As Catholics, we believe that all people must faithfully follow what they know with a certain conscience to be just and right. One is obliged to have a well-formed conscience according to proper moral principles. Catholic social teaching provides the framework for the formation of one’s conscience on the basis of reason and faith thus setting the stage for us to act as “faithful citizens” as we cast our ballots in national and state elections.

“The Church's social teaching argues on the basis of reason and natural law, namely, on the basis of what is in accord with the nature of every human being. It recognizes that it is not the Church's responsibility to make this teaching prevail in political life. Rather, the Church wishes to help form consciences in political life and to stimulate greater insight into the authentic requirements of justice as well as greater readiness to act accordingly, even when this might involve conflict with situations of personal interest.” (Pope Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est, 28.)

Conscience is the capacity possessed by every human person to recognize the difference between right and wrong and evaluate actions in light of this knowledge. Catholic faith understands the conscience to be a gift from God, and we gladly acknowledge that this understanding of conscience is also affirmed by many other philosophical and religious traditions that rest on natural law.

To function properly, conscience requires formation and information. Conscience is not just a “gut feeling.” Formation of conscience involves the following for all people:

1.  An awareness of basic norms distinguishing right from wrong.
2. Sufficient factual knowledge about the various circumstances associated with actions that are presented as options.
3.  Prudential judgment about our actions in light of what our conscience knows.
4.  The recognition that a good end never justifies means that are not morally acceptable.

 
In addition to the four items cited above, the formation of one’s conscience in light of Catholic social teaching includes the following:

1.  An awareness and application of authoritative Catholic teachings about the morality of specific types of acts; and
2. Prayerful reflection to guide oneself to a conscientious decision.

“The consistent ethic of life” should be the “moral framework for principled Catholic engagement in political life and, rightly understood, neither treats all issues as morally equivalent nor reduces Catholic teaching to one or two issues.” (Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, 40.)

Catholics, like other citizens, have a serious moral obligation to vote and to use a well formed conscience to evaluate policy positions and candidates' actions and promises in light of the Gospel and Catholic social teaching.

Recognizing the vocation of the lay faithful as shapers of public policy and the autonomy of the political realm, Catholic clergy—bishops, priests, and deacons—have an equally serious obligation to speak clearly about moral issues that have a public dimension. Pluralism, which is an indispensable aspect of American society, is best preserved when all voices, including those informed by faith, are heard with respect and openness.

No. With respect to some public policy issues, faithful Catholics will adopt a variety of positions as they sincerely exercise their prudential judgment. For example, Catholics may have legitimately different approaches to health care, strategies for fostering economic justice, and ways of ending war.

There are some acts that Catholics and other people of good will reject as always wrong. Catholics, using reason supported by faith, believe that abortion, euthanasia, human embryonic stem cell research, and murder are “intrinsically evil;” that is, evil in themselves under all circumstances. Intrinsically evil acts are never justified even by appealing to a so-called greater good, such as "ending suffering" or finding a cure for the disease of another human person. Similarly, Catholic social teaching (the just war theory) states that warfare which accepts the direct and intentional killing of innocent civilians is always seriously wrong.

A Catholic should never perform or support an intrinsically evil act and rely on conscience to justify it. In such instances, either one’s conscience is not fully informed in light of the Gospel and Church teaching (and one is obliged to have an informed conscience), or one acts against what one’s conscience knows to be true.

“No circumstance, no purpose, no law whatsoever can ever make licit an act which is intrinsically illicit, since it is contrary to the law of God which is written in every human heart, knowable by reason itself, and proclaimed by the Church.” (Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, 62.)

In preparing to vote, one ought to recognize that some candidates advance proposals that fail to mirror the commitment of the Church to the protection of all human life. In many cases, these same candidates advance other policies and proposals that one can support in light of Church teaching. This frequent mixture of laudable and unacceptable positions causes great perplexity.

Catholics should never "choose to do the lesser evil." Rather, when it comes to choosing between two morally good acts each having evil effects, one may choose that act which has the lesser evil effect. To put it another way, it is sometimes morally acceptable to tolerate evil, but never acceptable actually to perform or will the evil.

