Fortitude

Another great article found in Our Sunday Visitor (OSV). I hope you have the time to read it. It starts:

A while back I heard a homilist quote a cardinal who heads a major American archdiocese: “I will die in my bed, my successor will die in prison, and his successor will die a martyr in the public square.”
The homilist didn’t leave it at that. “The persecution of the Church in America isn’t coming,” he told the congregation grimly, “it’s already here.”
This is a man not much given to flamboyant rhetoric. His text was from St. Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy, with its exhortation to Christians to “bear your share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes from God” (2 Tm 1:8).
Bearing hardship for the Gospel is central to fortitude. American Catholics soon may be called to practice fortitude by bearing more of it than many suppose. 

Please go here to read the entire article.

These are trying times for Catholics. We must have the fortitude, will, and strength to defend our faith. There are times to be silent, there are times to turn the other cheek, and there are times, like now, to speak out and defend our faith. We cannot bury our heads in the sand.

What can you do? A lot. Speak up. If nothing else, contact your local, state and federal representatives. Get to know what is happening. Do not rely on the media – they are in the secularist/socialist camp. Join political action groups. Know the facts, so you can speak of the issues with you family, neighbors and friends.

Remember Cardinal George’s words: “I expect to die in bed, my successor will die in prison and his successor will die a martyr in the public square. His successor will pick up the shards of a ruined society and slowly help rebuild civilization, as the church has done so often in human history.” This may happen sooner than Cardinal George see it.

Sadly, there are many of us who decided to vote what we think would fatten our pocket books instead of our faith. Now we need to deal with the consequences. We cannot now stand idly by.

“I expect to die in bed, my successor will die in prison and his successor will die a martyr in the public square. His successor will pick up the shards of a ruined society and slowly help rebuild civilization, as the church has done so often in human history.”

The President's $8 Billion Coincidence

Voter’s Guide for Serious Catholics

This is the definitive guide for any Catholic who wants to cast a vote consistent with Catholic moral teaching. This voter’s guide identifies five issues involving non-negotiable moral values in current politics and helps you narrow down the list of acceptable candidates, whether they are running for national, state or local offices.

The Five Non-Negotiables are:

Abortion

Euthanasia

Embryonic Stem Cell Research

Human Cloning

Homosexual "Marriage"

You should avoid to the greatest extent possible voting for candidates who endorse or promote intrinsically evil policies. These five issues concern actions that are intrinsically evil and must never be promoted by the law.

Intrinsic evil refers to actions that are morally evil in such a way that is essentially opposed to the will of God or proper human fulfillment. The key consideration here is that intrinsically evil actions are judged to be so solely by their object, independently of the intention that inspires them or the circumstances that surround them (See the Catechism, Part Three, Section One, Chapter One, Article 4, n. 1756). In this sense, "intrinsic" does not convey the notion of a particularly heinous act (although all heinous acts are intrinsically evil), but that the act is wrong no matter what its circumstances.

Timothy Cardinal Dolan at the DNC

"wise as a serpent and gentle as a dove"

Many of us were disappointed, even scandalized, that Cardinal Dolan accepted the invitation to give the closing Benediction at the Democratic National Convention. I felt disappointment as well. But having listened to the Benediction I have changed my mind. Cardinal Dolan, to me, is a hero, and a good apostle, as he brought the truth to the party that revels in its anti-Catholic positions and strives to make this a godless country.

As blogger Russ Rentler put it so well:

For those who condemn the good Cardinal for being wishy-washy for agreeing to pray the benediction at the DNC, it would be wise to hear what he prayed. Yes, we should pray as if only our Lord is hearing our prayers, but I think the Cardinal was being "wise as a serpent and gentle as a dove" last night. He basically prayed against the two most important planks of the platform of the Democrats- abortion and same-sex marriage and let those who were listening know, once more, where the Catholic Church stands on these crucial issues of life.

Papal Letter to the Knights of Columbus "Plugs" Religions Freedom Efforts of U.S. Catholics

Pope Benedict encouraged the Knights of Columbus and indirectly all of us to continue our efforts for religious freedom. This is the responsibility of all of us. This is our time. Each generation has it challenges – religious freedom is now ours. Will you step up to the plate or let it pass with indifference? Following is the text of the message the Vatican sent to the Knights. The elections are just around the corner. Will you vote to defend the church, to stop this harassment of Catholics, to stop the trampling on and removal of our religious rights?

