Bishops' election pastoral

In a joint pastoral letter being read in all churches today, the Archbishop, Mgr Joseph Mercieca, and the Bishop of Gozo, Mgr Nikol Cauchi, stress the importance of voting "wisely, maturely and responsibly" in the general election of April 12 to "elect a just and good government".

The bishops say that "each and everyone of us has the duty to inform and prepare ourselves well, so that on election day, we will be able to make our choice with the help of a well-formed conscience, for the highest common good."

The bishops explain that the Church has the mission to educate and form the conscience of its members. It shows Christians how to behave in certain, real life situations to keep on the right path. "This means that the Church also has to shed light on social problems that emerge from time to time, because these have their own ethical dimensions too."

The pastoral continues:

"What the Church offers us is a set of values and principles which help Christians seeking guidance to take the right decisions when it comes to act responsibly.

"The Church, for instance, emphasises and cherishes the value of human life from conception to its natural death; respect for human dignity; the appreciation of the marriage bond between a man and a woman till death; the love and unity of the family; the link between love, solidarity and justice; the commitment for the common good; economic justice, and the drive for peace.

"Christians have to consider these values and principles of the Church's teaching when they are forming their conscience, and when the time comes for them to express or defend their opinions in the socio-economic order and the political order.

"The values that the Church proclaims and teaches include patriotism. This love for our motherland... also means love and respect towards its history, traditions, ways and methods of life, and its noble ideals.

"The Church, through Vatican Council II, teaches us that citizens should cultivate a generous and loyal spirit of patriotism but without narrow-mindedness, so that they will always keep in mind the welfare of the whole human family which is formed into one by various kinds of links between races, peoples and nations. (Gaudium et Spes, 75)

Right and duty

"In democratic countries like ours, people choose their government by casting their vote in general elections. However the right to vote implies certain obligations. The Church tells us that every citizen ought to be mindful of his right and his duty to promote the common good by using his vote. (Gaudium et Spes, 75)

"The citizen has the duty to vote wisely, maturely and responsibly to elect a just and good government. This duty binds in conscience because man cannot distance himself from taking an interest in his country's destiny. This is also an obligation linked to legal justice which obliges citizens to strive for the promotion of the common good through all reasonable means and methods as, for instance, the good use of the vote on which, very often, depends the highest interests of the country.

"The citizen also has to consider well which candidates he votes for and seek to entrust the country's leadership to honest and upright politicians who are also known for their desire to seek, first and foremost, the good of all. The citizen should, moreover, support those politicians who constantly translate their call to political service into just actions with everyone and to the benefit of man as a whole, according to the will of the Creator, even if this implies personal sacrifices.

"The Catholic citizen, then, also has other duties. Before voting for a political party, apart from making sure that its electoral programme is truly to the benefit of all the people, the Catholic citizen also needs to see that the proposals being made by that party are in line with the teaching of the Catholic Church. The same applies when one has to choose between politicians; the Catholic citizen should prefer politicians who, according to experience, are known to be really politicians committed to safeguarding and promoting evangelical values.

Love and respect

"We encourage everyone to respond properly to our country's call and, during the general elections, vote in a responsible manner according to that which our well-formed conscience indicates to us as being the highest common good.

"We also encourage everyone to see that, in everything we say and do, we always show love and respect for one another, as befits a Christian, mature, civilised and democracy loving people.

"We should do our best to ensure at all times good behaviour, calm, wisdom and the rule of law as is expected from us all as Christians, by our motherland and national interest. This applies to the run-up to the elections, at the time of voting, as well as when results are known. We should remember that whatever the choice of our people, we all remain brothers and sisters, sons and daughters of one nation.

"We recommend, most of all, prayers to the Lord so that He may enlighten and help us, as well as protect our people and grant it leaders who, in full honesty, strive for the entire well-being of everyone according to God's will," the pastoral concludes.