For WNY Catholic: 9/13/2016

US Bishops, Bishop Malone and Franciscans Advice on Voting Discussed at Holy Family Parish, Albion

One party is pro-choice and the party that calls itself “pro-life” has poor record on abortion and other life issues. Voting is a difficult choice was the crux of the discussions at Holy Family Parish, Albion

About two dozen people attended morning and evening sessions at Holy Family to discuss: Bishop Malone's statement as it appeared in the October issue of WNY Catholic, the Franciscans for Justice' on Election, and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops' Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship.

(Moderator and Social Justice Chair, Bob Golden had outlined their three positions on the blackboard. The committee distributed copies of Bishop Malone's statement, the Franciscans' on Election, and Golden's three page synopsis of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops' 39 page Forming Consciences.)

Abortion, environment, racism, health care, “just wage” and immigration sparked vigorous, but civil discussion.

Golden led off by highly recommending the Bishops' document, which he said provided guidance for not only voting, but for Catholic thought and action by the faithful for the future.

He reviewed what he believed was the basic tenant from Forming Consciences: “Catholics often face difficult choices as to how to vote. This is why it is so important to vote according to a well-informed conscience that perceives the proper relationship among moral goods. A Catholic shouldn't vote for a candidate who favors a policy promoting an intrinsically evil act, such as abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, deliberately subjecting workers or the poor to subhuman living conditions, redefining marriage in ways that violate it essential meaning, or racist behavior, if it's the voter's intention to support that position. In such cases a Catholic would be guilty of formal cooperation in grave evil. At the same time, a voter should not use a candidate's opposition to an intrinsic evil to justify indifference or inattentiveness to other important moral issues involving human life and dignity.”

Golden concluded: “However, we can support and vote for a candidate for other reasons, e.g. because they may be more concerned about the poor, children, women, racial minorities, environment or because we think they may be more successful in getting 'something' done. In fact, both the Bishops and Bishop Malone, say that we should vote for positive as well as negative issues.”

A member of the Holy Family Pro-Life effort and active parishioner, took issue. “How can we vote for someone who would allow abortion?”

“How can we vote for someone, who isn't equally concerned about born children?” Golden queried back. “Out of greed, pride, desire to have power over others, or neglect, we allow practices that sicken, maim and kill children in this country and all over the world. In criminal justice, if you even accidentally kill someone in the process of a crime, it's murder. It seems that if you're responsible for killing or injuring someone in the process of sinning gravely, that it's the same, and it's justice to view it the same.”

From Golden's reflection on the Bishops' paper, he observed: “Although, all children are covered in the document, born children are not named among those 'most vulnerable.' Yet, a significant percentage are physically, sexually and emotionally abused, neglected, rejected, raised with violent and/or mentally ill parents, and even in this country illegally employed and exploited and murdered We need to be concerned about children out of the womb as well as children in the womb.

“Further, if we're concerned about children in the womb, we must demand pre-natal care for pregnant women. It's critical to a child's future physical and mental health.

Bishops: 'Children are to valued, protected and nurtured.'”

Another Pro-Life activist, frequent marcher at DC annual rallies and leader in many other Church activities, insisted that all issues are not “morally equivalent” echoing the Bishop and Bishops. He said: “Abortion, Euthanasia, Stem cell research are major issues.”

Bishop Malone pointed to all “direct killing” as above and also included genocide, targeting of non-combatants, terrorism and racism.”

All three documents named racism (or prejudice of any kind) as a life issue.

Golden reflected on why “racism” is included. He quoted from Pope St. John XXIII's daily prayer, “Lord help me to be humble, so I don't hurt others.” Golden pointed out, it is when we believe that we are better, even better as a class, that someone is less than us, that we feel justified in exploiting, commanding, abusing and even eliminating/killing them. He told how he did groups with men who battered their wives for nine years with Genesee Hospital in Rochester. He used this quote often with the men. “Men have been led to believe throughout history, the they are better, more intelligent and out of this belief, feel justified in treating their wives in the same way we're inclined to treat racial, national and religious minorities.

“We believed it was all right to drive off and even eradicate the Native Americans. After all they were 'savages.' Who turned out to be the savages? Many have used religion, including our own, to kill “heretics” and others that opposed us. We insist on Muslims being like that, but Christianity has a similar history and two of the worst, Hitler and Stalin were raised Catholics.”

Gary Kent, Social Studies teacher and past County Legislator, pointed out that although one of the candidates insists that we should call out “radical Islamic terrorists,” we don't call the KKK, “radical Christian terrorists.” Golden added, that we didn't call Timothy McVeigh, who tragically bombed hundreds of mainly children in Oklahoma City, a “radical Irish-Catholic terrorist.”

