F
AITHFUL CITIZENSHIP
SERIES - 7
"At all times and in all places, the Church
should have the true freedom to teach the faith, to proclaim its teaching about
society, to carry out its task among men without hindrance, and to pass moral
judgment even in matters relating to politics, whenever the fundamental rights
of man or the salvation of souls requires it"
(Second Vatican Council: Constitution on the Church in the Modern World,
n. 76).
"
Within the
whole network of issues about life, the first priority has to be the right of
each individual at every stage simply to exist at all, to be inviolable, to be
free from direct attacks. So the church has said that issues that involve direct
attacks on innocent human life are primary."
Richard Doerflinger, Deputy Director of the Secretariat for
Pro-Life Activities, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
"I consider the
right to vote as essential in a democracy. If people neglect that basic right,
it borders on the sinful, because we have to take part in our democratic
process. If we are fortunate enough to have it we have to take part in it."
Archbishop John Foley, President of the Pontifical Council
for Social Communications, Vatican City
"
Voting is a right and as well as a
duty but it is also essential to be informed and to vote as your heart and your
conscience tell you. A mentality of "anything goes" or "what ever I want to do
is my right" is not a correct mentality and government has the obligation to
help people understand rights and responsibilities. A Catholic or anyone with a
well formed conscience, a well formed understanding of right and wrong; good and
evil can
never vote for a political program or law "which
contradicts the fundamental contents of faith and morals".
Cardinal Renato Martino, President of the Pontifical Council
for Justice and Peace, Vatican City
"
Every man has the obligation to vote, because
by voting he can determine who will be tomorrow's law-maker, who will make
tomorrow's laws either to be unjust and perverse, or to promote human values.
Any law which permits one to act against the untouchable, intangible good of the
human person --- such as a law favoring abortion -- is an unjust and perverse
law. God asks – God Himself asks --that every man, every Christian, make his
contribution by voting."
Bishop Karl Romer, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for
the Family, Vatican City
"The destruction of a human being at the very
beginning of his or her life, is the destruction of an innocent person. It is
the interruption of a life which has as much value as does each one of our
lives. Without respect for life, without respect for the family, society simply
does not exist."
Bishop Elio Sgreccia, Vice-President of the Pontifical
Academy for Life, Vatican City
Bulletin Inserts on Political
Responsibility
