Church document underlines duty to vote after reflection

The Centre for Faith and Justice and the Justice and Peace Commission of the Archbishop’s Curia this morning issued a document to underline the duty of every Christian to reflect and to vote at general elections.

The document was presented at a press conference by Fr Edgar Busuttil SJ,director of the Centre for Faith and Justice and Godfrey Leone Ganado, president of the commission.

The document says that every Christian, as a citizen, is called to participate fully in the building of a just society that safeguards the common good. This moral duty of every Christian includes the duty of exercising one’s right to vote, with a conscience that is well formed and not on the basis of personal interests or blind affiliation with a political party.

Both those persons who present themselves as candidates for elections, as well as all those citizens who, faithful to their moral duty exercise their right to vote, should seek all that leads to truth, freedom, justice and solidarity. Voters should evaluate within their conscience whether the proposals of the political parties and the individual candidates comply with these objectives. Candidates should be honest and of utmost integrity, and should work for the common good, which goes beyond personal and partisan interests.

In this respect, the document says, special attention should be directed towards the most vulnerable members of society.

The centre of every political initiative should be: The value, the integrity, and the dignity of every person who is created in the image of God. The Christian person should seek those political representatives who safeguard the human person from the moment of conception right through all its life, the report says.

The family remains the main pillar upon which society is built. In this respect, the Christian person should identify those proposals which strengthen in every possible way the family itself, built on a life-long marriage between a man and a woman, as well as all those structures that sustain it. This is necessary so that the family will be in a position to overcome the ongoing challenges and difficulties confronting it.

From a Christian perspective, social justice demands from political leaders that in all social matters, there will be no forms of hatred and/or discrimination on the basis of race, sex, class, age, disability, political or religious belief.

As a co-operator with God in His plan for creation, every Christian person should seek in every political representative and political party the characteristics of commitment that place the safeguarding of the environment and sustainable development at the forefront of the political agenda for the country. The current environmental challenges present serious problems which demand concrete action through policies that seek the long term benefit of every person and of future generations.

The fast changes in the field of health and healthcare also demand political commitment so that the human person and his/her dignity are always at the centre of all health policies and the related services given. The system of healthcare and cure should continue to improve, and accessibility by everyone to the health system should be assured.

The principle of solidarity demands that priority should always be given to those members of society who cannot afford to pay for health services and healthcare. The elected representatives should propose, create and guarantee a social and economic environment in which all those who are capable for work will find with a just wage which helps him/her live with dignity and sustain his/her family adequately.

The report says that every voter should seek those proposals that guarantee for everyone the right to adequate housing that safeguards one's dignity, and that those who least afford. have access to financial aid for renting and buying property. It is a must that political initiatives should always be taken to safeguard this right.

In its conclusion, the report sys it is crucial that the political environment before the elections is one that allows for an open and serious debate, with space given to everyone to voice his/her opinion. In this respect, every speech/debate should be constructive and should clearly set out, for the understanding of every voter, the principles upon which the electoral proposals are based as well as the methodology by which the proposals are to be achieved. The delivery of the message should be clear and honest, and not manipulative or disrespectful.

During this period of electoral campaign, the need arises more than ever for the communications media to give truthful information that helps, and not confuses, every person in arriving at the best choice based on a well formed and informed conscience. This applies both for the message contents as well as the methodology used in conveying the message. The communications media, both those that are public as well as those with political affiliations, have the duty to discern the important role that they have and also to treat their audience faithfully by helping them form their opinion in a free and well informed way.