Catholic bishops issue election guide
-14/03/05
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales is encouraging Catholics to question parliamentary candidates on a number of ‘key issues’ before deciding how to cast their vote in the General Election.
In an election letter they acknowledge that there are ‘many important issues’ in the forthcoming election. But the Bishops have highlighted six for special consideration under the headings of “Marriage and the family”, “Respect for life”, “Criminal justice”, “Education”, “The Global Common Good” and “Refugees and migrants”.
Politicians are urged to “support and strengthen” family life by assessing “all legislation for its impact on the families”.
The bishops suggest that the traditional family structure “remains the building block of our society”.
The bishops reiterate their opposition to abortion, the cloning of human embryos and euthanasia and call for policies that “safeguard the fundamental right to life”.
Following on from a report produced by catholic bishopsin December which suggested overcrowding has stretched the prison system to breaking point the bishops urge in their letter ‘a compassionate and fresh approach to crime and punishment’. Politicians should develop policies that produce ‘a more humane criminal justice system’ they say.
In the field of education their focus is on the ‘formation of the whole person’ whether at school or as an adult. Education, they suggest, “needs to be well funded so that no one is deterred from learning for economic reasons.”
The bishops also take up the themes of the Make Poverty History campaign. The cancellation of debt, more and better aid, and fair trade should be at the top of the agenda for government, they say. They also urge that international organisations, such as the UN, should be strengthened.
Over asylum seekers and migration, the bishops urge policies which ‘protect the human rights and dignity of refugees and migrants’. Standards governing the treatment of refugees and migrants and which seek to combat the criminal trafficking and sexual abuse of women and children should be supported, they say.
In a warning to politicians about the rhetoric that they can employ – particularly over immigration and asylum – the bishops suggest that politicians “are expected to be committed to the common good and should avoid appealing to prejudice.”
The bishops are inviting Catholics to examine these issues in the light of Catholic Social Teaching and question local candidates on them.
Faith is not a private matter, say the bishops. Catholics are reminded that they have a social responsibility to each other and a duty to promote and work for a society that is fair and respectful of the rights of the individual.
President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor said; “Elections are times when we make moral decisions, not just material ones. This is the part of the responsibility which goes along with the privilege of living in a democracy. The vital document will help us all to ask how, in the light of the Gospel, our vote can best serve the common good.”
Archbishop Peter Smith of Cardiff, said,” Before any of us vote, we have a duty to reflect on the important issues of the day and decide how best our vote might contribute to the common good, and the promotion of a more compassionate, just and peaceful society. As Christians we believe that the truths of the Gospel are a vital element in our reflection on how best to build a society which respects the value and dignity of every person, irrespective of race, colour or creed, and which fosters our flourishing as human beings.”
Archbishop Patrick Kelly of Liverpool said, “The last thing any of us wants is a disintegrated and disintegrating society. This document is to assist each one of us to look at our human story as whole in its complexity and potential. We are convinced that our responsibility as Christians is not accomplished if we only offer a partial disconnected account of life. There may well be issues not covered in this document, but this is a secure framework to encourage that careful attention and those sound judgements needed at the time of a General Election.”