Let us be catholic.

I have a confession.

Sometimes movies make me cry. I know that this shouldn't come as any big surprise, and I'm sure most anyone reading this has had those moments. Maybe it was Beaches or Steel Magnolias. Those are real tear-jerkers. And they made me cry too.

But, there's something else that really gets me. It's those movie scenes where people come together, where there is some moment when people must come together for the greater good despite their differences. Those scenes get me every single time.

The other night, I went to a worship service. I stood outside in the night air, illuminated by candlelight. I stood there with other believers, both Catholic and Protestant, and we sang and praised God together. We asked for His blessings, for His mercy. And, together, we recited the Apostles' Creed. It's difficult to describe the feeling I got while confessing those words alongside others who believe them so strongly, so beautifully.

Together we confessed,

"I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen"

Despite theological differences, we were, each of us, able to say these words not only with our mouths but in our hearts. And, it is the belief in those words, in the great gift of life made possible by the death of Christ, that led each of us to the spot where we were standing that evening.

That night was part of a prayer vigil focused on the sanctity of life. We were gathered together in a common belief that life is precious, that even the smallest human life is deserving of our love and support, of our prayers and our dedication to a common good that cannot deny that life a chance to be born.

And it is that belief in the sanctity of life which led Bishop Kevin Farrell and Bishop Kevin Vann to write a joint statement to the Faithful of the Dioceses of Dallas and Fort Worth; this statement is a further explanation of a previous statement by the Bishops of the United States. These two men have written this statement to instruct Catholic voters, but, as I read their statement, I couldn't help but believe that its words are true for all who confess the Creed, as each of us is indebted to a God who is the Author of Life.

They write:

"As Pope John Paul II clearly states:

"Disregard for the right to life, precisely because it leads to the killing of the person whom society exists to serve, is what most directly conflicts with the possibility of achieving the common good... It is impossible to further the common good without acknowledging and defending the right to life, upon which all the other inalienable rights of individuals are founded and from which they develop..." (The Gospel of Life, 72; 101)

Therefore, we cannot make more clear the seriousness of the overriding issue of abortion – while not the "only issue" – it is the defining moral issue, not only today, but of the last 35 years. Since the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, more than 48 million innocent lives have been lost. Each year in our nation more than one million lives are lost through legalized abortion. Countless other lives are also lost through embryonic stem cell research. In the coming months our nation will once again elect our political leaders. This electoral cycle affords us an opportunity to promote the culture of life in our nation. As Catholics we are morally obligated to pray, to act, and to vote to abolish the evil of abortion in America, limiting it as much as we can until it is finally abolished.

As Catholics we are faced with a number of issues that are of concern and should be addressed, such as immigration reform, healthcare, the economy and its solvency, care and concern for the poor, and the war on terror. As Catholics we must be concerned about these issues and work to see that just solutions are brought about. There are many possible solutions to these issues and there can be reasonable debate among Catholics on how to best approach and solve them. These are matters of "prudential judgment." But let us be clear: issues of prudential judgment are not morally equivalent to issues involving intrinsic evils. No matter how right a given candidate is on any of these issues, it does not outweigh a candidate's unacceptable position in favor of an intrinsic evil such as abortion or the protection of "abortion rights."

As Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship states:

"The direct and intentional destruction of innocent human life from the moment of conception until natural death is always wrong and is not just one issue among many. It must always be opposed." (28)

Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, in paragraphs 34-37, addresses the question of whether it is morally permissible for a Catholic to vote for a candidate who supports an intrinsic evil – even when the voter does not agree with the candidate's position on that evil. The only moral possibilities for a Catholic to be able to vote in good conscience for a candidate who supports this intrinsic evil are the following:

a. If both candidates running for office support abortion or "abortion rights," a Catholic would be forced to then look at the other important issues and through their vote try to limit the evil done; or,

b. If another intrinsic evil outweighs the evil of abortion. While this is sound moral reasoning, there are no "truly grave moral" or "proportionate" reasons, singularly or combined, that could outweigh the millions of innocent human lives that are directly killed by legal abortion each year.

To vote for a candidate who supports the intrinsic evil of abortion or "abortion rights" when there is a morally acceptable alternative would be to cooperate in the evil – and, therefore, morally impermissible."

Anyone who knows me knows that politics is my least favorite topic, and yet, for me, abortion isn't just a political issue. It's an issue which speaks to our belief in life and its value. It's an issue which sees those who are faced with it at their most vulnerable, and it's an issue which asks us, as those who love and believe in God, to reach out, to see Jesus in each and every person, even those who have yet to be born. It's an issue which tests how we will choose to treat "the least of these."

So, in this election, let us be catholic. Not necessarily in the sense of being a part of the Roman Catholic Church, but in keeping with the meaning of the word catholic. Let us include all who trust in Christ, and let us be the Body of Christ here on earth.

Love,

Sara