Study, pray, choose

The time of election is upon us and with it comes all of the debate and discussion among citizens, including us as Catholics. Pope Francis has a few words of advice for those of us ready to enter the voting booth in a few short days.

On his way back to Rome on Oct. 2, Pope Francis openly took questions from reporters. It’s no surprise that the questions eventually led to the election here in the United States and what a good Catholic should do.

Pope Francis didn’t enter into the debate of who to vote for specifically, as he said “in electoral campaigns, I never say a word. The people are sovereign.”

At the same time, the Holy Father does tell us what we can do: “study the proposals well, pray, and choose in conscience.”

First, study the proposals well. There isn’t a lack of information on where the various candidates stand on the issues. A little online research should bring up a good amount of information. If we are in need of more, the North Dakota Catholic Conference has a good list of questions to consider looking into for each candidate: http://www.yourfaithyourvote.org/questions/index.html.

Second, pray. If we are really struggling about how to vote in the upcoming election, what better to do than pray? God will answer our prayers when we ask him sincerely, as He knows what is best for us. Maybe a novena to the patron saint of politicians, St. Thomas More, would be fitting for some of us. If we are serious about seeking God’s help, we don’t have to worry about making these decisions on our own.

Third, choose in conscience. The conclusion we come to after prayer is our own. We each have to choose according to where our conscience directs us. If we’ve read the issues and sincerely asked for help from the Lord, this last step should naturally follow from the first two. 
So, while Francis didn’t tell us what to do specifically, he did treat us like any good father would treat his children. He gave us the tools we need to make a good choice as well as the freedom to do it on our own.

I hope we can see the beauty in the Holy Father’s words of advice. More importantly, I hope we all take the time to be the best faithful citizens we can be and follow his advice this election year.