Notre Dame peace scholar advises Catholic voters to use social teaching as guide

National Catholic Reporter ^ | Oct. 10, 2024 | CATHERINE M. ODELL

[ConservativeMind]

A recent speaker at a South Bend, Indiana, parish said he was not going to tell parishioners how to vote.

Instead, Gerard Powers, director of Catholic peacebuilding studies at the University of Notre Dame's Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, said he wanted to offer "some things to consider if we are trying seriously to vote from a Catholic perspective."

Powers, a former director of the U.S. bishops' Office of International Justice and Peace, helped write on international issues in the original version of the bishops' document on the political responsibility of Catholics, "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship."

He told those gathered at St. Thérèse, Little Flower Parish that the 2024 election "is very much about the future of democracy."

Powers reminded everyone that in response to a reporter's question on a papal flight this September, "Pope Francis said Catholics in the United States had to make a conscientious decision and choose the 'lesser of two evils,' citing Harris' support for abortion rights and Trump's anti-immigrant stance," Powers noted.

Powers said the best approach for Catholics preparing to vote is to evaluate their positions in light of Catholic social teaching, but that won't always be easy or simple.

Considering candidates or their political positions in light of Catholic social teaching is countercultural, Powers said. He suggested focusing on four specific themes: the dignity of human life, the common good, subsidiarity and solidarity.

Powers made it clear that a focus on the dignity of human life includes objecting to "direct attacks on innocent persons: abortion, euthanasia, human cloning, unjust war and indiscriminate attacks in war." But, he said, it also includes opposing torture, racism and the death penalty, and it includes respect for human dignity and human rights, such as welcoming migrants and finding ways to empower the poor and marginalized.

[ConservativeMind]

Someone who was a key writer for the US bishops’ Office of International Justice makes it seem that good Catholics have to vote for Kamala.

[mkmensinger]

Let’s see....I guess that means I should vote for the guy who already brought 4 years of peace.

[ClearCase_guy]

Harris' support for abortion rights and Trump's anti-immigrant stance

So, first, Trump is not "anti-immigrant". He's married to an immigrant. He likes immigrants just fine. His politics on this matter is simply: "People should obey the law that have been passed by the legislature".

So the choices are:
1) Support the sacrifice of children to the demon Moloch
or
2) Support the basic laws of the nation

I guess this is a head-scratcher for some Catholics.

[No name given]

You are correct. That man is Donald John Trump.

[Sequoyah101]

I still like red meat.

[HYPOCRACY]

WTF is that grotesque SJW office? The Catholic Charities heretics just don’t want their gravy train of human trafficking to stop.

[ebb tide]

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[Thommas]

such as welcoming migrants

Migrants? Our open border is a spigot for an illegal alien invasion, and merely denoting them as 'migrants' is gaslighting.

[The Louiswu]

Lot of people been trying to tell me how to vote lately, a good friend dove off the deep end the other day calling all Trump supporters haters and evil ( he promptly asked that everyone respect his boundaries and promptly signed off social media). Well to all those that think I’m garbage or a hater or evil because I disagree with your opinion…get bent..I voted TRUMP and I’d do it ten times on Saturday if I could.

[ADSUM]

Catholics should consider not voting for the party that is:

1. Against God
2. Against life
3. Supports sexual surgery for minors against parent beliefs.
4. Support Global governments that restrict our freedoms and have their own God.
5. Believes that open borders are permissible along with the crimes and that criminals can go free.
6. And more. Overspending on woke programs.