From Golden's synopsis, “Bishops(USCCB) in their Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, led off with these exhortations from our current Pope's Evangelii Gaudium Pope Francis: We have “...a fundamental response: to desire, seek and protect the good of others” “...the Church(us) ...must not remain on the sidelines in the fight for justice.” (Go to USCCB Forming Consciences for the full text-39 pages.)

Pope Paul VI, in his Progress of Peoples encyclical also on “just wage,” said that we wouldn't need charity, if we had justice. He concluded that the rich and powerful are content to let the Church and other charitable organizations make up for their exploitative, unjust treatment of workers.

Another asked: “Why do we hate the rich?”

It's not that we hate the rich. As did the six Popes on “just wage” and also Pius XII in a major speech and Francis I in his “human ecology” portion of his encyclical on the environment, we rightly deplore those employers, who commit the sin of greed and give less than a “living wage,” while they themselves profit excessively.

Gary Kent: “How can someone opposed to universal health care call themselves Pro-Life?”

We discussed scandalously high costs of medicine and insurance, and the greedily high salaries and expense accounts of insurance and pharmaceutical executives and upper staff that cause them. These costs are life-threatening to most elderly and the poor and even some middle class.

Margaret Golden, Eucharistic Minister and past Parish Council President, and also a leader in many other Parish activities, “we have to be concerned about all 'life' issues, including health and the environment as it affects health, especially clean water and clean air.”

Seminarian Justin Steeg, who is assigned to our Parish for ten months, pointed out that the recent popes in their encyclicals, have asserted that God's creation belongs to all human beings. Although we believe in the right to private property, a small group of people don't have the right to deprive the rest of us of clean air, water, good soil, access to the waterways, beaches and other beauties of nature. Further the pollution of these is sinful, wrong. He pointed out that according to Oxfam:, currently 62 persons control as much wealth as the bottom half of all humanity. That means the three billion of the lower half share what 62 persons have.

Golden: The last three popes, St. John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis have asserted again in encyclicals, that the environment is endangered and man is contributing and obliged to stop polluting. This is a life issue in central China and Africa and especially for coming generations. Pope Benedict hired 32 internationally known scientists, who concluded that global warming is real, that humans contribute to it and that we have to change our behaviors now.

Further: “Forming Consciences continues: “The right to life implies and is linked to other human rights—to the basic goods that every human person needs to live and thrive. All the life issues are connected, for erosion of respect for the life of any individual or group in society necessarily diminishes respect for all life.”

Franciscans For Justice: “We believe that only by defending against all threats to life and creation will Catholics be able to credibly make the case for the culture of life...”

Again quoting from the Bishops: “...Catholic moral teaching provide(s) a moral framework that does not easily fit ideologies of 'right' or 'left,' 'liberal' or 'conservative,' or the platform of any political party.”

And: “As Catholics we are not single-issue voters.”

Bishop Malone: “In forming our consciences to vote, we should not confine our attentions only to evils to be avoided. We are also called to care for creation...and to stand with immigrants and refugees as well as reach out to victims of human trafficking. The preferential option for the poor and economic justice are always touchstones of our Catholic moral vision.”

Pro-Life marcher: “I have to vote Republican, because “pro-life” is in their platform.”

Golden pointed out that one party is pro-choice and therefore for legalized abortion, the current law.

The other party says they're pro-life and therefore opposed to abortion. “However it's been in their platform for probably 40 years.” “By their 'fruits' you shall know them” (quoting our founder, Jesus Christ). We should know them by their actions or lack of and not what by they promise in an election campaign: “Although this party says they're opposed to abortion, and had a 7-2 majority in the Supreme Court, and had control of Congress for 29 years, in 35 years they've passed no law significantly limiting abortions. Laws proposed are mainly against women, with nothing holding the fathers responsible. Yet, men often call the shots and abusive men often cause abortions. The chance to add a Hyde-type Amendment to Affordable Care Act, was ignored because the party that says it's pro-life, didn't want to give President Obama “a victory” on universal health care, as stated by Senate leader Mitch McConnell and others. As far as this party seemed concerned, victory over Pres. Obama was more important than children in the womb, and 'the common good.'”

“Further their last two presidential candidates were “pro-choice, until they decided to run for president on the “pro-life” party ticket.”

So you have one party that says it's pro-choice. And on the other hand a party that says it's pro-life, but despite being in power has done little to make it illegal. This party doesn't seem to support many of the other issues the Catholic Church calls pro-life, the environment, (the last three Popes have said we're sinfully and fatally abusing our common home), immigrant treatment that concerns itself with justice and the family, peace initiatives, stopping the death penalty, racial justice, stopping the killing of non-combatants.

Christ the King seminarian, Justin Steeg provided an article from ETWN that the “pro-life” candidate has been publicly “pro-choice” in the past. He says that he's considering his sister for Supreme Court. She recently, as Judge, struck down a New Jersey law, which outlawed late term abortions.

