OPINION: Voting for the common good this Saturday

By Fr Michael Dyer, 23 March 2023
Image: Alistair McLellan/Shutterstock.com

 

An opinion piece on the upcoming NSW State Election written by Fr Michael Dyer, Parish Priest of St Mary Star of the Sea Parish, Milton, in the Diocese of Wollongong, for his parish bulletin on Sunday 19 March.

This weekend, New South Wales (in Australia) goes to the polls. Whilst in no way wishing to be party political in this edition of Musings, I do encourage us to pray for a NSW State Parliament that will safeguard and promote the principles which underpin Catholic social teaching. These principles include Life and Dignity of the Human Person; Call to Family, Community, and Participation; Rights and Responsibilities; Option for the Poor and Vulnerable; The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers; Solidarity; Care for God’s Creation.

The Catholic Church has a history of social teaching spanning centuries, one that provides a compelling challenge for living responsibly, and building a just society. Modern Catholic social teaching, rooted in Scripture and Tradition, has evolved over time in response to the challenges of the day.[i] Indeed, “the joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the people of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ” (Gaudium et spes, #1). Additionally, the Catechism of the Catholic Church states that Catholic social teaching is “a central and essential element of our faith.” Indeed, “Catholic social teaching is built on a commitment to the poor. This commitment arises from our experiences of Christ in the eucharist. For “to receive in truth the Body and Blood of Christ given up for us, we must recognize Christ in the poorest, his brethren” (#1397).

I pray we approach conscientiously next Saturday, our sacred duty of casting our one precious vote. By voting, we exercise “a primary and fundamental response to desire, seek and protect the good of others” (Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium). Personally, I have been a swinging voter across six decades. Increasingly I strive to vote for policies, not parties, nor for personalities per se. However, the moral character of our politicians, as much as I can judge, does influence my choice. For ‘judge’ I must, despite a ‘woke’ generation, and others, suggesting that it’s not ethical and/or politically correct to ‘judge’. Whilst I may be biased, I must exercise prudential judgment about people and/or issues, one that is based upon the signs of the times. Surely this is why I/we have been blessed with a brain, a heart, and a will. I pray that whoever is elected will serve not only serve their own interest, and that of constituents, but “the interest of the entire country, the general good” (Edmund Burke 18th-century statesman).

I am grateful for two candidates who have contacted me/our parish. Luke Sikora participated in our parish fun day at St Patrick’s Church Sussex Inlet. He spoke with me/others for nearly 30 minutes. He also followed through on his request to visit the Holy Family Church Ulladulla for a Sunday Mass, after which he mixed with parishioners. In recent days, I have sent messages to Mr Sikora and also to Ms Eliza Butler. I pray that we Christians engage more fully with the political process. Let’s hope that whoever is elected to the Legislative Assembly District of South Coast, encompassing its 57,524 electors and 2,802 square kilometres, will support Catholic social teaching principles.

“Hi Luke, I have been prayerfully mindful of you. I have also noticed your signs on the highway. I commend to you a recent Cathnews article. I think the concept gay conversion therapy is faulty and I encourage the premier to suggest the same. Not all priests/bishops will agree with me, even those who are gay. The religious freedom issue is also a hot topic for churches. God bless you in the fine line you must walk. Fr Michael.”

 

“Dear Eliza, thanks for your recent message. Your offer to meet in person is welcomed. Luke Sikora visited our parish and spent time with parishioners, impressing them. You are welcome to do likewise. I am keen to hear your views on prayers/otherwise at the beginning of Council meetings and in the parliament/s of our nation. I have heard that you do not support praying in these contexts. I hope what I am hearing is only half the story. Your other views/policies and that of your party, in relation to Catholic Church Social Teaching, including climate change, refugee, Indigenous and other policies are also of immediate interest to me. My focus at the polling booth will be the ‘Cry of the Earth and the Cry of the Poor’ which is the title for the 2021-2022 Social Justice Statement by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference. My vote will go to the party that champions this moral imperative. I regret I was unable to be at the recent Meet the Candidates meeting in Ulladulla. Is there another meeting in the region slated for the coming days? Thanks again Eliza for your letter. I hope our paths cross before the forthcoming election. Blessings, Fr Michael Dyer, Milton Parish Priest”.

I wish you well next Saturday. Might we rely upon more than our prudential judgment. As Catholics, we have a long tradition of discernment, which requires more than weighing the pros and cons of a situation, or a majority vote. Discernment involves the Holy Spirit of Jesus as our companion, the same Holy Spirit gifted to us by our Creator-Father. Let us sift through and discern which policies, which party, and which candidate will best serve Catholic-Christian values.

In closing, I am reminded that Jesus, who never instructed his disciples how to vote, nevertheless, paid the ultimate price for testifying to his religious, ethical views and political views, for example, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God” (Mark 12:17). He provoked the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate, not just though his silence, but by responding to the question “Are you the king of the Jews?” by saying “You have said it” (Matthew 27:11-14). No wonder he was arrested as a political prisoner, accused of sedition, and then executed, not just by an occupying power, but with the complicity of the religious and political elite, and by a crowd baying for Barabbas.

Like his beloved Jesus, the current Bishop of Rome states his religious and ethical views fearlessly, despite the political consequences. Thankfully, some of his brother bishops do likewise, particularly in countries where Catholics, and others, are brutalised by politicians, corrupt regimes and/or military juntas. Thankfully, there are Australian bishops who speak out about matters that have political consequences, including Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv about climate change, asylum seekers and marginalised Catholics. Recently, Archbishops Peter A Comensoli and Anthony Fisher OP entered the political fray arguing that Catholic institutions want the capacity to employ and manage employment so that staff can be witnesses for the schools’ Catholic mission. They wrote that “Freedom of religious observance, as part of a balance that observes the rights of all, is a fundamental human right that government is obliged to protect”. Their moral argument is directed towards those with political power. This was also true for Archbishop Daniel Mannix in relation to state aid for Catholic schools, and the conscription debate. May our bishops be even bolder in their stance towards defending Catholic social teaching and not afraid of the consequences, especially political ones.

Surely, in today’s world when cosmologists, physicists, and microbiologists et al, demonstrate increasingly that everything is interrelated, we can no longer suggest that religion and politics live in separate silos. Let’s better inform ourselves, this week, of the issues at stake for our New South Wales, Australia and the world. Let’s communicate with our local candidates, about the facts and about the policies of their parties. Let’s avoid personality politics, and resist voting in a way that is self-serving. May we be swayed when casting our vote by the principles of Catholic Social teaching.

May God bless our prudential judgement and our discernment processes regarding the policies, parties and candidates that will best serve the common good in relation to our waratah state and the land Down Under; remembering the common good is reached when we work together to improve the wellbeing of people in our society and the wider world, human and natural. The rights of the individual to personal possessions and community resources must be balanced with the needs of the disadvantaged and dispossessed.

The Diocese of Parramatta reaffirms the wise axiom attributed to Saint Augustine of Hippo, “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, freedom; in all things, charity.” In this spirit, Catholic Outlook publishes a variety of Catholic viewpoints. They are not necessarily the official views of the Diocese of Parramatta.

[i] c.f. https://ccsww.org/about-us/catholic-social-teaching/ – Catholic Community Services; Catholic Housing Services

 

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