PAPAL LETTER TO KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

Via Zenit

[Emphasis added by me]

"concerted efforts are being made to redefine and restrict the exercise of the right to religious freedom"

VATICAN CITY, AUG. 3, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Here is the July 19 letter sent by Benedict XVI's secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, to Carl Anderson, supreme knight of the Knights of Columbus. The letter is on the occasion of the Knights' 130th Supreme Convention, which will be held next week, and deals with the matter of religious freedom.

* * *

Dear Mr. Anderson,

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI was pleased to learn that from 7 to 9 August 2012 the 130th Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus will be held in Anaheim, California. He has asked me to convey his warm greetings to all in attendance, together with the assurance of his closeness in prayer.

The theme of this year's Supreme Convention - Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land - evokes not only the great biblical ideals of freedom and justice which shaped the founding of the United States of America, but also the responsibility of each new generation to preserve, defend and advance those great ideals in its own day. At a time when concerted efforts are being made to redefine and restrict the exercise of the right to religious freedom, the Knights of Columbus have worked tirelessly to help the Catholic community recognize and respond to the unprecedented gravity of these new threats to the Church's liberty and public moral witness. By defending the right of all religious believers, as individual citizens and in their institutions, to work responsibly in shaping a democratic society inspired by their deepest beliefs, values and aspirations, your Order has proudly lived up to the high religious and patriotic principles which inspired its founding.

The challenges of the present moment are in fact yet another reminder of the decisive importance of the Catholic laity for the advancement of the Church's mission in today's rapidly changing social context. The Knights of Columbus, founded as a fraternal society committed to mutual assistance and fidelity to the Church, was a pioneer in the development of the modern lay apostolate. His Holiness is confident that the Supreme Convention will carry on this distinguished legacy by providing sound inspiration, guidance and direction to a new generation of faithful and dedicated Catholic laymen. As he stated to the Bishops of the United States earlier this year, the demands of the new evangelization and the defense of the Church's freedom in our day call for "an engaged, articulate and well-formed Catholic laity endowed with a strong critical sense vis-a-vis the dominant culture and with the courage to counter a reductive secularism which would delegitimize the Church's participation in public debate about the issues which are determining the future of American society" (Ad Limina Address, 19 January 2012).

Given this urgent need, the Holy Father encourages the Supreme Council, together with each of the local Councils, to reinforce the praiseworthy programs of continuing catechetical and spiritual formation which have long been a hallmark of your Order. Each Knight, in fidelity to his baptismal promises, is pledged to bear daily witness, however quiet and unassuming, to his faith in Christ, his love of the Church and his commitment to the spread of God's Kingdom in this world. The forthcoming inauguration of the Year of Faith, which commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, is meant to deepen this sense of ecclesial responsibility and mission in the entire People of God. His Holiness prays that the celebration of this Year of spiritual and apostolic renewal will inspire in the Knights an ever firmer resolve to profess their baptismal faith in its fullness, celebrate it more intensely in the liturgy, and make it manifest through the witness of their lives (cf. Porta Fidei, 9).

In a particular way, His Holiness wishes me to convey his profound personal gratitude for the spiritual bouquet of prayers and sacrifices which the Knights and their families have offered for his intentions throughout this year which marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of his episcopal ordination. He is pleased to see in this act of spiritual solidarity not only an outstanding testimony of love for the Successor of Saint Peter, who is "the perpetual and visible principle and foundation of the Church's unity in faith and her communion" (cf. Lumen Gentium, 18), but also a sign of especial fidelity, loyalty and support during these difficult times.

With these sentiments, the Holy Father commends the deliberations of the Supreme Convention to the loving intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church. To all the Knights and their families he cordially imparts his Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of joy and peace in the Lord.

Adding my own prayerful good wishes for the work of the Supreme Convention, I remain

Yours sincerely,

[Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone]

Video: We the People

Already 10.3 million views on YouTube. Great. You must share it.

Dr. Thomas Sowell Article & Tom's Observation

A friend sent me this article by Dr. Sowell. I have a great deal of respect for him, partially because of his great mind – surely, a blessing from God – and his fearlessness to speak the truth. Perhaps you know that any black man or woman who does not tow the line is ostracized, receives threats, and generally is given a very difficult time for others of their race.

