The Washington State
Catholic Conference

The Washington State Catholic Conference (WSCC) represents the Catholic Bishops of Washington State: Archbishop Alex J. Brunett of the Archdiocese of Seattle, Bishop George L. Thomas, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Seattle, Bishop William S. Skylstad of the Diocese of Spokane, and Bishop Carlos A. Sevilla S.J. of the Diocese of Yakima. This WSCC statement addresses processes involved in conscience formation in light of the Scriptures and Catholic social teaching in preparation for voting in November.

The teachings of Jesus comprise the social doctrine of the Church, and these doctrines are aimed at guiding our behavior and seeing all of life in new and different ways. Those who follow Christ have a special obligation to treat each person with dignity and care. Caring for the least among us is a primary part of our civic responsibility as Catholics. As we draw closer to the election, the Church asks us to see others through the eyes of Christ, to look carefully and critically at each candidate and ballot issue, and to evaluate the way the individual or the issue upholds and defends the dignity of each human person and supports the common good.

The November election invites us to express our faith and citizenship. The U.S. Catholic Bishops’ statement Faithful Citizenship: Civic Responsibility for a New Millennium, emphasizes that: “In the Catholic tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue; participation in the political process is a moral obligation.” Each Catholic has a moral responsibility to form and vote her or his conscience. In fact, we are encouraged to be a community of conscience within the larger society, grounded in the moral wisdom found in Scripture and the Church’s teachings.

Besides having the opportunity to vote on candidates for local, state and federal offices, we will vote on local issues and six state initiatives. The initiatives deal with a wide range of topics, including: banning certain types of traps for capturing animals, providing increased funding for public schools, granting annual cost of living increases to teachers, establishing charter schools, nullifying certain taxes and limiting property taxes, and spending 90 percent of the state’s transportation funds on roads.

These initiatives are value statements, and if passed, will say something about the character of our society. This year the Washington State Catholic Conference has not taken a position on any of the initiatives, but we, the Catholic bishops of Washington State, ask you to participate in the political process by informing your conscience and voting. Conscience formation is a process that requires time and attention and involves the following general steps:

Gathering Facts
Reflecting on Scripture and Catholic Social Teaching
Examining Your Own Emotions / Motives
Discussing with Others
Praying
Making a Decision

To understand how your vote will impact us as a society we encourage you to listen to and read about the elections. As you gather your facts, we pose the following questions:

• Is the issue worthwhile? Is it fair? Is it well written public policy?
• Who benefits? Who gains power? Is anyone harmed?
• Are we better as a society with it? Is it a “quick fix” or a good solution?
• Who supports, who opposes, and who finances the issue?
• Are there unintended consequences? Is there a better way to achieve the goal?
• If there is an impact on a government budget, who gains and who loses?

As Catholics, we bring our values to the debate about our future, realizing that the issues before us have moral dimensions. These are some key themes of our Catholic Social Teaching:

• Every human person is created in the image and likeness of God and has dignity that must be respected in society.
• The human person is not only sacred but also inherently social. Every person has a right to participate in society and a duty to work for the common good.
• God has a special love for the poor and vulnerable.

In our tradition we hold that a legitimate role of government is to serve the common good and to provide for people in need. It is through our taxes that we provide for the basic needs of the very poor. The state budget reflects our values about fairness in our community, and some of the initiatives have a significant impact on the budget. As we study each of the initiatives, we reflect on them in the light of the Scriptures and our Catholic Social Teachings, asking:

• Is respect for the sacredness of human life upheld or diminished?
• Is the dignity of the human person upheld or diminished?
• Does it foster the common good?
• Is there a sense of urgency or importance from a moral perspective?
• Are those who are poor made vulnerable? Are the poor protected?
• If there is an impact on state budget, can the state still provide essential services, especially for the poor? After reflecting on our Catholic social teachings, we invite you to examine your own motives and involvement with the issues, and discuss the issues with others. Here are some questions you can ask yourself:
  • Am I personally affected? How is my decision influenced by my emotions?
  • Is my support or opposition based on personal gain?
  • What experiences have I had that influence my decision?
  • Are there differing opinions? Why? Are there alternatives?

  In our country, we are blessed to have a tradition that supports us in professing our values in the public arena. As citizens we have a stake in what happens in our state and our nation. As Catholics we have a responsibility to view our future through the lens of Jesus Christ and the Gospels. We encourage you to inform your conscience, pray and vote.

  (For further information, contact the Washington State Catholic Conference at (206) 301-0556. For the complete text of the United States Catholic Conference statement "Faithful Citizenship," .)

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