Ahead of next month’s state election, the bishops of Victoria have issued an election statement highlighting key issues for Catholics to consider when deciding their vote. Source: Melbourne Catholic.
Catholic voters are invited to read the statement and prayerfully discern how their votes can contribute to the common good.
“There is no Catholic political party,” the bishops write in Faith in action: An election guide, nor is there “one required way for Catholics to vote”.
“In making a decision, we may consider the record, policies and guiding values of candidates and political parties. Our faith calls us to support those who seek to govern in ways that advance the common good, protect the vulnerable and build a just society in which all people can truly flourish.”
In the statement, the Victorian bishops – Archbishop Peter A Comensoli of Melbourne, Sale Bishop Gregory Bennet, Ballarat Bishop Mark Freeman and Sandhurst Bishop René Ramirez RCJ – encourage people of faith to base their voting decisions on the four key principles of Catholic Social Teaching: human dignity, the common good, subsidiarity and solidarity.
As Catholic voters reflect on the policies of various political parties and candidates, the bishops invite them to consider how each policy might “uphold the human dignity of every person”, “promote and advance the common good”, “support subsidiarity” and “foster solidarity, especially with those who are vulnerable, disadvantaged or excluded”.
The election guide also outlines a number of key policy matters that, from a Catholic perspective, deserve careful attention: freedom of religion and conscience; the place of faith communities; respect for life; the family; the care and protection of children; education and just support for our schools; health care; justice and social services; our common home; economic management; and artificial intelligence.
Recognising the important role of prayerful discernment in determining our voting choices, the guide concludes with a prayer for Victoria and the upcoming election.
Thanking God for “the freedoms we enjoy in Australia”, the prayer entrusts “our state of Victoria and all who live within it” to God, asking him to “guide us in our deliberations, that we elect representatives who will work tirelessly to pursue the common good” and praying that “all those standing for election” be given “wisdom, courage and genuine commitment to the service of others”.
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Bishops encourage Catholic voters to put faith into action at upcoming Victorian election (Melbourne Catholic)
