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Archdiocese of Miami
Vote as faith-filled, faithful citizens
Archbishop Thomas Wenski
The following letter from Archbishop Thomas Wenski was to be published in all parish bulletins the weekend of Oct. 13-14.
October 3, 2012
Dear faithful in Christ:
As we approach a very important general election, I remind those of you who are citizens of this great nation and eligible to vote that voting is not only your right; it is your duty, As scriptures teach us, we are our brother's keeper, and voting responsibly is one way to promote the common good of our brethren in society.
The welfare and future of our nation's communities depend on the people we entrust with public responsibilities. No bishop or priest will tell you for whom to vote - however, as your pastors we do legitimately try to guide our people through the maze of complex moral issues that underline the public policy positions espoused by the different candidates and their party platforms.
For this reason, we make available to you the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops Questionnaire which details where candidates stand on important issues that may come before them. At the same time, while we are not taking a position on the other amendment initiatives, we strongly urge you to support both amendment 6 (Yes) which will enable the legislature to restore rights of parents and prohibit public funding of abortion, and amendment 8 (yes) on Religious Liberty that would protect faith-based groups' freedom to serve in our State. Besides what is available through your parish bulletin, additional information can be accessed on both the Archdiocese of Miami's website, and the Florida Catholic Conference website. www.FLACCB.org
While some may resent this particular exercise of our teaching ministry, I would hope that most Catholics of good will welcome these interventions. All of us need help in making difficult decisions. As Catholics we have good counsel in our Church teachings on our civic responsibility to pursue the common good, as well as in prayer. These are important elements that help one arrive at the best prudential decision.
Our system of checks and balances built into our governing structures by our founding fathers reflected an understanding of the human person founded in our Judo-Christian tradition.
And whether as citizens or as elected officials, if we are to be faithful to the truth about the human person, we must oppose uncompromisingly policies and laws that undermine the common good precisely because they originate in a defective understanding of the human person.
For this reason, the Church -clergy and laity- while agreeing to disagree on other matters of prudential judgment cannot but oppose the evils of abortion, euthanasia, fetal stem cell research, human cloning and so called same sex "marriage." In these areas, there can be no other legitimate Catholic position.
Beyond these fundamental issues, and closely related to them, is the issue of religious liberty which must be defended from current attempts to undermine it by limiting people of faith's freedom to serve in ways congruent to their faith and morals.
As Catholics, we best contribute to our democratic process by voting as faith filled and faithful citizens; that is, in a way coherent to our Catholic beliefs and teachings. Whether you can vote or not, I ask you to pray; and if you are eligible to vote, then I ask you to do so with an informed conscience.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Thomas Wenski
Archbishop of Miami
Source: http://www.miamiarch.org/ip.asp?op=Article_12104155042573
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