Golden: Passing a law outlawing abortion is nowhere near enough. My religion prof at Holy Cross, in 1958, told us that there are an estimated ½ million abortions in the US, despite the fact it it against the law. The rich and powerful get abortions for their daughters, based on some medical “need,” and the desperate poor, in back alley clinics. Simply passing a law will not stop abortions. The rich will continue to get them and the poor will take the risks.

We have to do more to stop abortions:

a. Seek to eliminate the sexual abuse and exploitation of women and, therefore, also “unsought” pregnancies.

b. Support women who choose to have the child. The Buffalo Diocese Pro-Life Program provides great examples of doing just that.**

c. Make adoption easier and more affordable.** Rosanne Golden Leach, member of several Parish activities and anti-domestic violence advocate, told that her granddaughter's lawyer wanted $40,000. for an adoption.

d. Support adoptive parents and the adopting-out mother.**

We have to ask, Which party is more apt to support these four things and the other issues that Catholics and others identify as pro-life, including health care for all, care of born children, the environment, racial justice.

*Note the number of other crimes that are committed: homicides, thefts, fraud, and hiring of “undocumented” immigrants, all of which are against the law.

**Information on these activities and how you might support them are available through Buffalo Right to Life Unit and suggestions from this writer: goldenjazz59@gmail.com.

From Golden's synopsis, “Bishops(USCCB) in their Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, led off with these exhortations from our current Pope's Evangelii Gaudium Pope Francis: We have “...a fundamental response: to desire, seek and protect the good of others” “...the Church(us) ...must not remain on the sidelines in the fight for justice.” (Go to USCCB Forming Consciences for the full text-39 pages.)

Further, Pope Francis says “a wall” between Mexico and US violates Christianity. Doesn't that sound like the Communist-built Berlin Wall, which divided families, friends, parishes and communities and which we viewed as oppression?

Golden recommended reading (he had them laid out on the display table) and heeding the teachings in the six great encyclicals on “just wage”(which we have an obligation to accept and obey, second only to infallible teachings) “This is a life issue for workers and their families.” These were written by Popes Leo XIII (1891), Pius XI, St. John XXIII, Pope Paul VI, St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI.

He also told how Pope St. John Paul II said that we've lost respect for work and workers and revere only money and financial “success,” often dishonestly and exploitatively gained, Golden added. “1990's research that showed that over 70% of US corporations had committed five or more felonies. So much for three strikes and you're out, which our system applies to every one else, well, at least to the middle, working class and poor.”

The Bishops cite “four basic principles of Catholic social doctrine: the dignity of the human person (and right to life), the common good(as opposed to benefits and justice for only select people) subsidiarity (giving people the rights and means to care for themselves, that is seeking to provide justice, first, then charity. Pope Paul VI in his encyclical on “Just Wage” stated that charity is necessary only to correct injustice) and solidarity (concern for all fellow humans, including and especially 'the least of these.' In famous other words, “Love thy neighbor as thyself.”)

Bishop Malone also said that citizens have duties, among which are:

1. Pay taxes --The Democratic candidate shared her tax returns—she did pay taxes. The Republican candidate refused to share his returns. When accused of paying no taxes, he replied, “I'm smart.” it seems we can surmise he paid little or no taxes.

2. Defend your country – The Democrat is a women and wasn't draftable. However, her husband and the Republican candidate, both draftable, avoided the draft.

3. Vote – Republicans in different states are making it difficult to register, targeting certain groups, that would most likely vote democratic, and bragging about it. One among many references was an article in the Jesuit America magazine.

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The Bishops urge “a new kind of politics:

• “Focused more on moral principles than on the latest polls
• “Focused more on the needs of the weak than on benefits for the strong
• “Focused more on the pursuit of the common good than on the demands of narrow interests”
• The author would add: Base your decisions on what candidates and parties have done and how they've behaved, rather than what they promise

The author notes that he writes from his own lens, which involves 16 years of Catholic education, with continued vigorous religious education and practice. He's been active at the parish, diocesan, community, state and national levels, which includes 43 years in criminal justice, 50 years of work and involvement with battered women and their batterers, and 52 years with migrant and immigrant farm-workers and farmers.

Bob Golden 585-682-4821

Robert E. Golden additionally is a graduate of Holy Cross(Jesuit), has a Master's Degree in Counseling, was a chair of a Pres. Reagan advisory committee, a member of the Bishop Kmiec's Justice and Peace Commission, who has written several articles for WNY Catholic and Buffalo, Rochester and other newspapers, and journals, and reviewed over 50 books at local libraries.

One concern: Justice; But, Many Issues

“As Catholics...Not Single Issue Voters”