During the Cold War there was no question: a Catholic could not vote for the Communist Party, and in countries with Christian Democratic Parties it was expected that a good Catholic, a faithful Christian, would vote for the C party. But nowadays in most countries it is not quite that clear. In the US a Catholic may face a dilemma: he or she may favour the Democrats for their stance on social justice and the war in Iraq, but be opposed to their support for abortion and homosexual unions.
Under normal circumstances, the Church does not tell people who to vote for. In this tradition the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference said in its pre-election pastoral letter, Individual Christians can make their own decisions as to which party comes closest to the Christian ethos. They have a right to join any party of their choice. Up to this point, you might say, joining even the ruling party or voting for it would be acceptable. But listen to the sequel, However, within the party of their choice, Christians must act as salt, leaven and light. There must be a firm commitment to justice and solidarity by each member of the people of God’.
Under normal circumstances people have a choice. But – and this is the point – these are not normal circumstances.It is not normal that a party routinely and systematically tells lies and kills off any media that might reveal those lies.It is not normal that a party is based on an ideology of racial hatred.
It is not normal for a party to claim identity with the state and call any political opponent an enemy of the state and voting for the opposition high treason.It is not normal for a party to persecute and harass through the forces of law and order its opponents with unspeakable brutality. In normal countries people are familiar with, and practice, tolerance as the basis of democracy.
It is not normal for a party to starve political opponents and withhold life-saving food supplies from them.
It is not normal to burn the houses of free citizens who vote for the opposition and to send death squads after their leaders.
No one in his right sense can claim that such a party is in practice anywhere near the Christian ethos, never mind what its verbal claims may be, or that it is committed to justice and solidarity.
The leader said before the votes were cast that he would never allow rigging, his conscience could not bear it. But he has been manipulating the vote ever since.
So where is his conscience?
People who do have a conscience cannot possibly vote for this party, precisely when they apply the criteria of the Bishops’ Pastoral. Christians voters should use the Christian Social Teaching to examine the views of the candidates on pertinent issues and should consider the candidates’ integrity and their past or potential performance.
Integrity means that their deeds match their words.
If you vote for this party, or, worse, join it as an active party worker (I am not talking about some starving people buying party cards under duress), you are co-responsible for the violence meted out by party thugs to innocent fellow citizens, for the burning down of homesteads and for murder, co-responsible for crimes against humanity. Don’t say, But he is a fellow Catholic. So was Hitler.
Don’t say, We can talk to him. Has he ever listened? Has he ever changed his ways? Is he sending those soldiers back to their barracks?
Don’t deceive yourselves. Face up to the truth. Christ was abused, tortured and killed. A Christian cannot be one with those who torment his brothers and sisters today, and therefore Christ himself. – Jesuit In Touch Communications