A word from our spiritual director, Father John Lindsay:
The warmer months brings with them some of the most significant national observances: Memorial, Independence and Labor Day. In an election year, we will bear the press of non-stop commentary and media coverage. Freedoms have a price. You may have been struck by the coverage of the funeral for Tim Russert. I certainly was. Part might be our common western New York background. More to the point I think was the decidedly Catholic nurtured character of his life and work. I venture to recommend a visit to www.faithfulcitizenship.org, a ministry of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. In the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation. As Catholics, we should be guided more by our moral convictions than by our attachment to a political party or interest group. In today’s environment, Catholics may feel politically disenfranchised, sensing that no party and few candidates fully share our comprehensive commitment to human life and dignity. Catholic lay women and men need to act on the Church’s moral principles and become more involved: running for office, working within political parties, and communicating concerns to elected officials. Even those who cannot vote should raise their voices on matters that affect their lives and the common good. How Does the Church Help Catholics to Address Political and Social Questions? A Well-Formed Conscience The Church equips its members to address political questions by helping them develop well-formed consciences. “Conscience is a judgment of reason whereby the human person recognizes the moral quality of a concrete act. . . . [Every person] is obliged to follow faithfully what he [or she] knows to be just and right” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1778). We Catholics have a lifelong obligation to form our consciences in accord with human reason, enlightened by the teaching of Christ as it comes to us through the Church. One of the qualities that colleagues pointed out about the character of Tim Russert was that he did his homework. He worked diligently to seek the truth. “You are the light of the world. A light is not put under a bushel basket.”