Labels

This past Sunday the deacon who had preached got up at the end of the Mass for announcements, and then to deliver a message.

He alluded to the election that had taken place the previous Tuesday, and noted that people may have had labels like Democrat, Republican, or Independent. His basic plea was for peace and unity in the wake of what had happened Tuesday (He never said election, by the way, or mentioned any specific office).

He's right. Most people sitting in that congregation could likely be labeled Democrats, Republican or, like me, Independents (technically American Solidarity Party member, but that's not a recognized party in my state). And we do need peace and unity in the wake of that unmentionable event that took place the previous Tuesday.

But I had two further thoughts.

His allusion to the event that shall not be named was only the second time I heard about it from the pulpit (another deacon had in a previous homily urged us to vote ) at the parish - and this second one came after the fact. While there may have been parishes where the issues we as Catholic voters should weigh in deciding for whom to vote, they were not addressed in any significant way at my parish in the weeks before the unmentionable event. There were no homilies during those weeks specifically touching on those issues related to that thing that happened on the previous Tuesday. 

Yes, I know that as Catholic voters we are supposed to be researching the issues and vote for the candidate who most closely holds positions in accord with Church teachings. And as educated, thinking Catholics we are supposed to be aware that not all issues are of equal weight. The bishops have clearly identified abortion as a primary issue, for example, and we are not supposed to vote for pro-choice candidates if there are reasonable alternatives. 

But having been a reporter who covered politics and elections, and having been a teacher for many years, I know what people SHOULD do is not necessarily what they will do. Too many people vote out of habit and by straight ticket, for whomever seems "nice," and they rely on the obviously biased media to do the "research" and thinking for them. So you have to spell it out for people, and repeat the message. And since people are not inclined to read, they have to hear the message. As a teacher I was always told in a good lesson you tell the students what you are going to teach them, teach them, and then remind them about what you taught. And you likely have to repeat that lesson several times before they really understand it. Plus, you can never assume they will remember something you taught weeks or months before.

The same goes for Catholics voters. Our parish leaders have to help educate them so they are informed Catholic voters. Repeatedly.

There should have been, for example, bulletin inserts or articles comparing candidates' positions on issues related to Church teachings. (I will acknowledge that those could have been prepared by lay people - myself included - and we failed to do so. So that's on us.) 

Still, the best way to help educate Catholic voters directly is from the pulpit. Multiple times. 

We did not have that at my parish. I suspect that was also true of many parishes across this nation.

Preaching about abortion or religious liberty six months before doesn't cut it.

My second thought was about the labels.

Democrat. Republican, Independent.

Certainly.

But everyone sitting in that congregation shared a common, much more significant label that didn't get mentioned.

Catholic.

We should be a Catholic before we are a Democrat, a Republican, or an Independent.

We should vote as Catholics, not as Democrats, Republicans, or Independents.

When we leave out "Catholic" from our political decisions and our voting, then we are just rendering unto Caesar.

  

Pax et bonum