Faithful Citizenship: The process of forming consciences for faithful citizens
Catholic Spirit, February 2008, Good News
By Joanne Spisso Sanders
Guest Columnist
As citizens of the U.S., each of us of voting age is encouraged to register and vote and to participate responsibly in the political process of our country. Our bishops have recently promulgated a document titled, “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” to assist us in looking at our political responsibility through the lens of Catholic teaching.
An important element in this process is forming a right conscience. The Faithful Citizenship document states in paragraph 7, “We bishops seek to help Catholics form their consciences in accordance with the truth, so they can make sound moral choices in addressing these challenges. We do not tell Catholics how to vote. The responsibility to make political choices rests with each person and his or her properly formed conscience.”
As we face this coming year of elections, there are many issues that confront our country. The bishops caution us to look at all the issues and not base our choices on a single issue. They encourage us to practice prudence in paragraph 19 which “shapes and informs our ability to deliberate over available alternatives, to determine what is most fitting to a specific context, and to act decisively.”
What is conscience and how does one form his or her conscience? The Catechism of the Catholic Church in paragraph 1796 defines conscience as “a judgment of reason by which the human person recognizes the moral quality of a concrete act.”
It also states in paragraph 1800 that “A human being must always obey the certain judgment of his conscience.” How do we know if this judgment is correct and according to God?
The following is a method that can be used to help one form a right conscience.
Pray
First, it is wise to place ourselves in God’s presence in prayer whenever we are faced with the challenge of making a moral choice. Ask yourself: Am I open and sincere in my need to discover what is most life giving and loving as I make this particular choice? Am I honest in stating my feelings and what I am thinking about this issue?
Determine the issue
Determine what is at stake. What is being said and what is being left out? What choices are perceived? Explore the ramifications and alternatives. Are there other choices? Who do these choices affect? What are some of the influences that compound this choice?
Reflect
Collect information and reflect upon the moral implications. What do Scripture and church teachings say about this dilemma? Consult people of knowledge, i.e. teachers, pastors, counselors, medical personnel, professional experts, to help you learn as much as possible about the subject. Research publications and other people’s points of view to stretch your understanding of the situation, which will help you see many facets of the dilemma. What information do they contribute and what are their recommendations?
Identify the values
What are my personal values? Identify the societal values. What are the church’s values?
How do the church’s values compare or conflict? Spend some time prioritizing these values, from most important to least important. Then, name your values and ask yourself how you want to live them out.
Explore alternatives
Are there alternatives? Of your prioritized values, what are the positive and negative effects for each alternative choice?
Once again, pray
What is God calling me to do? Pray for God’s guidance in making the best decision. Make sure that you have been honest and thoughtful in your deliberation.
Decide and act
Make your decision and act upon it. If, in your judgment, you are feeling peace of mind and heart, you have most likely come to the best decision for your circumstance. If you are still struggling, revisit your decision. Remember, as the Catechism says in paragraph 1800, “A human being must always obey the certain judgment of his conscience.”
As we listen and read all the rhetoric over the next months, let us not make choices based on political agendas. Let us take those agendas and measure them deliberately with Christ’s truths. We may each choose to respond to social problems differently, that is our right, but we should always choose what is most loving and what is most desirable for the common good.
For more information, visit
www.usccb.org/faithfulcitizenship/ FCStatement.pdf.
Joanne Sanders is a member of the diocesan Faithful Citizenship Committee and a parishioner at St. Albert the Great Parish in Austin. She has been involved in religious education for 46 years. She and her husband Deacon Ray Sanders have been active in deacon formation for several years.