Voting with a Catholic conscience

Inside the Capitol 

The 2024 election will determine not only our next president but also numerous legislators at the local, state, and federal levels. As Minnesotans prepare to vote, we as Catholics are called to do so with a focus on human dignity, recognizing that every person is made in the image and likeness of God. This fundamental belief is central to how we engage in public life, including how we vote. Catholics should approach the upcoming election with this in mind, using the church’s teachings as a guide to form their conscience and inform their vote at the ballot box. 

To help Catholics prepare to vote, the Minnesota Catholic Conference has created a collection of resources, including specific information on Catholic Social Teaching, faithful citizenship, human dignity, and political guidelines for parishes. These resources, designed to guide and inform voters, can be found at mncatholic.org/election2024. 

Catholic Social Teaching 

Catholic Social Teaching offers a framework for how to build a just society that promotes human flourishing. CST reflects the Gospel’s call to love our neighbor and uphold the dignity of every human person. The principles give Catholics the tools to live out our personal call to holiness despite the challenges of modern society and to share the truths of the faith. 

When voting, it’s essential to reflect on the Catholic Social Teaching framework. It is often said that Catholics are politically homeless, as no candidate or party perfectly embodies all of the church’s teachings. But by prioritizing issues that most directly affect human dignity and the common good, we can allow our faith to inform our vote. 

Faithful Citizenship 

To help form our conscience, Catholics should turn to the USCCB’s Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship as an evergreen resource to guide decisions. This does not prescribe specific votes but instead provides a foundation for forming one’s conscience. The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that our conscience must be informed and moral judgment enlightened (CCC 1783). This formation is crucial, as it helps us prioritize the principles of life, dignity, and the common good in our voting decisions. 

Human dignity 

In April 2024, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith released Dignitatis Infinita, a Declaration on Human Dignity, and MCC distilled that into a resource for all Minnesota Catholics called “On Human Dignity.” This important summary offers valuable insights into how contemporary issues — such as abortion, war, poverty, assisted suicide, and gender — relate to the concept of human dignity. We urge Catholics to study this declaration and apply its teachings as they evaluate candidates and issues on the ballot. 

Parish Guidelines for Political Activity 

As Catholics, we must never be afraid of bringing our faith into the public square. However, because the church is not a political entity, we must make sure that our individual advocacy efforts are kept distinct from the church’s teaching voice. Our guidelines for parish and church organization political activity clearly lay out which activities are prohibited and which are permissible. 

Ultimately, voting is an expression of love — love for God, love for neighbor, and love for the world we inhabit. By casting our ballots with a well-formed conscience, we participate in the civic life of our community in a way that reflects our deepest values and hopes for society. 

We are called to be salt and light in the world (see Matthew 5:13-16). Voting with a Catholic conscience is one way we can bring the light of Christ into the public square, working toward a society that respects life, promotes justice, and upholds human dignity.