When candidates support or tolerate policies that include intrinsically evil acts, a Catholic must carefully assess the situation and decide which candidate will produce the least harm to innocent human life if elected. A Catholic should never share in the intention of a candidate to pursue policies that are intrinsically evil.

In order to sustain a healthy democracy, all citizens have a moral obligation to vote. Deciding not to vote therefore is an unacceptable solution, even to this difficult situation.

First, recall the sacredness of all human life and the dignity of the human person. All moral decision-making must be informed and guided by these fundamental values.

Second, acknowledge that not all issues are of equal importance or urgency. A commitment to basic human values—rather than self-interest or past political loyalties—should always guide one's vote.

Third, remember that we believe in absolute moral norms that can never be violated for any reason. The most relevant of these absolute norms is the prohibition against the deliberate destruction of innocent human life.

Fourth, all people are called to live holy and upright lives. Our conscientious political decisions contribute to—or impede—our movement toward genuine holiness of life and the good of our society.

The United States bishops have highlighted seven key themes for voters in 2008:

1. The Right to Life and the Dignity of the Human Person: Human life is sacred. Direct attacks on innocent human beings are never morally acceptable. Within our society, life is under direct attack from abortion, euthanasia, human cloning, and destruction of human embryos for research. These intrinsic evils must always be opposed. This teaching also compels us as Catholics to oppose genocide, torture, unjust war, and the unnecessary use of the death penalty, as well as to pursue peace and help overcome poverty, racism, and other conditions that demean human life.
2. Call to Family, Community, and Participation: The family, based on marriage between a man and a woman, is the fundamental unit of society. Supporting families should be a priority for economic and social policies. How our society is organized—in economics and politics, in law and public policy—affects the well-being of individuals and of society. Every person and association has a right and duty to participate in shaping society to promote the well-being of individuals and the common good.
3. Rights and Responsibilities: Every human being has a right to life, the fundamental right that makes all other rights possible. Each of us has a right to religious freedom, which enables us to live and act in accord with our God-given dignity, as well as a right to access to those things required for human decency—food and shelter, education and employment, health care and housing. Corresponding to these rights are duties and responsibilities—to one another, to our families, and to the larger society.
4. Option for the Poor and Vulnerable: While the common good embraces all, those who are in greatest need deserve preferential concern. A moral test for society is how we treat the weakest among us—the unborn, those dealing with disabilities or terminal illness, the poor and marginalized.
5. Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers: Economic justice calls for decent work at fair, living wages, opportunities for legal status for immigrant workers, and the opportunity for all people to work together for the common good through their work, ownership, enterprise, investment, participation in unions, and other forms of economic activity.
6. Solidarity: We are one human family, whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences. Our Catholic commitment to solidarity requires that we pursue justice, eliminate racism, end human trafficking, protect human rights, seek peace, and avoid the use of force except as a necessary last resort.
7. Caring for God’s Creation: Care for the earth is a duty of our Catholic faith. We all are called to be careful stewards of God’s creation and to ensure a safe and hospitable environment for vulnerable human beings now and in the future.

Look for the following resources on the Internet:

Additional and up-to-date information about public policy issues, including questions that voters can ask candidates for public office, on the Diocese of Manchester Web site at http://www.catholicnh.org/public-issues/.

The Challenge of Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship - this brief document is a summary of the United States bishops’ reflection Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship. It complements the teaching of bishops in dioceses and states. http://www.usccb.org/bishops/FCBullInsert.pdf .

Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility from the Catholic Bishops of the United States - includes a reflection on the principles that shape Catholic participation in public life, a summary of key policy issues to which the bishops have applied the principles, and a set of goals for political life for use when considering public policy decisions and framing questions for candidates. http://www.usccb.org/bishops/FCStatement.pdf.

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The following document is published by St. Anthony Messenger Press at www.AmericanCatholic.org with permission of the Diocese of Manchester, N.H. The original document in text and PDF format can be found at the public affairs area of the Diocese of Manchester, N.H., Web site (http://www.catholicnh.org/public-issues/public-policy/faithful-citizenship/
conscience-and-your-vote/).