Vocationem ad Suffragium part 2

In Forming Consciences for Faithful in Citizenship, the bishops address the four principles of Catholic Social Teaching, which serve as “primary and fundamental parameters of reference for interpreting and evaluating social phenomena (Evangelii Gaudium, 221).” These principles form the moral framework to properly forming our consciousnesses and making informed choices in the social sphere.

1. Dignity of the Human Person. Life is sacred and must be preserved. It does not always look like opposing violence (though it does include that); it includes opposing euthanasia (“death with dignity”), abortion (“choice”), in vitro fertilization, racism, human trafficking, and poverty. War is a step of absolute last resort, done to save human lives. Every single person is made in the image of God and deserves life.

2. Subsidiarity. As Forming Consciences for Faithful in Citizenship says, “The human person is not only sacred but also social. Full human development takes place in relationship with others (46).” Showing dignity for a person is more than “all lives matter” platitudes; it includes concern for the person’s families, groups, associations and “for that aggregate of economic, social, cultural, sports-oriented, recreational, professional and political expressions to which people spontaneously give life and which make it possible for them to achieve effective social growth (45).” A human does not exist in a vacuum and concern for her familial bonds and social environment which allow her to be her best person is necessary for giving her true dignity of life.

3. The common good. The common good is “the sum total of social conditions which allow people, either as groups or as individuals, to reach their fulfilment more fully and more easily (Gaudium et Spes, 26).” The common good includes a person’s rights to life, food, shelter, education, employment, healthcare, family, and freedom of religion. In exchange, each person has duties to support the common good, such as feeding the hungry, protecting workers’ rights, and caring for creation.

4. Solidary. “We are one human family, whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences. We are our brothers' and sisters' keepers, wherever they may be (Forming Consciences for Faithful in Citizenship, 52).” While respecting our cultural, ethnic, or social differences, we first and foremost must see each other as equal in dignity and together in the goal of the common good. Solidarity calls us to promote peace and pursue justice. Solidarity also emphasizes the Church’s (and Jesus’) preferential option for the poor—what helps the weak, vulnerable, and needy must be prioritized.

While the bishops lay these principles out in Forming Consciences for Faithful in Citizenship, they should be applied more broadly than in the voting booth. Are we respecting all life, at every stage, in every condition? Are we actively participating in shaping a society that supports the well-being for everyone? Are we making choices which reflect care for workers and care for the earth? Are we doing charity directed toward the poor, sick, or needy? Our politics should reflect our larger moral framework, rooted in charity and justice.