Friday, August 28, 2020

Catholic teaching: Catholics may never vote for Pro-Abortion candidates for any reason




Father Stephen Torraco explains:


"If a political candidate supported abortion, or any other moral evil, such as assisted suicide and euthanasia, for that matter, it would not be morally permissible for you to vote for that person. This is because, in voting for such a person, you would become an accomplice in the moral evil at issue.

For this reason, moral evils such as abortion, euthanasia and assisted suicide are examples of a 'disqualifying issue.' A disqualifying issue is one which is of such gravity and importance that it allows for no political maneuvering. It is an issue that strikes at the heart of the human person and is non-negotiable. A disqualifying issue is one of such enormity that by itself renders a candidate for office unacceptable regardless of his position on other matters. You must sacrifice your feelings on other issues because you know that you cannot participate in any way in an approval of a violent and evil violation of basic human rights.

A candidate for office who supports abortion rights or any other moral evil has disqualified himself as a person that you can vote for. You do not have to vote for a person because he is pro-life. But you may not vote for any candidate who supports abortion rights. Key to understanding the point above about "disqualifying issues" is the distinction between policy and moral principle. On the one hand, there can be a legitimate variety of approaches to accomplishing a morally acceptable goal. For example, in a society’s effort to distribute the goods of health care to its citizens, there can be legitimate disagreement among citizens and political candidates alike as to whether this or that health care plan would most effectively accomplish society’s goal. In the pursuit of the best possible policy or strategy, technical as distinct (although not separate) from moral reason is operative. Technical reason is the kind of reasoning involved in arriving at the most efficient or effective result. On the other hand, no policy or strategy that is opposed to the moral principles of the natural law is morally acceptable. Thus, technical reason should always be subordinate to and normed by moral reason, the kind of reasoning that is the activity of conscience and that is based on the natural moral law."


This point is understood by authentic Catholics.  Unfortunately, thanks to priest-idiots such as the clown cited here, some who pretend to be Catholic continue to justify their vote for pro-abortion candidates such as Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

The teaching of Christ's Church has always been crystal clear to practicing Catholics with a modicum of intelligence:

"It is true that it is not the task of the law to choose between points of view or to impose one rather than another. But the life of the child takes precedence over all opinions. One cannot invoke freedom of thought to destroy this life...

The role of law is not to record what is done, but to help in promoting improvement. It is at all times the task of the State to preserve each person's rights and to protect the weakest. In order to do so the State will have to right many wrongs. The law is not obliged to sanction everything, but it cannot act contrary to a law which is deeper and more majestic than any human law: the natural law engraved in men's hearts by the Creator as a norm which reason clarifies and strives to formulate properly, and which one must always struggle to understand better, but which it is always wrong to contradict. Human law can abstain from punishment, but it cannot declare to be right what would be opposed to the natural law, for this opposition suffices to give the assurance that a law is not a law at all...

It must in any case be clearly understood that whatever may be laid down by civil law in this matter, man can never obey a law which is in itself immoral, and such is the case of a law which would admit in principle the liceity of abortion. Nor can he take part in a propaganda campaign in favor of such a law, or vote for it. Moreover, he may not collaborate in its application.

Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Declaration on Procured Abortion, November 18, 1974, nos. 19-22

6 comments:

  1. As Bishop Jackals reminds us, "the Church exhorts its members to take seriously our duty to vote guided by a conscience formed according to Catholic teaching, and not simply on the basis of self-interest, party affiliation, or the personal charisma of a politician.

    In preparation for the upcoming
    election, re-read the document Moral Principles for Conscientious Voters, which is available in every parish or online at: www.cdowk.org/lifeandjustice under 'election year guidance'.

    Let us not be misled by the public statements and positions of pro-abortion politicians who identify themselves as Catholics. They are wrong."

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  2. Orange Catholic8:18 AM

    As you know well, here at Saint Mary's, Father Naranjo questioned whether our duly elected pro-life President Trump was actually the President. There is lip service to being pro-life, but many so-called Catholics (in reality CINO's) vote for pro-death Democrats.

    And it's not just abortion which these Hell bound counterfeit Catholics want. Many of them demand the right to sodomize one another too.

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  3. Msgr. Paul Garrity should be told that unless he issues a retraction, he will be stripped of his priestly faculties and his stipend.

    I guarantee that he will retract his asinine comments.

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  4. I cannot thank you enough for providing such clarity! It is all right here, and I have forwarded a copy to a Fr. Sawyer, SJ, at American Media, who is under the mistaken idea that my examination of conscience book is too old to continue to state that voting for a pro-abort candidate is a mortally wounding sin. I did alter the part added in between and also added regarding Kamala Harris: [who even in violation of the law searched and seized the apartment of a pro-life undercover investigator confiscating the man's countless hours of video that proved Planned Parenthood was altering abortions in order to procure/harvest live baby parts--organs, limbs, etc.,--and sell them for profit to places such as Stem Express.] One of the doctors has admitted on a video deposition to have done just that.
    God bless you and all you do!

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  5. Thank you for your kind note Mary's Child. I will forward your prayer intentions to the Prayer Cenacle. God bless you!

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  6. I continue to be deflated by replies from Fr. Sawyer. As I told you, I sent him your thorough information about not voting for politicians who are openly pro-abortion. This is his response to me:

    "This catechism is oversimplified; I think it misleads the faithful badly. I recommend that you read Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship itself, and this excellent talk by Bishop Robert McElroy (https://www.sdcatholic.org/bishops/bishop-mcelroy/conscience-candidates-and-discipleship-in-voting/) to help you gain a fuller understanding of the full Catholic tradition regarding the moral weight of voting.

    Sincerely,
    Sam Sawyer, SJ"

    It is very disappointing and frustrating when souls are being misled and deliberately brought to confusion. I have not replied to Fr. Sawyer. I cannot because he has recommended I listen to a talk given by a Bishop I do not trust to tell the faithful Truth. I will continue to pray for him and you.

    I did not know if you wanted details about my prayer intentions. If you do, they are:

    For our family's holiness and health. For Joseph to be guided by the Lord and successful in teaching his students and fulfilling his new Headmaster duties. For his students enjoyment and success in their education in the Classical Catholic Liberal Arts high school. May Joseph be blessed with a faithful Catholic wife and may they be blessed with children. For Margie to grow in her prayer life, do well in her job and friendships. May she be blessed with a faithful Catholic husband who will provide for her and may they be blessed with children. For our two adult children, Peter and Lilia, who have autism. May both be protected every day of their lives from evil. May they grow in the Faith, in knowing and loving God as fully as possible. May their days be well balanced with work, good habits and relaxation. May all of our family members grow in the Faith or return to the Faith and be protected at all times from evil. May all of our friends intentions be answered. May all of our relatives who are departed know the mercy of God and rest in peace.
    For an end to abortion, for the re-election of President Trump, for a sound majority of Republicans to win both the Senate and House of Representatives. For a time of growth in Faith and peace reign in our Country and in the world.
    Thank you, so very much! God bless you!

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