A Catholic Discernment for the Presidential Election
An opportunity to illuminate our deepest dignity
A pause…a deep pause to create more space for the Spirit to guide one’s paths forward. This is a core Catholic practice especially for complex issues. When such pauses develop into an intentional and habitual receptivity, we often describe such a spiritual practice as discernment. The 2020 Presidential Election challenges Catholics once again to enter the depths of discernment.
We are not referring to a crisper gathering of intellectual argument, political talking points, or nationalistic identification. As Catholics, we are invited to a deeper vision and a ‘realism’ oriented by a Love that graces all of reality, without ignoring the role of sin. We are called to discern out of and toward such blessing. This is both, and at the same time, a ‘realistic’ and ‘radical’ movement. Pope Francis alludes to such a movement of blessing, “I pray that the image and likeness of God in each person will enable us to acknowledge one another as sacred gifts endowed with immense dignity. Especially in situations of conflict, let us respect this, our deepest dignity…” (World Day of Peace, 2017).
As we look around us today from the perspective of blessing, pivotal patterns are emerging. On the one hand, we see mutual aid initiatives in many towns and cities focusing on the most in need during this public health crisis. We see creative and sustained action for systemic racial justice and re-imagining community protection. We see younger persons energized for social transformation and care for integral ecology. We see increased connections across previous boundaries through online platforms.
On the other hand, we also see patterns of de-humanization and ecological devastation. These are too often expressed in how we speak of those who disagree with us, how we ignore the needs within our adversaries, and how we cut off relationships. We see de-humanization in our systems of racial injustice. We see increasing wealth inequity. We see many immigrants and many unborn children refused hospitality into our communities. We see continued police violence, a federal death penalty reinvigorated and grand expansions of militarization.
How might we discern toward blessing? How might we weave and strengthen the threads of Love that graces all reality? One way is to identify which patterns are woven together by the movements each of the Presidential candidates enable. This Presidential election is a complex issue and yet the differences between two of the candidates this year are also considerably stark.
The Biden-Harris team weaves the patterns and movements for racial justice, integral ecology, hospitality to more immigrants, worker rights and paid leave, ending private prisons and the school-to-prison pipeline, more public health investments and access to health care, increased access to voting, international collaboration, and more humanizing dialogue. Each of these embody the respect for “our deepest dignity” which Pope Francis alludes to.
The Trump-Pence team enable the social conditions that further weave the patterns of systemic racism, police violence, ecological destruction, vast rejection of immigrants and separation of families, divestment in public health, decreasing international collaboration, rampant expansion of militarization, and more de-humanizing dialogue. Each of these dismantle the respect for “our deepest dignity” which Pope Francis alludes to.
This is one snapshot of key patterns woven by these candidates. As with any candidate, there are limits and positives of each. This is the human journey we all travel. Yet, the overall difference in this case is stark, especially in terms of the Catholic focus on our deepest dignity.
Some Catholic readers may be wondering about how the issue of abortion weighs in this assessment of weaving patterns. This is a particularly challenging issue for Catholics to discern in regards to voting. One way to shed some light is from an intersectional lens. The top or often near the top of many lists of reasons for abortions is about not being financially prepared to have a child, although multiple reasons are often present. Poverty is exacerbated by racism and impacts BIPOC in a very disproportional way. Native Americans have the highest rate at 25%, with blacks at 21%, Hispanics at 18%, Asians at 10%, and whites at 10%. Black women are about 3–4 times more likely to have an abortion than white women. In turn, if we want to work on and vote in ways to better welcome unborn children into our community, then we need to also work on and vote in ways that end poverty and racial injustice. Another way to shed light on the abortion issue is to acknowledge how well a candidate contributes to a culture that better embodies respect for our deepest dignity and our interconnectedness. It seems quite clear from the patterns above that the Trump-Pence team overall dismantles such a culture that respects our deepest dignity, even if they signal support for some legal restrictions on the singular issue of abortion. It is a culture of increasing respect for our deepest dignity and strengthening the intersectional systems of justice (ex. economic, racial), which will go further to cultivate a more sustainable hospitality toward unborn (and born) children. Pope Francis alludes to this culture of respect for our deepest dignity by reminding us that the unborn, “lives of the poor,” migrants, and underprivileged are “equally sacred.”
Shifting our gaze with an intersectional analysis and seeking a more sustainable transformation offers Catholics a crucial opportunity this election season to illuminate the role of our deepest dignity. Jesus shares parables and teachings encouraging us, especially the marginalized to rediscover and assert our deepest dignity (ex. Gospel of Matthew: 5:38–42) to better build the social movements that transform systems of injustice. Drawing on Jesus’ way, Pope Francis offers us a path as he completes his thought I mentioned near the beginning of this reflection: “Especially in situations of conflict, let us respect this, our ‘deepest dignity,’ and make active nonviolence our way of life.” It is bold and consistent. It is both a ‘realistic’ and ‘radical’ movement. This is the path of a Love that graces all of reality. This is a discernment of and toward blessing.
In turn, let us make a much better choice this election and not vote for the Trump-Pence team.
Eli McCarthy is a justice and peace studies professor and is on Faith 2020’s advisory board. His most recent book is A Just Peace Ethic Primer: Building Sustainable Peace and Breaking Cycles of Violence.
