For the People of God in the Archdiocese of Lingayen Dagupan
WHY ARE WE MAKING THIS PASTORAL GUIDANCE?
Partisan politics is not within the mission of the Church. This catechism is not about partisanship; it is about morality in politics. We, your shepherds, have the duty to teach and guide our flock because immoral and unethical conduct of politics hurt the poor, the children of this nation, and the vulnerable members of the Body of Christ. They frustrate God’s plan for a society over which justice reigns supreme-that justice that allows the flourishing of all persons.
“Politics are the highest form of charity Love is a political matter. Love is for everybody, and when love is not universal, politics fail in their intent,” Pope Francis said.
SHOULD THE RELIGION OF CANDIDATES BE A CRITERION OF OUR VOTES?
No. As Catholics we can vote for those who do not share our Catholic faith provided they believe in God and all that God teaches, especially about the integrity of their personal lives and their eagerness to work for the welfare of others. Let their character, competence and commitment to the nation be our guide as we choose our leaders. However, candidates who are indifferent to religion, or, worse, hostile to it and who advocate measures contrary to the tenets of religion cannot be a moral option for conscientious Catholics.
WHAT ARE OUR NATIONAL SOCIAL PROBLEMS NEEDING OUR ATTENTION AS BELIEVERS IN GOD?
Three urgent concerns need our moral discernment, firm moral action, and heroic decision making
- On the national scale, we must attend to the systemic and deeply entrenched corruption of public funds. The taxes we pay are stolen by those we choose stewards of public money. We know it is happening and yet we still vote for convicted thieves in government and those, who though able to escape the clutches of the law, are nevertheless notorious for their dishonesty, and unwilling to account for their use of public funds.
- Secondly, the sovereignty of our national territory particularly the Chinese intrusion into our seas is an ever present threat aggravated by Filipino accomplices who defend this invasion.
- A pressing issue is the neglect, in many respects, of the demands of the common good, and among the highest on this list are the demands of universal health care that grants access, to each Pilipino, to specialist care in provinces.
- Lastly, the family political dynasties have made a mockery of our electoral process and the democracy we hold dear as a nation. I am not making a new demand on our Catholics and on all people of goodwill in this Archdiocese. I am merely asking that all respect the spirit of the Constitution that clearly and expresaly prohibits dynasties.
WHAT SHOULD WE CONSIDER IN VOTING FOR LOCAL LEADERS?
Among the grassroots,
- The problem of poverty tops the list of concerns, which also includes health care, unemployment, nutrition and mal-education.
- Secondly the lack or even absence of peace and order, and the use of murder to solve criminality has made our lives worse not better.
- There remains the stubborn fact that the rich and highly-placed can get away with crime and malfeasance in government, with immorality and irresponsibility in their private lives.
- Lastly, as it is with the national situation, rampant and systemic graft and corruption, enabled by political dynasties, robs us of authentic public services. In light of the clear provision of our Constitution and the demand of any truly democratic system that public office be open to all who are qualified and who seek it, not sequestered by one family or one clan, I ask all in the Archdiocese to reject members of dynasties seeking public office either simultaneously or successively. We need not await Congress” definition of dynasties, for we all understand what dynasties arel It is plain common sense.
HOW SHALL WE RESPOND AS CATHOLICS?
At all times, we, members of the Catholic faithful must be guided by four principles of Catholic social doctrine which are human dignity, common good, subsidiarity, and solidarity.
- On human dignity, our starting point is our being created in the image of God. Human dignity is not bestowed by human laws. We are born with dignity.
- On the common good, we declare that inclusive social programs must favor the welfare of all.
- On subsidiarity, the lowest possible level of authority must be empowered through the promotion of autonomy with collaboration.
- On solidarity, we declare that we are interconnected and interdependent with favored attention to the marginalized.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE WAY WE VOTE?
There are immoral things that happen during elections we cannot tolerate and we must resist all the time, namely:
- If stealing government money has become systemic and ingrained, its ugly horn comes out without shame during elections by way of vote buying and vote selling. It has become organized and condoned in the name of “benefits”.