Before the article, which is found below, I would like to add an observation/comment of my own, which I never got a chance to articulate before.

As a youth, my parents were Democrats. It was a time that most people in my neighborhood shared the same values. We were Catholic/Christian, predominantly Polish, Italian, Irish and German. Our precinct captain, ward committeeman, and mayor also reflected these values, and ethics.

As I grew into a young adult, I learned that this was no longer the case, neighborhoods became more mixed, we became a more mobile society, and relatives no longer lived near us but may have taken a job across the country. Now it is not a rarity that an atheist or Muslim might live next to me. This in itself is not bad, as I have found that diversity may make us stronger in many ways. But what happens is couples now meet mates of different faiths. To keep the relationship cohesive faith/religion is put aside and not even spoken of. Children grow up without a faith background. And they enter society without something to hold on to.

They are influenced more by our secular society than by their parents. As indicated in “Rediscover Catholicism by Matthew Kelly – which I strongly recommend – we are influenced by this culture’s materialism, individualism, minimalism, and hedonism. How long have we heard “If it feels good, do it?” The propaganda is intensive and it is blatant, as is the social engineering. You cannot watch a television program without a homosexual character, or couple. I gave up on sit-coms long ago as there is no more family programming. It is all sexual innuendo, and now not even innuendos, but blatant, at times disgusting acts or statements. There are no longer comedians who can tell great jokes; they all resort to four letter words and bodily functions. Then we have the media’s agenda. News? Forget it. It is all one sided, and simply radically liberal. Truth? Look elsewhere. I have now given up on all broadcast TV.

Liberals have taken over our schools. You have seen the recent recording of a teacher – an authority – who dismisses the freedom of speech and says you cannot say anything against the President. And this is not isolated, but pervasive. The indoctrination is overwhelming; all through the grades and through college, which are no longer for education, but for party time. Abstinence is not taught, but condoms are handed out freely. Sex is encouraged. There is no discipline. God has been kicked out of our schools. Parents are afraid. As I personally witnessed, through a friend, many children know they can complain about their parent’s discipline efforts to the school, and the parents – especially single parents – are afraid the children will be taken away from them.

Let me turn back to the Democratic Party. These good people discarded their values and ethics for money. Somewhere along the line the Democrats embraced abortion, homosexuality, and a host of other anti-Christian issues. There is no way I can be part of the party of my parents. Teachers used to be respected, now we know, most of them – I won’t cubby-hole all of them – are there for the buck, the pension and the perks. There was a time for unions. There still is in some ways. But they too gave up their values for the power of the dollar. Politicians learned the more government jobs they gave out, the more votes they would get. So we have so much redundancy, make-work, corruption, and useless entities that we can no longer afford them. And the cycle continues. The more pay, the more pension, the more perks, the more votes. And the government does not produce anything, yet, they are in every aspect of our lives; from toilet bowls to light bulbs. To support the teachers, unions, and government employees, taxes continually rise.

We have little hope; especially in Illinois where I live. There are more takers than there are producers. What if all the private enterprise left Illinois and left the takers to fend for themselves? Who is John Galt? (From “Atlas Shrugged” by Ayn Rand, if you are not familiar with the line. I don’t agree with her philosophy, but a very good book). I am at a point where I cannot afford to live in Illinois.

All these Democrats have thrown out their values and ethics. When was the last time you heard of a Democrat who is pro-life?

People of faith are now faced with the forces of evil infringing on our freedom of religion and freedom of conscience. It is now law that religious institutions must pay for contraception and abortifacients in their insurance plans, although it is morally reprehensive to them. The Catholic Archbishop for Military Services was censored in his letter to Catholic Chaplains concerning the HHS mandate. In Illinois the Catholic Church had to step away from adoptions, as the state mandated they would have to provide adoptions to homosexual couples. I believe the administration’s agenda is to silence and cripple the Catholic Church.

Let me leave with one more note on indoctrination. Because of the propaganda, acceptance of homosexuality has been increasing by one percent a year. Under the Obama administration is has been five percent a year, each year, in the last three years. Now, with Obama coming out of the closet, acceptance has jumped to 53% - you can see where the Democrats are towing the line. Now I am not a homophobe. A phobia is an unnatural fear of something, but homosexuality is by its nature unnatural. I love the sinner, but hate the sin, and we should not accept it, as we should not accept any sin; murder, abortion, pedophilia, to mention a few.

