The New Evangelization and Its Connection to Voting In November: Strive To Heal, Elevate and Perfect Our Culture

By F. K. Bartels
9/24/2012
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

The New Evangelization and the proper exercise of our voting privilege is connected, since our choice of political candidates plays a significant role in healing, elevating and perfecting our culture and society at large.

Authentic participation in the New Evangelization requires one's proper exercise of the right and duty to vote. But that cannot occur in the absence of careful, reasoned and informed moral discernment; nor can it occur if the hierarchy of evils is ignored when voting. The most relevant question is this: when I stand before Jesus Christ, will I be able to justify my voting choices, or will whatever I say merely be an attempt to rationalize them? The answer to that question makes all the difference.

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GLADE PARK, CO (Catholic Online) -- The New Evangelization is essentially a process in which Christians, aided by the Holy Spirit, work to heal, elevate and perfect the culture in which they live as well as other communities in the world by proclaiming and promoting the content of the Gospel. While it is the work of every baptized Christian, it can only be accomplished in union with Christ, who is the life and the "light of men" (Jn 1:4), and in harmony with his divinely founded Catholic Church. Integral to participation in the New Evangelization, is properly exercising our right and duty to vote this November. In order to understand why this is so, let's briefly look into the nature and purpose of the New Evangelization, as well as how our responsibility to vote fits into our mission as children of God.

The goal of the New Evangelization is to foster a transformative encounter with the Person of Jesus Christ and the mysteries of his life, in order to bring about a widespread metanoia, a profound spiritual transformation producing a complete change of heart, which acts as a catalyst for positive change in cultures and societies. It is to bring the light and warmth of the Gospel to what was before plagued by darkness, displacing bad with good, error with truth. In participating in the New Evangelization, we join with our Lord who said, "Behold, I make all things new" (Rev. 21:5).

In order to re-create cultures and societies, it is necessary to infuse them with life-giving Catholic principles, all of which are firmly grounded in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We can say this because, in every case, we come to know about Jesus Christ and his saving Gospel through the Church, not in isolation of her. Further, we can definitively understand ourselves only in light of the mystery of the Word made flesh (cf. Gaudium et Spes 22 � 1), who is himself the totality of God's revelation. However, we would not know of the meaning of the Word made flesh if it were not for the Church, who is Christ's Bride and a holy dwelling place for men, a city of truth in which we are privileged to hear the revealed Word of God transmitted in its fullness.

"Christians of the first centuries said, 'The world was created for the sake of the Church.' God created the world for the sake of communion with his divine life, a communion brought about by the 'convocation' of men in Christ, and this 'convocation' is the Church" (CCC 760). That is why St. Epiphanius was able to say, "The Church is the goal of all things."

Since the Church is an integral and inseparable component of the Father's salvific plan of love for all men, it follows that the teaching of the Church on faith and morals is essential to the work of healing, elevating and perfecting culture. One way of infusing the teaching of the Church into culture, is through properly exercising our voting rights and privileges. When we vote according to a process of careful moral discernment in accordance with Tradition, Scripture, the teaching of the Church, and in harmony with a properly formed conscience, we then become positively and authentically engaged in transforming culture.

What's At Stake

Perhaps more so today than ever before, American society is indeed in need of healing. We only need look at those terrifying intrinsic evils such as abortion to realize that, as a nation, we have become an accomplice in "unspeakable evil," as Blessed John Paul II referred to the abomination of the legalized, intentional killing of unborn children. And, of course, there are other grave moral issues confronting our nation which include: the dismantling of the institution of marriage through the "marriage equivalency" movement and the push for homosexual unions; the blatant attack on freedom of religion and freedom of conscience; and the attempt to fine the Catholic Church into oblivion as a consequence of her non-compliance with the HHS contraceptive, sterilization, and abortion inducing drug mandate.