- Together with the evil of vote-buying is the ugly fact that our voters demand of politicians and candidates many favors, in effect, asking to be paid for their favor and their votes. It is this culture of “election-time mendicancy that breeds vote-buying and other forms of electoral fraud.
- With vote buying also come misinformation, disinformation, and mal-information. From the campaign culture of lies and calumny, we make poor judgments in the choices we make in the ballots. Hate speech and fake news manipulate voters’ judgment and undermine fair elections. The cycle of poverty, corruption and political dynasty and Chinese bullying gains greater strength as we sink deeper into our social quicksand.
- The third ugly horn of the election period is violence including murder, coercion, and intimidation. We live in a vulgar, confrontational, and polarized environment that is the opposite of the plan of God for us. The use of hate-language, mud-alinging and slander have no place in a decent society, that is supposedly Christian. We can advocate positions and advance programs of government without vulgarity and baseness.
WHAT ARE THE STANDARDS FOR VOTING THAT WE MIGHT HAVE BEEN USING IN THE PAST THAT HAVE DAMAGED US?
Unaware, we might have been using these wrong standards when we choose our political leaders:
- We love underdogs who are pitiful like us and we consequently give them votes of sympathy. Puawa at pakipot
- We are drawn to populist protectors who present themselves like superheroes in the fight against those which cause our fears. They are unafraid to do what we fear doing. We rally behind them as a consequence. “Pa-macho
- We admire providers in our dire needs when we are sick and hungry. They actually use taxpayers’ money to dole out and yet make us feel utang na loob for them. Mapagmalasakit.
- We are mesmerized by “fighter candidates who show bravado and sexist machismo but are actually corrupt and incompetent. Palaban
WHO SHOULD WE VOTE FOR?
As shepherds, our duty is to form our flock’s moral conscience in view of making moral choices in the election. Use the moral standards we have taught you and make your judgment in prayer.
We should vote for those who in action discerned from their life-stories and from their publie conduct live honestly, not opulently, love sincerely, neither for show nor for applause, and take up the causes of the weakest members of our society.
WHO SHOULD WE NOT VOTE FOR?
Do not vote for those who mock God or support those who mock God. Do not vote for those who mock religion and ridicule religious worship and devotion.
Do not vote for those who support the Chinese presence in the West Philippines Sea or those who quietly evade the issue by their silence and empty rhetoric.
Do not vote for those who give you money during the campaign. They are insulting your dignity. By their money, they look down on you as “price tagged objects. Resist and fight back by rejecting their names in the ballot.
Do not vote for those who destroy the reputation of their opponents in order to boost themselves. The purveyors of lies, hate, murder and disinformation are anti-God because God is Truth, Love, and Peace.
Do not vote for more than one candidate coming from the same family. One is enough. Do your heroic share to end political dynasties that continue to cripple our democracy,
Do not vote for re-election candidates who have done nothing in their term. You empower the incompetent by voting for them again. Check diligently and critically their track records by not relying only on their or their opponents declarations.
PRAYER FOR THE ELECTIONS
Leader: Let us pray that the forthcoming national and local elections may truly reflect the will of the Lord who guides the destinies of nations. Let us pray together:
Deliver us, Lord.
From coercion, intimidation, violence and terroriam, From dishonesty, lies and all distortion of truth, From bribery, graft and all conspiracy for fraud, From gullibility to the deceptive and blindness of perspective, From threats, intimidation and perverse language,
Leader: Let us pray together: Hear us, Lord
That conscience may always be our ultimate norm, That the common good may always be our highest goal,
That human dignity may be respected all the time, That the poor and the weak may always have the priority, That care for creation may never be ignored, That solidarity may guide the path of peace and development, That gemuine fear of God and love of neighbors may guide those who seek public office
Let us pray.
Shepherd of souls and Savior of the nations, politics is your gift to us, a call to serve others and grow in holiness. Guide our politics as you guide our lives. May our political engagement for voters and candidates bring glory to your loving name and help Amen grow in holiness, forever and ever.