A Voice from the Pews

Millions of faithful, active Catholics have been drawn to the Obama campaign. It is interesting to hear their stories. Here is the voice of one Catholic supporting Obama, from a letter to the editor of the Grand Rapids (Michigan) Press:


Informed conscience

The Catholic Church teaches that Catholics have a moral obligation to inform their consciences and participate in political life. The Catholic Church does not tell Catholics for whom to vote nor endorse single issue voting. See "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility from the Catholic Bishops of the United States."

Leading pro-life Catholics in good standing have endorsed Barack Obama. Among these are Senator Bob Casey, Jr. and professors Douglas Kmiec and Andrew Bacevich. I believe the reasons are twofold.

First, the leadership of the Republican Party has to a large extent been captured by the neoconservatives with their agenda of preemptive, and thereby unjust, war; making the wealthy wealthier at the expense of the poor and the middle classes; and degrading the environment of the earth, the home of the human family.

Second, Obama's orientation of hope, reconciliation, and community is fundamentally consistent with Catholic social teaching over a wide range of values.

In my judgment, sincere single issue voters are liable to cynical manipulation and we are seeing the disastrous results. My conscience tells me that it is critical that we change course. For that reason, I, like millions of good Catholics, support Obama.

-- JACK HOFFMAN/Grand Rapids