John Tyson
Pope Francis has recently made blunt statements to the U. S political leaders specifically Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. He specifically highlighted their stances on two critical issues: immigration and abortion Those are the two most sensitive issues in the American society which has been connected to the increase in the number of people exercising their freedom of speech. Delivered by the Pope while on his way from a 12-day apostolic journey of South East Asia and Oceania, the pope’s statement is an appeal to the conscience of U. S. Catholics in view of the upcoming elections.
It has generated a wide debate especially among the Catholics and even other Christian denominations. Currently, there are nearly 52 million Catholics in the U. S, and the votes of these people can influence the elections’ outcome. In this article, the author discusses about Pope Francis’ message and reflect on the possibilities and relevance of the message in the current global political and ethical perspectives.
Immigration: A “Grave Sin”
On immigration issues, the Pope has always stood for the immigrants, and has not hesitated to condemn so much political decision-making, which threatens the rights of immigrants. Although not naming Trump, he came very close to denouncing Trump’s plan of deporting millions of immigrants in case elected. Pope extended the scripture of the Bible that instructed to accept strangers or the so-called today’s migrants because it is a sin not to accept immigrants.
Speaking of the key social issues in the United Stated the concern for immigration has been a topical one for many years now. Furthermore, he has signaled that he will be a tough man on immigration by calling for a physical wall to be built on the border with Mexico and that immigrants in the United States illegally should be deported. The message delivered by the pope highlights the ethical dilemma which many Catholics may go through when making their votes, more so bearing in mind the fact that the Catholic Church has for years encouraged the provision of shelter to refugees among other things as a Christian right.
Earlier, the pope also expressed his condemnations of Trump in matters concerning immigration policies describing them as shameless. Some of Trump’s policy stands on deportation and the building of the border wall have created ethical concerns within the Catholic Church and given what the leaders of the Church have had to say against them.
Nevertheless, the pope’s latest message offers more than just opposition to the other kind. He argues that when caring for migrants is neglected the religious tenets are disregarded. To millions of the Catholic base this position negates the concept of voting for a candidate with polices antithetical to their religious beliefs.
As it can be observed clearly the above message has brought significant changes in how the pope has framed the debate. He forces voters to ask themselves: Can they endorse a candidate that has a politically incorrect stance on immigration?
Abortion: An “Assassination”
In his speech, Pope Francis turned to another divisive issue: abortion. He said that he would never support abortion referring to it as “assassination. ” This was directed to Kamala Harris who has always supported abortion.
Everybody is aware of the Catholic Church’s position on abortion. It postulates life starts from conception, and anything that will bring an end to that life is sin. Again and again the U.S. bishops have re-emphasized that it is a preeminent priority for Catholics when exercising their civic responsibility.
While, Harris has pledged her support towards the protection of abortion. She has vowed to approve any bills that will reinstate national democratic safeguards for abortion rights which the supreme court erased in Roe v. Wade in 2022. This clash of religion and Harris’ stand leave Catholic voters in a dilemma between the stand of their Church and choice of their leader.
As is seen, Pope Francis’ message leaves no doubt that he believes it is impossible to justify a support for abortion. He termed it as “killing a human being,” which almost had no gray area that could be negotiated. This very condemnation challenges the Catholic voters to think whether it is possible for them to vote for a candidate supporting the right to abortion.
The message also increases the degree of ethical conflict for the viewers who are Catholics. Can they vote for a political candidate that is for policies that they are against especially when it comes to the issue of abortion? Answer to this question could determine how Catholics will vote in the next election.
The Dilemma for U.S. Catholics
Pope Francis’ recent remarks on immigrants and on abortion throw into the spotlight one of the important questions that the US Catholics are facing today. Both are moral questions and the candidates’ stand, are diametrically opposed to the Catholic church theologies.
When asked who Catholics should vote for, the pope offered a simple, but profound, answer: “Take the lesser of two evils. ” Though worded like a weak suggestion, it informs the Catholic of the struggles of deciding between candidates each of which possesses policies that are objectionable according to the Catholic’s faith.
The idea of opting for the lesser evil is something which has been around for quite sometime now. It is admitted in Catholic ethical practice where people have to make a complex moral decision and has been a principle for centuries. Here, one is expected to compare the evils of both a candidate’s policies and choose which one is lesser evil for catholics.
It seems that for the many voters it is going to be a difficult decision. On one hand, they have a candidate who reviles immigrants, policy that is looked down on by the Church as inhuman. They are facing a candidate who supports abortion issue which the Church considers as against life.
On this account, this decision is likely to vary from voter to voter depending on which of the issues they consider more critical. To some it may be immigration, maybe it is Because to some even immigration comes first. For others abortion may emerges as a defining issue. In either case, there are a few things one can derive from the pope’s message for Catholics to vote and make a choice.
The Political and Ethical Implications
This raises several issues concerning the relations between religion and politics especially due to the pope’s comments concerning U. S. politics. In the Quran and Sunnah it is allowed to interfere in political issues; so the question is should religious leaders speak out on political matters? Catholic voters, thus, are clueless about the best way to approach this marriage of faith and politics.
Pope Francis has not hesitated to give his opinions on different political matters, especially on rights of people and justiceاورزی>>​ His criticism of both Trump and Harris shows that he was trying to underscore the fact that Politics has ethical ramifications. In his view, the Church’s function is to help people make correct ethical choices in their concrete activity.
However, the pope’s involvement in the U. S politics also poses a risk of polarizing the Catholics. Some of the audience maybe happy with his leadership, while others may have the impression that the religious leaders should not endorse any political candidate. This tension has its root in a general discourse in the society about the place of religion in the society.
Bishops of Catholic Church in the U. S. for instance has not been exempted from these challenges. In their election guidance they strongly insist for choice that is informed as well as a matter of conscience. However, it is easier said than done since one has to weigh the doctrines of the Church with work at the political arena. This is evident in the way the bishops on voting, admitting that none of the candidates to an election offer the Catholic way of life in totality.
This is the same balancing act that applies to the voters as well. Catholics have to tune in to their conscience on issues of morality when putting into consideration the realities of a vote. For many, it may mean voting for a candidate they don’t want and don’t feel 100% comfortable supporting but is better than the other side.
A Moral Crossroad
Pope Francis has entered the US election campaign by wading into the debate over President Trump by attacking both him and Kamala Harris. His criticisms of their policies in these areas such as immigration, abortion highlight the ethical questions that Catholics have to answer when deciding their vote. Insisting on ‘the lesser evil’ the pope has raised the consciousness of Catholics that is it not merely a political action, they are taking when they vote.
This message could be very much felt in a country which has a very large block of voters who are Catholics. While it is not the perfect choice between two bad options, Pope Francis made it very clear about the importance of voting in the democratic process. This is why Catholics when being in a position to vote, are not expected to vote for the most righteous candidate but the lesser of evils.
