Lent and Politics

by Randy Hain | March 8, 2012 12:01 am

Courtesy of the Architect of the Capitol

Since converting to the Catholic Church in 2006, Lent has become a much anticipated time to recalibrate and get my bearings.  My Lenten journey is defined by words such as simplification, detachment, sacrifice, devotion and a focused effort on improving my prayer life.  This somewhat disciplined approach has worked well in past years, but this year I find myself continually distracted by the state of our country and the presidential political season.  I am seeking peace, but find it to be an elusive goal this Lent.

Regarding peace (or the lack of it), have you noticed when politics enters into a conversation, many people become defensive or angry?   I find this kind of conversation even more contentious when I observe our fellow Catholics engaging in political discussions when they have differing opinions.   A recent political discussion I was involved in about the government’s attack on religious liberty is the motivation behind me wanting to share my thoughts with you on Catholicism and politics.  I will attempt to offer some “Lenten discipline” to assessing challenges the Church faces in our country (USA) and suggest a Catholic response to these problems.

Opposition to Church Doctrine

We have an enormous problem with the lack of leadership and good example from politicians who are Catholic, but consistently make decisions and cast votes that are contrary to Church teaching.  In the recent Senate vote on the Blunt Amendment which would have blocked the HHS mandate, 13 Catholic Senators voted against the amendment.  Consistently and publicly, many Catholic politicians have taken pro-abortion and pro-gay marriage positions among many others which are counter to Church teaching.  This administration, arguably the most pro-abortion in history, has dramatically increased the pressure and attacks on the Catholic Church with the complicit involvement of other Catholics.  It is difficult to comprehend the reasons behind their failure to defend moral truth.

Guilt by Participation

What about the governed?  What role do we play?  Has our involvement in the political process promoted or opposed Catholic doctrine?  Around the country, politicians are consistently being elected who hold positions that are in direct opposition to Catholic teaching on everything from abortion to basic religious liberty, with the active help and support of other Catholics.  As Archbishop Chaput wrote in Render Unto Caesar, “American democracy does not ask its citizens to put aside their deeply held moral and religious beliefs for the sake of public policy. In fact, it requires exactly the opposite. People are fallible. The majority of voters can be uninformed or biased or simply wrong. Thus, to survive, American democracy depends on people of character fighting for their beliefs in the public square – legally, ethically, and nonviolently, but forcefully and without apology. Anything less is a form of theft from the nation’s health.” (p.146-147)

Four Big Problems (among many)

There are numerous reasons why Catholic politicians and voters are out of sync with the Church, but here are four we should consider:

What can and should we do?

Here are five actionable ideas:

So, there it is.  I have shared a stripped-down and basic version of the political landscape and a few of our obligations through my Lenten filter.  I didn’t cover everything, but I hope we will all take the initiative to be better informed about what our Catholic faith teaches us regarding our involvement in politics and the public square.  I strongly suggest reading the USCCB document, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship and the book, Render Unto Caesar, by Archbishop Charles Chaput.  The Bishops’ document is a very thorough explanation of our civic duty as Catholics, strongly supported by Scripture, the Catechism and papal writings.  Archbishop Chaput’s book is a call to action that will permanently change your view of our Catholic responsibility in the public square.

The Church needs us to be actively involved and authentically living out our Catholic faith.   Let’s discern carefully the future choices we will have before us in the voting booth and in defending our faith in the public arena.  Through prayer, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, faithfulness to the Magisterium and devotion to the Eucharist we will draw closer to Jesus during Lent and be well prepared for the battles ahead.


Randy Hain, Senior Editor for The Integrated Catholic Life™, is the author of The Catholic Briefcase: Tools for Integrating Faith and Work which was recently released by Liguori Publications. The Catholic Briefcase[1] is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble online and your local Catholic bookstore. 

The Catholic Briefcase was recently selected as a Finalist in the About.com Catholicism Reader’s Choice Awards for the Book of the Year for 2011.  You can vote for The Catholic Briefcase here: About.com Catholicism Reader’s Choice Awards


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Endnotes:
  1. The Catholic Briefcase: http://www.amazon.com/Catholic-Briefcase-Tools-Integrating-Faith/dp/0764820524/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1311008909&sr=1-1

Source URL: https://integratedcatholiclife.org/2012/03/randy-hain-lent-and-politics/