By Barb Arland-Fye
Editorial
Less than two weeks before Election Day on Nov. 5, a Catholic in our diocese raises this question: “Is it a sin not to vote?” Her question dovetails with a question someone asked Pope Francis during an in-flight press conference on his return home from Southeast Asia about voting in the U.S. election. In part, he responded that both candidates (in the two major political parties) are against life. Just as important, however, he said people should vote. Choose the lesser evil … everyone should exercise their consciences and vote.
America magazine opines that “In telling American Catholics to vote according to their conscience, Pope Francis is not abandoning his supposed duty to make a moral judgment but rather is calling them to a deeper engagement with the moral challenges of this election” (America, November 2024).
Retired Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn, New York addresses the same difficult topic of “Forming your conscience going into the 2024 election” in a column that appears on the OSV News website (Oct. 18, 2024). Referencing the pope’s advice to choose the lesser evil, Bishop DiMarzio asks rhetorically, “Is there a gradation in evil?” He continues, “Yes, but when it comes to life issues, that is very difficult to distinguish. Are some migrants condemned to death by being expelled from the United States? Certainly, it is possible. However, are all aborted fetuses condemned to death? That is more certain.”
The bishop notes, “There are many other issues that need to be considered in the decision to vote for a particular candidate but, unfortunately, today, in our political system, we usually wind up voting against someone and not for them. Our choices are severely limited by those who present themselves for elected office.”
Bishop DiMarzio chaired the U.S. bishops’ conference committee that drafted “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” an excellent document that goes a long way in helping us reflect on how we go about forming our consciences in choosing our elected leaders.
This process requires prayer, Scripture reading and reflection, studying Catholic Social Teaching and applying that teaching to the platform priorities of each major political party and the stated priorities of our candidates for political office. We ought to consult unbiased sources for information, such as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Iowa Catholic Conference (ICC).
For starters, read “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship” on the USCCB’s website (https://tinyurl.com/mr2t9wh9) and its “Civilize It” campaign (usccb.org/civilizeit) for guidance on how to approach our responsibility all year long.
Then visit the ICC website (iowacatholicconference.org) and click on the “Issues” hyperlink (iowacatholicconference.org/issues-2) to view and read about the issues of concern to our state’s bishops: marriage and family, religious liberty, Catholic education, racism, care for Creation and restorative justice.
Next, make sure you are ready to vote by visiting the Iowa Secretary of State’s Voter Ready website (voterready.iowa.gov). The website provides ample and good information on topics ranging from in-person and mail-in absentee voting to what you need to bring when voting in person. Voters must provide one of the following forms of identification: Iowa Driver’s License (not expired more than 90 days), Iowa Non-Operator ID (not expired more than 90 days), U.S. Passport (not expired), U.S. Military ID or Veteran ID (not expired), Iowa Voter Identification Card (signed) or Tribal ID card/document (signed, with photo, not expired).
Our responsibility as faithful citizens in these anxiety-provoking times underscores the need to practice courage and compassion in our commitment to proclaim the timeless principles of our faith, “the infinite worth and dignity of every human life, the common good, solidarity, and subsidiarity” (Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship).
We encourage the reader who asked whether it’s a sin not to vote to embark on the journey of Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship before making that decision.
Barb Arland-Fye, Editor
(arland-fye@davenportdiocese.org)
