Last week we looked at our role as Catholics in relation to elections and political parties. This week we will reflect on our overall role in steering our country on the right path.
Our newspapers tell us all too well about the many ills in Trinidad and Tobago society, such as the high rate of murder and other crimes, allegations of corruption, sickness, and inadequate access to proper health care. Can we as Catholics in our everyday lives make any difference to our society or in any way assist in addressing these ills, which seem beyond our individual and sometimes collective capacity to address?
The Church has an obligation to participate in shaping the moral character of the society. It is a requirement of our faith and part of the mission given to us by Jesus Christ. Pope Francis, in his World Youth Day Message, emphasised that while young people might question whether life was something good because of all the ills they see or because they are having trouble finding their way, they must still ask themselves if there is anything that they can do to make things better. He encourages the youth to become God’s disciples and to go forth using the means they have. But first, they must be grounded in faith and must make prayer and sacraments their foundation. This must be our first call as Catholics. Once we are grounded in our faith, we can – as Pope Francis urges in his World Youth Day message – answer the call, become disciples, go forth, evangelise, gather all nations and make disciples. All of this must be grounded in faith.
Faith helps us to see more clearly the truths about life and human dignity. Our Church teachings give us a moral compass or framework in which to place social situations. We are therefore obligated as citizens to participate in the social and political life of our society. Many Catholics may feel that there is no political grouping that adequately reflects their beliefs and so choose not to get involved. We need instead to act on our moral principles and work in the social and political arena in our society, if not directly in political parties then in community groups, where the voice of the Church can be heard to promote the common good and to speak on matters that affect our lives.
To be able to do this, we must also develop the virtue of prudence. Some United States Bishops spoke about the challenge of forming consciences for faithful citizenship. They stated that the Church encourages Catholics to develop prudence, which enables us to “discern our true good in every circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1806). Prudence shapes our ability to determine what is most fitting in a specific context, but prudence must be accompanied by courage to act. We must therefore use prudence to assess public policies. Are they morally sound? Do they work in the common interest of the society? Will our future generations be better off? If we are dissatisfied we must let our voices be heard. As I said last week, write letters to the newspapers and public officials, and organise marches.
Further, in order to fulfil our obligation to Trinidad and Tobago, we must always avoid evil and do what is right. We must love God and our neighbour as ourselves. And, there are some things we must never do. We must not participate in or encourage abortion, we must not participate in racism, and we must not participate in treason or acts of terror. We must protect all human rights.
For those Catholics in public office faced with difficult political decisions, what is required is the exercise of a well-formed conscience aided by prudence.
The United States Bishops’ reflection on Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship provides a moral framework for decisions in public life in seven key areas. They are:
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The Right to Life and the Dignity of the Human Person – Human life is sacred. Direct attacks on human life are never morally acceptable (murder, abortion, euthanasia, genocide).
A Call to Family, Community and Participation – The family based on marriage between a man and a woman is the fundamental unit of society and must not be redefined. Our society is organised through political, social and economic means and it is important that everyone has an equal chance of benefiting and contributing.
Rights and Responsibilities – Every human being has rights; however, corresponding to these rights are duties and responsibilities to one another, to our families and to the larger society.
Option for the Poor and Vulnerable – While the common good embraces all, those who are in greatest need deserve preferential attention.
Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers – The economy must serve people, not the other way around. We must encourage decent work for decent pay and eradicate child labour.
Solidarity – We are one human family, whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences. We must work toward the common good.
Caring for God’s Creation – We are stewards of God’s creation and must care for the environment.
