The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops wisely wrote in their statement Living the Gospel of Life, “We get the public officials we deserve.
Their virtue–or lack thereof–is a judgment not only on them, but on us.” The 2012 campaign is over, with more than 100 million Americans taking part in the great exercise of democracy by voting. President Barack Obama won a decisive and clear victory, surging to more than 300 votes in the Electoral College. While his margin of victory in the Electoral College is significant, the popular vote sadly reveals a deeply divided nation. More importantly than political division the election makes clear that Americans are also very divided over fundamental questions.
The election of President Obama returns a radically pro-abortion president to the White House, soon after he had endorsed same-sex marriage. Furthermore, voters in Maine, Maryland, and Washington state legalized same-sex marriage. In Minnesota the effort to pass a constitutional amendment thwarting same-sex marriage went down to defeat. It is certainly clear that the nation is shifting toward a national philosophy of radical secular humanism and moral relativism.
The Catholic Church must be rightly and deeply concerned about the election results. We must pray that God will change President Obama’s heart on a whole host of issues from the sanctity of human life to the truthful definition of marriage. We must continue to call for significant efforts to reduce the growing rate of poverty in our nation where over 40 million Americans continue to struggle economically. We must continue to fight against his unwarranted healthcare mandate that undermines the religious liberty of institutions and assaults the consciences of individuals. We must continue to reach consensus on meaningful, not punitive, immigration reform for the millions of undocumented living in the dark shadows of our nation.
We pray for our president and Congress that they may truly pursue the common good, especially for the weakest among us, such as the unborn, the poor and the sick. But we also remind our newly elected leaders that we as a church must and will remain always vigilant in protecting the sanctity of human life and dignity, preserving the definition of marriage, ensuring the free exercise of religion and personal conscience, defending the poor and immigrants as we live our Gospel mandate to faithfully serve the common good and give voice to the voiceless.
Do not trust politicians to end abortion, trust in God and prayer
