Marian Helper • Fall 2024 • Marian.org 23 Family, Local, Voluntary At the same time, Solidarity always must be coupled with a third basic social precept: the principle of “Subsidiarity.” This principle states that the higher, more central authorities of society — and the central offices of government above all — must not usurp the role of what the Compendium calls “the original expressions of social life,” especially the role of the family, and the role of voluntary associations and local social groupings of all kinds. We can call this “the preferential option for the family, the local, and the voluntary.” Pope Pius XI discussed this principle in his encyclical Quadragesimo Anno (On the Reconstruction of the Social Order), issued in 1931. He taught that we are indeed our brother’s keeper, but central, distant authorities, and especially central government authorities, are only our brother’s keeper of last resort. The main work of practicing Solidarity is to be accomplished by individuals, families, churches, voluntary organizations and private charities, local businesses and local unions, and even local levels of government, not primarily by the central government authority. Nothing is more dangerous to human dignity and human rights in the long run than the concentration of power in the hands of the central government — and as history has repeatedly shown, nothing is more often abused. So keep these in mind when casting your vote. Intrinsically evil At the end of the day, “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship” tells us: There are some things we must never do, as individuals or as a society, because they are always incompatible with love of God and neighbor. Such actions are so deeply flawed that they are always opposed to the authentic good of persons. These are called “intrinsically evil” actions. They must always be rejected and opposed and must never be supported or condoned. It goes on to cite specifics to bear in mind when deciding how to cast your vote: The threat of abortion remains our pre-eminent priority because it directly attacks our most vulnerable and voiceless brothers and sisters and destroys more than a million lives per year in our country alone. Other grave threats to the life and dignity of the human person include euthanasia, gun violence, terrorism, the death penalty, and human trafficking. There is also the redefinition of marriage and gender, threats to religious freedom at home and abroad, lack of justice for the poor, the suffering of migrants and refugees, wars and famines around the world, racism, the need for greater access to healthcare and education, care for our common home, and more. All threaten the dignity of the human person. Making your choice What do we do when all of the candidates support “intrinsically evil acts”? When, for example, one candidate for President wants to widely fund, facilitate, and promote abortion through government legislation, against another who wants to deport undocumented immigrants back to the countries from which they came (and not just the terrorists and convicted felons among them). Both are clear violations of Catholic Social Teaching. So what do we do? Always keeping in mind that “abortion remains our preeminent priority,” the USCCB recommends: When all candidates hold a position that promotes an intrinsically evil act, the conscientious voter faces a dilemma. The voter may decide to take the extraordinary step of not voting for any candidate or, after careful deliberation, may decide to vote for the candidate deemed less likely to advance such a morally flawed position and more likely to pursue other authentic human goods. Be sure to visit our website, TheDivineMercy.org on October 5, one month before Election Day, to see a breakdown of the candidates’ positions on all the main issues, and find some prudential guidance on how to find our way as Catholics through this very confusing election year. Robert Stackpole, STD, is the emeritus director of the John Paul II Institute of Divine Mercy and the author of a new edition of Letters to a College Student: On the Light of Reason and the Search for Truth (B63-LTCS), available on ShopMercy.org.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjI2Mw==