Our Call as Catholic Citizens - Part II

by Fr. Don Kline, V.F.  |  06/28/2026  |  Letter from the Pastor

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Every Catholic has a part to play in the public square. Lay Catholics have the task of infusing the secular order with Christian values through civic responsibilities, including political participation. The pope, bishops, priests, deacons and religious are to faithfully hand on moral and social teaching so Catholics can form their conscience.

Together, the Church and Her members are to participate in the political process in meaningful ways to promote truth and justice in accord with God and His commandments. This is why voting in elections is a real obligation of Christian citizenship. Catholics should treat voting and other civic participation as part of their Christian service to others.

For the lay faithful, political involvement is a worthy and demanding expression of the Christian commitment of service to others. This means that the heart of a disciple of Our Lord Jesus seeks the common good of others in a spirit of service. A disciple of Jesus and a responsible Christian seeks the development of justice with particular attention to situations of poverty and suffering. This means that the Church affirms the legitimacy and importance of participation and citizens are to contribute to the common good by voting in elections for lawmakers and government officials. The Catechism in paragraph 1913 grounds this participation in the public square by stating that it is necessary that “all participate, each according to his position and role, in promoting the common good.”

How should Catholics vote? A responsible Catholic will vote with an informed conscience based on Church teaching with sound moral limits and guidelines. According to the Magisterium, the teaching body and authority of the Church official teaching, the Church’s social doctrine is described as “an indispensable reference point” for integrated Christian formation, especially for lay people with responsibilities in public life. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops emphasizes that Catholics should evaluate policy positions, party platforms, and candidates’ actions in light of the Gospel and Catholic moral and social teaching. Importantly, the bishops also state they “do not intend to tell Catholics for whom or against whom to vote,” because the responsibility for political choices rests with each person in a properly formed conscience.

According to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, a “well-formed Christian conscience does not permit one to vote for a political program or an individual law which contradicts the fundamental contents of faith and morals.” Catholics cannot delegate their Christian responsibility to others because the Gospel of Jesus Christ requires that moral truth be proclaimed and acted upon responsibly by everyone. Responsible Catholics do not promote or vote for laws that attack the inviolability of human life—e.g., laws concerning abortion and euthanasia.

To summarize our responsibility as faithful Catholics: Catholics are called by God to enter the public square, especially through voting, with a conscience informed by Church teaching, seeking the common good and justice, supporting morally acceptable policies, and rejecting (even by voting) political programs or laws that contradict non-negotiable moral truths.