Changing Our World: Catholic Social Teaching and Responsible Citizenship

by Dr. Bernie Evans, professor at St John's University and member of JRLC's Executive Board. Cross-posted with courtesy of the St Cloud Visitor.

“Decisions are made by those who show up” – an old saying in politics, but one we should consider seriously. Good or bad, helpful or not, whatever law or public policy is made becomes the rule by which all of us must live. Whether these policies and laws benefit special interests or the broader common good, depends upon who shows up.

With legislators back in session this is a good time for people who claim a religious identity to remember that responsible citizenship is about more than voting every two or four years. It is also about engaging in year-round governance and bringing our religious perspectives into public discussions on societal needs.

In doing this we help lawmakers recognize that balancing the budget is not the only challenge they face. A larger one is to balance that budget in a way that is compassionate, fair and just. This has to mean that we do not rely solely upon cutting programs, especially when the “cut approach” includes such basic needs as child care funding and health insurance programs for the poorest people in Minnesota. It also means we do not pass such costs on to counties and cities when their State aid is being cut. A mix of cuts and new revenue sources – as in new taxes – likely will represent the best approach to balancing the State budget and meeting the needs of our State and local communities.

Catholic social teaching provides guidance on how we might look at this issue and on what we could contribute to all public policy debates. This teaching tells us to question whether our society is organized in a way that helps everyone meet their basic needs. Three moral norms should guide our efforts: promote the common good, protect life and the dignity of all, and give special consideration to the poor and the marginalized. Of course, to evaluate any public policy by these norms means we need to be engaged in the process.

The Second Vatican Council repeatedly pointed out that our political efforts to build a more just society are a way for any Christian to love and care for the neighbor. Later Pope Paul VI wrote that politics at any level can be a way of serving others. He noted also that working for public policy formation and change can lead to deep personal transformation, especially if we are open to questioning why we take the positions we do, what values guide us in our choices, and, do these values reflect the faith we claim to live?

With the Minnesota State Legislature in session, now is the time for people of faith to raise their voices. We won’t agree on every issue, and we don’t need to. Surely we can agree that our faith and our religion teach us “to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God” (Micah 6:8). That probably means we need to get involved.

However we choose to be involved in the political process, the critical point is that we be involved. Decisions and policies will be made by the ones who are there. Let us make sure that it is not only the highly paid, special interest lobbyists who show up.