess that I am one of those citizens who did not vote in the August 12 primary. I could plead that I was too busy: I worked all day and attended the Diocese of Madison’s Lumen Christi Society event that evening.

But that is really no excuse. I could have left work to vote or even stopped by the polling place between work and the evening event.

After the elections, the hard work begins

Struggling to figure out which candidates would do the most good and the least harm — especially to the poor and vulnerable — and then showing up to vote, was the easy part.

Now the hard work begins!

Letters to the editor

On October 25, 2012May 5, 2021

Jeff Davis

Church gives guidance on how to choose a candidate

To the editor:

For whom to vote????

As the level of negativity, untruths, and confusion escalates, it becomes harder and harder to choose the proper candidate for whom to vote. Some people lack a moral compass and others a moral authority to help them with their decision. We who are Catholic have the compelling moral authority of our Church to give us direction.

The guide on Faithful Citizenship was first drafted from the Catechism of the Catholic Church by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2000. Even though it is published every four years before our November elections, it is primarily meant to give us direction in forming our conscience on important issues.