Catholic Trends
June Catholic Trends

As the legislature continues to negotiate over the plethora of issues facing them, we take this time to turn our reflection to the U.S. Bishops document "Faithful Citizenship: Civic Responsibility for a New Millennium."

The year 2000 marks a great spiritual milestone and offers an important civic challenge. For Christians, this year represents the coming of the Great Jubilee, marking the 2000th anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ. For Minnesotans this year brings elections of the leaders of our state and federal government.

For Catholics, these two events bring special responsibilities and opportunities. This is a time to bring together the guidance of the Gospel and the opportunities of our elections to shape a society more respectful of human life and dignity, and more committed to justice and peace. This is also a chance to hold our lawmakers accountable for decisions made in these final days of session.

Throughout the issues of Faith in the Public Arena we have endeavored to communicate to you the reader, the fundamental principles of Catholic Social Teaching which we bring in our lobbying, to the legislature. These include: Life and Dignity of the Human Person, Call to Family, Community and Participation, Rights and Responsibilities, Preferential Option for the Poor and Vulnerable, Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers, Solidarity, and Care for God’s Creation.

The Bishop’s urge us as Catholics to examine and discuss these fundamental principles with the candidates for public office. One way we can do this is to hold or attend the public forums for candidates and ask questions such as: 1) How will we protect the weakest in our midst-innocent, unborn children? 2) How will we overcome the scandal of a quarter of our preschoolers living in poverty in the richest nation on earth? 3) How will we as a state address the problems facing rural communities and small to medium sized farms? 4) How can our nation or state help parents raise their children with respect for life, sound moral values, a sense of hope and an ethic of stewardship and responsibility? 5) How can society better support families in their moral roles and responsibilities offering them real choices and financial resources to obtain quality education and decent housing?

These are just a couple of questions that you can ask of our elected officials, to hold them accountable for their decisions and votes.

The role of the Church in the political order includes educating members about Catholic Social Teaching, highlighting the moral dimensions of the public policies, and participating in debate on matters affecting the common good. This participation of the church enriches the political process and affirms genuine pluralism.

We are convinced that a consistent ethic of life should be the moral framework from which to address all issues in the political arena. We urge you to see beyond party politics, to analyze campaign rhetoric critically, and to choose the political leaders according to principle, not simply party affiliation or self-interest. You can hold the elected officials accountable for the decisions they make in the final days of this year’s legislative session.

As Catholics we need to share our values, raise our voices, and use our votes to shape a society that protects human life, promotes family life, pursues social justice, and practices solidarity. These efforts will strengthen our nation and renew our church.

In the coming weeks we will highlight the decisions made during the final days of the legislature. Use this information to reflect upon, and then ask questions of your elected officials. We have the ability to start steering the course of the new millennium with the upcoming elections, let our voices be heard.