Now here is Dr. Sowell:

Occupy Wall Street - Essay--Excellent...

Tue, 22 May 2012

A great article! One of the most intellectual black human beings in this country hits it right on the head.

Occupy Wall Street

By Dr. Thomas Sowell

The current Occupy Wall Street movement is the best illustration to date of what President Barack Obama's America looks like. It is an America where the lawless, unaccomplished, ignorant and incompetent rule. It is an America where those who have sacrificed nothing pillage and destroy the lives of those who have sacrificed greatly.

It is an America where history is rewritten to honor dictators, murderers and thieves. It is an America where violence, racism, hatred, class warfare and of murder are all promoted as acceptable means of overturning the American civil society.

It is an America where humans have been degraded to the level of animals: of defecating in public, having sex in public, devoid of basic hygiene. It is an America where the basic tenets of a civil society, including faith, family, a free press and individual rights, have been always rejected. It is an America where our founding documents have been now shredded and, with them, every person's guaranteed liberties.

It is an America where, ultimately, great suffering will come to the American people, but the rulers like Obama, Michelle Obama, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, Joe Biden, Jesse Jackson, Louis Farrakhan, liberal college professors, union bosses and all other loyal liberal/Communist Party members will live in opulent splendor.

It is the America that Obama and the Democrat Party have now created with all the willing assistance of the Liberal media, Hollywood, unions, universities, the Communist Party of America, the Black Panthers and numerous anti-American foreign entities.

Barack Obama has brought more destruction upon this country in 3 years than any other event in the history of our nation, but it is just the beginning of what he and his comrades are capable of.

The Occupy Wall Street movement is just another step in their plan for the annihilation of America.

"Socialism, in general, has a record of failure that's so blatant that only an intellectual could ignore or evade it."

Dr. Thomas Sowell (A National Humanities Medal Winner)

The problems we face today are there because the people who work for a living are outnumbered by the people that vote. - AMERICANS BETTER WAKE UP BECAUSE IF OBAMA HAS A 2ND TERM, IT WILL BE ALL OVER FOR AMERICA. 

Religious Liberty

The Most Cherished of American Freedoms

Past and Present.

In 1634, a mix of Catholic and Protestant settlers arrived in Southern Maryland from England aboard the Ark and the Dove. They had come at the invitation of the Catholic Lord Baltimore, who had been granted the land by the Protestant King Charles I of England. While Catholics and Protestants were killing each other, in Europe, Lord Baltimore imagined Maryland as a society where people of different faiths could live together peacefully. This vision was soon codified in Maryland's 1649 act concerning religion (also called the “toleration act"), which was the first law in our nation’s history to protect an individual's right to freedom of conscience.

Maryland's early history teaches us that, like any freedom, religious liberty requires constant vigilance and protection, or it will disappear. Maryland's experiment and religious toleration ended within a few decades. The colony was placed under royal control and the Church of England became the established religion. Discriminatory laws, including the loss of political rights, were enacted against those who refused to conform. Catholic chapels were closed and Catholics were restricted to practicing their faith in their homes. The Catholic community lived under this coercion until the American Revolution.

By the end of the 18th century our nation's founders embraced freedom of religion as an essential condition of a free and democratic society. So when the Bill of Rights was ratified, religious freedom had the distinction of being the First Amendment. Religious liberty is indeed the first liberty.

This is our American heritage, our most cherished freedom. If we are not free in our conscience and our practice of religion, all other freedoms are fragile. If our obligations and duties to God are impeded, or even worse, contradicted by the government, then we can no longer claim to be a land of the free.

Is our most cherished freedom truly under threat? Among many current challenges, consider the recent Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate requiring almost all private health plans to cover contraception, sterilization and abortion inducing drugs. For the first time in our history, the federal government will force religious institutions to facilitate drugs and procedures contrary to our moral teaching, and purport to define which religious institutions are "religious enough" to merit an exemption. This is not a matter of whether contraception may be prohibited by the government. It is not even a matter of whether contraception may be supported by the government. It is a matter of whether religious people and institutions may be forced by the government to provide coverage for contraception and sterilization, even when it violates our religious beliefs.

To learn more about our first freedom and to send a message to HHS and Congress telling them the stand up for religious liberty, go to www.usccb.org/conscience.

