Adolfo J. Castañeda, MA, STL
Director of Hispanic Education
Human Life International
adolfo@vidahumana.org
www.vidahumana.org
Christ gave His Apostles and their successors, the popes and the bishops, the
authority to teach in His name the path of salvation. The path of salvation
includes obedience to the Ten Commandments, and not only the Law of the
Godspel. Christ did not come to abolish the Ten Commandments, but to fulfil
them. (See Matthew 5:17; 16:13-19; 18:18; Luke 10:16.)
The Ten Commandments protect and promote true human values. For
example, the Fifth Commandment prohibits murder. This commandment
protects and promotes the value of human life.
Therefore, the Church has the authority to teach about the moral dimension of
any important human affair: family, politics, economics, etc. Because this
moral dimension includes human values, such as, human life, marriage, and
the family. (See Catechism, nos. 2032 and 2246.)
The Ten Commandments are an essential part of the natural and universal
moral law. All human persons must obey the natural law, and not only
Christians. All human persons must respect human life and not only Christians.
No society can be just if people do not respect human life, especially that of the
most weak and defenseless, such as unborn babies, the elderly, the sick, etc.
(See Catechism, nos. 1955-1956.)
From all that we have said so far, we can deduce that the Church, like any
individual or social group, has the right and the duty to ask everybody to respect
human life and all other important values. This right and duty of the Church
includes the political environment. This political dimension of society includes
the serious duty of all citizens to participate in the political life of their country,
especially during elections.
The Church does not tell anybody for whom to vote or for what party to vote. But
She does have the right and the duty to teach Catholics and all people of good
will the correct criteria to vote with an upright conscience.
Human life is not the highest value a human person possesses. Other values
are more important, like the spiritual life. But human life is the most
fundamental value and right. It is the basis and condition for the existence of all
other values and rights. Therefore, it must be protected above all others. (See
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Church, Declaration on Procured Abortion,
no. 11.)
It is not a matter of excluding all other human values and rights. It is a matter of
prioritizing them. The most fundamental values of society that we ought to
defend are human life, marriage between one man and one woman, and the
family. Then come those other important issues that are subject to prudential
judgements, such as education, health, economics, immigration, etc. (See U.S.
Bishops, Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities, usccb.org.)
This is not a matter of political parties. It is a matter of the most fundamental
human values and rights on which a just and wholesome society must be
founded. No political candidate or party is perfect regarding these fundamental
values and rights. This is why, when facing two candidates who are far from
perfect, and when there is no other better alternative with a realistic possibility
of winning the election, we may vote for the lesser evil. However, we may never
vote for the worse candidate, especially regarding the intrinsic and grave evils
of abortion and euthanasia.