As early voting begins, Catholics called to be faithful citizens in 2024

HOUSTON — With early voting of the 2024 fall election now underway in Texas, voters are closely examining and pondering pertinent social issues. Among those in the deciding electorate are the Catholic voters, who are called to follow their consciences as they participate in political life as faithful citizens.

What is faithful citizenship?

The introductory note of the U.S. bishop's document, "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility" explains that the Church is "a community of faith with a long tradition of teaching and action on human life and dignity, marriage and family, justice and peace, care for creation and the common good."

Pope Benedict XVI, in his encyclical letter Deus Caritas Est, emphasizes that "…charity must animate the entire lives of the lay faithful and therefore their political activity, lived as ‘social charity' (no. 29)."

The U.S. bishops teach that respect for the dignity of every person — which stems from the belief that all people are created in the image and likeness of God - is at the core of Catholic moral and social teaching. The U.S. bishops say the letter "lifts up our dual heritage as both faithful Catholics and American citizens with rights and duties as participants in the civil order."

What is the Church's role in politics?

The U.S. bishops address this question in their quadrennial document, "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship." The statement was developed to help people in the pews better understand their political responsibility not just at the polls come November, but also as they consider any number of social issues locally or nationally on any given day.

"Faithful Citizenship" traditionally has been released a year before a presidential election as a teaching document on the role of faith and conscience in political life. In October 2015, the bishops reissued their 2007 document but added a new introductory letter in 2023 explaining that the document reflects their teaching and their guidance for Catholics as they exercise their rights and duties under American democracy.

The bishops model this role of the Church through their formal teachings, testimonies before government bodies and general pronouncements, such as those issued recently over the recent Health and Human Services mandate and religious freedom. "

"How should I vote?"

The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston stands with the Catholic Church in the United States in strongly urging all parishioners to register, to become informed on key issues and to vote. The Church does not support or oppose any candidate, but seeks to focus attention on the moral and human dimensions of issues. 

In the introduction to "Faithful Citizenship," the bishops name six particular concerns for the Church: threats to the lives and dignity of others who are vulnerable, sick or unwanted; conscience threats to Catholic ministries in health care, education and social services; efforts to redefine marriage; an economic crisis that has increased national and global unemployment, poverty and hunger; failure to repair a broken immigration system; and moral questions raised by wars, terror and violence, particularly in the Holy Land and throughout the Middle East.

What voter materials and messages may be distributed at parishes?

In the document, "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship," the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops outlines important principles to be considered in voting: protecting human life, promoting family life, pursuing social justice and practicing global solidarity.
Teaching — during preaching at Mass or otherwise — which omits comprehensive reference to all these principles does a disservice to the Catholic bishops' efforts to fully inform the consciences of the faithful and may be viewed as selective and partisan. 

Priests in the Archdiocese are encouraged to be mindful that the goal of the Church to encourage Catholics to vote (while not endorsing specific candidates or political parties) cannot be achieved by fragmenting the message of "Faithful Citizenship."

The distribution of political literature (propaganda, endorsements of a political party or candidate, etc.) on parish property is prohibited in the Archdiocese. These publications are not proper for distribution on parish property, as they engage in partisan politics. 

The only voter education materials allowed for distribution at parishes are those produced by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops or the Archdiocese. Materials developed by parishioners or other groups are not authorized for distribution at parishes and are prohibited. 

To read the U.S. Bishops' document, "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship," click here.

— Catholic News Service contributed to this story.