5 Conversations/Goals for Catholic Activism

Thomas Peters of CatholicVoteAction.org posted 5 Conversations/Goals for Catholic Activism. I found it interesting and thought I would share it.

They are:

1. the responsibility to vote Catholic, and the responsibility of Catholic politicians to act Catholic in office.

2. the fact that being truly Catholic means holding and believing everything the Church teaches with authority.

3. the fact that the Church is an uncompromising defender of life, and that Catholics provide concrete support to women who are tempted to seek an abortion.

4. the fact that the Church is not anti-gay, that it loves persons with homosexual inclinations so much that it will not stand by as they ruin their lives and endanger their soul.

5. the importance of the family, that the family is the fundamental building block of society and that government must protect and provide for the traditional family.

Our Moral Responsibility as Catholic Citizens

From the Catholic Key Blog

Thursday, September 11, 2008

KC Bishops on Moral Responsibility, Voting

"Could a Catholic in good conscience vote for a candidate who supports legalized abortion when there is a choice of another candidate who does not support abortion or any other intrinsically evil policy?"

Kansas City, Kansas Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann and Kansas City - St. Joseph Bishop Robert W. Finn address that question and more in their Joint Pastoral dedicated on the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and released today:

Our Moral Responsibility as Catholic Citizens
Joint Pastoral Letter – September 8, 2008
Most Reverend Joseph F. Naumann, Archbishop of Kansas City in Kansas
Most Reverend Robert W. Finn, Bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph

Dear Friends in Christ,

With the approaching general election this November, we believe this to be an important moment for us to address together the responsibility of Catholics to be well informed and well formed voters.

Except for the election of our next President, the people of Northwestern Missouri and Northeastern Kansas will be choosing different candidates for different offices in our two dioceses. Yet the fundamental moral principles that should guide our choices as Catholic voters are the same.

For generations it has been the determination of Catholic Bishops not to endorse political candidates or parties. This approach was initiated by Archbishop John Carroll – the very first Catholic Bishop serving in the United States. It was long before there was an Internal Revenue Service Code, and had nothing to do with a desire to preserve tax-exempt status. Rather the Church in the United States realized early on that it must not tether the credibility of the Church to the uncertain future actions or statements of a particular politician or party. This understanding of the Church’s proper role in society was affirmed in the Second Vatican Council’s Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern Word: “The Church, by reason of her role and competence, is not identified with any political community nor bound by its ties to any political system. It is at once the sign and the safeguard of the transcendental dimension of the human person.”(Gaudium et Spes n.76)

A Right to Speak Out on Issues

At the same time, it is important to note that the Catholic Church in the United States has always cherished its right to speak to the moral issues confronting our nation. The Church has understood its responsibility in a democratic society to do its best to form properly the consciences of her members. In continuity with the long history of the efforts of American Bishops to assist Catholics with the proper formation of their consciences, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) this past November issued a statement: Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship. In that document our brother bishops took care to note: “This statement is intended to reflect and complement, not substitute for, the ongoing teachings of bishops in our own dioceses and states.”

It is in this context that we offer the following reflections to assist the Catholic people of Northwestern Missouri and Northeastern Kansas in forming their consciences in preparation for casting their votes this November.

Many Issues: Prudential Judgments

Every Catholic should be concerned about a wide range of issues. We believe in a consistent ethic that evaluates every issue through the prism of its impact on the life and dignity of the human person. Catholics should care about public policies that:
a) promote a just and lasting peace in the world,
b) protect our nation from terrorism and other security threats,
c) welcome and uphold the rights of immigrants,
d) enable health care to be accessible and affordable,
e) manifest a special concern for the poor by attending to their immediate needs and assisting them to gain economic independence,
f) protect the rights of parents to be the primary educators of their children,
g) create business and employment opportunities making it possible for individuals to be able to provide for their own material needs and the needs of their families,
h) reform the criminal justice system by providing better for the needs of the victims of crimes, protecting the innocent, administering justice fairly, striving to rehabilitate inmates, and eliminating the death penalty,
i) foster a proper stewardship of the earth that God has entrusted to our care.

This is by no means an exhaustive list.

