Discern, pray and vote using Gospel, Catholic Social Teaching as guides, local leaders say

HOUSTON — Faithful Catholics need to vote in the upcoming Nov. 5 election, reviewing candidates’ entire qualifications, not only polarizing issues, urged religious and Catholic Charities officials in a recent webinar. The virtual event “Faithful Citizenship: Discernment and Preparation,” facilitated by Cynthia Colbert, president of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese, on Sept. 25, included insights from Sister Maureen O’Connell, O.P., Archdiocesan Secretariat of Social Concerns, and Sister Norma Pimentel, MJ, president of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Brownsville. 

“Don’t get caught up in a single issue. You can’t just focus on one thing,” Sister O’Connell said, citing the importance of using the guidance of Catholic Social Teaching principles. 

Sister Pimentel agreed, “Look at the person as a whole. Pray for who would do more good for the country.” 

Colbert said, “We don’t tell people how to vote, but how do we use our Catholic social values to form our conscience?” 

Actions must echo Catholic Social Teaching for the common good, Sister O’Connell reiterated. Those include seven principles — respect for the human person foremost along with promotion of the family, the individual’s right to own property, subsidiarity (local authority decision-making), the dignity of work and workers, and pursuit of peace and care for the poor. 

“Jesus gave us the best example with the Gospel of the Good Samaritan about the man on the road who was attacked. Who was the one who helped him — who sees him as a human person, not invisible as society sometimes treats the homeless or the immigrant?” Sister O’Connell said. 

Sister Pimentel, recognized by Pope Francis for her exhaustive work helping to feed and house the immigrants along the border and in Brownsville, said, “We deal with immigrants who have been through so much suffering. We give them back their dignity and remind them that they are all children of God.”  

She added, “We must live our faith as a good Samaritan every day.” 

The responsibility to vote is as important as putting food on the table for your family and having a home for them, the officials said. 

Learn more

• To watch a replay of the webinar, click here.
• To learn more about Faithful Citizenship, click here.
• The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops shares these resources for civic public engagement.