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Catholics and Politics

Politicians exist to promote the common good. They vote according to their conscience to improve the welfare of their people.

For Catholic politicians the formation of their conscience requires them to be enlightened about the truth and God’s plan, and to understand the essence of the Moral Law in relation to such important matters as:

· Abortion

· Euthanasia

· The Rights of Human Embryos

· Family and Marriage

· The Protection of Minors

· Modern forms of Slavery such as Drug Abuse and Prostitution

· The Freedom of Parents in the Education of their Children

· The Right to Religious Freedom

· The Development of an Economy that is at the service of the human person or the common good

· Peace (‘which is always the work of justice and the effect of charity’) and which demands the absolute and radical rejection of

· Violence and Terrorism

This means that:

· they should not confuse the truth with vague subjective feelings, or with personal opinion or a current media/lobby pressure to vote in a particular way.

· a political commitment to a single isolated aspect of the Church’s social doctrine does not exhaust one’s responsibility to the common good.

· there is a clear obligation to oppose any law which attacks human life.

· their religious commitment should not be seen as constraining them in their choice from a wide range of political strategies and actions in the business of politics. Catholics are members of many political parties with differing approaches to the pursuit of the common good. However, it should support them in identifying and opposing policies which compromise and undermine their ethical values.

· they should be aware of the significant and powerful contribution their enlightened views can make to the common good.

· they should never be concerned about those who criticise them for following their convictions as increasingly they see intolerance being shown to the views that they hold.

Politicians are, however, accountable in their political lives to the electorate and must respond accordingly while in pursuit of the common good. Clearly it would not be in any politician’s interests to disregard their voters. Yet, there are occasions when there could be a clash between the politician’s principles and a strong constituency or national opinion poll.

Would a full paid up member of CND vote in favour, as a politician, if there was strong electoral pressure to support new nuclear weapons? Would a democratically-inclined politician vote for more ‘air-time’ for the BNP? Would an anti-hanging MP support a Bill to bring back hanging if there was clear voter support for it?

The same argument must surely apply also then in the context of a politician’s informed conscience when it comes to the Moral Law. There is a duty here for a Catholic Politician to vote according to his or her conscience

Finally, politicians stand for and receive their support and strength from political parties. They are able to support their parties on a range of policies, occasionally sublimating their instincts on a particular issue to avoid party disunity and for the good of the party. This is the nature of party politics as they work for the common good. When occasion demands it however, their higher calling is to the Moral Law.

Conscience and Politics