While the above issues, as well as many others, have important moral dimensions, Catholics may and do disagree about the most effective public policies for responding to them. How these issues are best addressed and what particular candidates are best equipped to address them requires prudential judgments – defined as circumstances in which people can ethically reach different conclusions. Catholics have an obligation to study, reflect and pray over the relative merits of the different policy approaches proposed by candidates. Catholics have a special responsibility to be well informed regarding the guidance given by the Church pertaining to the moral dimensions of these matters. In the end, Catholics in good conscience can disagree in their judgments about many aspects of the best policies and the most effective candidates.

The Priority of Rejecting Intrinsic Evil

There are, however, some issues that always involve doing evil, such as legalized abortion, the promotion of same-sex unions and ‘marriages,’ repression of religious liberty, as well as public policies permitting euthanasia, racial discrimination or destructive human embryonic stem cell research. A properly formed conscience must give such issues priority even over other matters with important moral dimensions. To vote for a candidate who supports these intrinsic evils because he or she supports these evils is to participate in a grave moral evil. It can never be justified.

Even if we understand the moral dimensions of the full array of social issues and have correctly prioritized those involving intrinsic evils, we still must make prudential judgments in the selection of candidates. In an ideal situation, we may have a choice between two candidates who both oppose public policies that involve intrinsic evils. In such a case, we need to study their approach on all the other issues that involve the promotion of the dignity of the human person and prayerfully choose the best individual.

Limiting Grave Evil

In another circumstance, we may be confronted with a voting choice between two candidates who support abortion, though one may favor some limitations on it, or he or she may oppose public funding for abortion. In such cases, the appropriate judgment would be to select the candidate whose policies regarding this grave evil will do less harm. We have a responsibility to limit evil if it is not possible at the moment to eradicate it completely.

The same principle would be compelling to a conscientious voter who was confronted with two candidates who both supported same-sex unions, but one opposed abortion and destructive embryonic research while the other was permissive in these regards. The voter, who himself or herself opposed these policies, would have insufficient moral justification voting for the more permissive candidate. However, he or she might justify resorting to a write-in vote or abstaining from voting at all in this case, because of a conscientious objection.

In 2004 a group of United States Bishops, acting on behalf of the USCCB and requesting counsel about the responsibilities of Catholic politicians and voters, received a memo from the office of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI, which stated: “A Catholic would be guilty of formal cooperation in evil, and so unworthy to present himself for Holy Communion, if he were to deliberately vote for a candidate precisely because of the candidate’s permissive stand on abortion and/or euthanasia. When a Catholic does not share a candidate’s stand in favor of abortion and/or euthanasia, but votes for that candidate for other reasons, it is considered remote material cooperation, which can be permitted in the presence of proportionate reasons.”

Could a Catholic in good conscience vote for a candidate who supports legalized abortion when there is a choice of another candidate who does not support abortion or any other intrinsically evil policy? Could a voter’s preference for the candidate’s positions on the pursuit of peace, economic policies benefiting the poor, support for universal health care, a more just immigration policy, etc. overcome a candidate’s support for legalized abortion? In such a case, the Catholic voter must ask and answer the question: What could possibly be a proportionate reason for the more than 45 million children killed by abortion in the past 35 years? Personally, we cannot conceive of such a proportionate reason.

Time for Catholics to Exercise Moral Leadership

The number of Catholics and the percentage of Catholics in the United States have never been greater. There has never been a moment in our nation’s history when more Catholics served in elective office, presided in our courts or held other positions of power and authority. It would be wrong for us to use our numbers and influence to try to compel others to accept our religious and theological beliefs. However, it would be equally wrong for us to fail to be engaged in the greatest human rights struggle of our time, namely the need to protect the right to life of the weakest and most vulnerable.

We need committed Catholics in both major political parties to insist upon respect for the values they share with so many other people of faith and good will regarding the protection of the sanctity of human life, the upholding of the institution of marriage between a man and a woman as the foundation of family life, as well as the protection of religious liberty and conscience rights. It is particularly disturbing to witness the spectacle of Catholics in public life vocally upset with the Church for teaching what it has always taught on these moral issues for 2,000 years, but silent in objecting to the embrace, by either political party, of the cultural trends of the past few decades that are totally inconsistent with our nation’s history of defending the weakest and most vulnerable.

Thank you for taking time to consider these reflections on applying the moral principles that must guide our choices as voters. We are called to be faithful Catholics and loyal Americans. In fact, we can only be good citizens if we allow ourselves to be informed by the unchanging moral principles of our Catholic faith.