To a large degree, these moral evils and others are being perpetuated through the continued election or reelection of political candidates who adhere to intrinsic evils, reject the divine law and the natural moral law, and otherwise display a seriously disordered moral character. In order to set this nation on the path of healing, sending a clear message to all political candidates is a New Evangelization imperative. Political candidates and incumbents running for reelection who adhere to gravely immoral personal philosophies, reject the natural moral law and willfully cooperate with intrinsic ...

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1 - 10 of 11 Comments

mgm.
7 months ago
Vance' If the EPA and OCHA made jobs go away why then did the Republicans when they control the government on and off over the last 40 years make those departments go away and save millions of industrial jobs and gain the vote of the workers of the saved jobs? Let me see radical unions made jobs go away ,if the job goes away why should a person need a union ?the union loses membership , that no longer pay dues,dues that the unions can use to push their radical left-wing agenda .and active membership the Boss can tell who to vote for.
vance
7 months ago
mgm, no, Obama hasn't been around for the last 40 years but the EPA, OCHA and radical left-wing Unions were. These are what shut down our manufacturing and sent them over seas.
mgm.
7 months ago
Janusz.The factories have been going away the last 40 years of my working life,I can drive around my home town and see the empty lots that plants sat on that I once worked at.I was lucky to go from one decent paying job to the next as plants shut down I don't think President Obama been in office for 40 years.
Mathew Thankachen O.Praem
7 months ago
F.K. Bartel's article on .New Evangelization' in the context of the November election is " integral, holistic" to heal, elevate and perfect our culture. The spirituality and values we live is the culture we produce. To that extent, man cannot isolate spirituality from socio-political life. In this sense, the separation of Religion and Politics, "give to God what belongs to God and to Caesar what belongs to Caesar" becomes pragmatically hard for the laity unlike the hierarchical Church. The Church exists in and for the world. our moral integrity is the foundation upon which a new form of culture ( Sub- structure) is built up for the posterity to grow in a viable culture of life, for Jesus said, " I have come that you may have life and life abundantly" and " your happiness may be complete". As a matter of fact, every decision one takes and every relation we build up with neighbor and nature around, with God and one another is going to have an impact on the yet unborn. However, the unbridled " Liberty" of the Democrat is as dangerous as the " anchored conservatism" of the theocrats or Republicans. Hence, the stand of Church, in my opinion should be to" stand for Truth ( Jesus said,"I Am the Truth..") not for Parties".
Mathew Thankachen O.Praem
techwreck
7 months ago
mgm, it is fascination to hear some one who believes that they can get God to think their way when they are at "the pearly gates". mgm must be quite a talker to believe that he/she can convince God that the Ten Commandments and the New Testament were wrong. Lots of luck in your conversation with your Creator!
vance
7 months ago
As a Pro-Life activist, I find myself and the Pro-Life movement on "The Outside of the Church". Archbishop Chaput is one of a "Handful" of Bishops who is a heroic leader of our church. The problem is that the vast majority of Bishops and priests are Liberals who are in the Back pocket of the Democrat Party. America will not convert until the vast majority of the Bishops and priests convert.
Janusz
7 months ago
I find mgm's comments absolutely fascinating...That is why Roe vs. Wade has yet to be overturned!
Let's re-elect President Obama and we will not have to worry about unions going away, because the factories will go away.....
mgm.
7 months ago
Yeah maybe the party the Bishops want me the vote for might make abortion go away they never did in the last 40 years but me thinks not ! I know they will if in power do what they can to make labor unions go away work safety rules in your plant unionize or not ,child labor laws too and lets not forget that same party's out right attempt to disfranchise voters that they believe will vote for President Obama with their all of a sudden concern for voter fraud ( yeah I know the argument against abortion too unless you are born you've never had the chance to work in a unsafe mine or foundry and experience explosions) .I think it's funny that that same party that says President Obama is following ideals out of " Old Europe" has no problems with us following the Bishops men that represent the oldest institution of "Old Europe" ( in fact older then the nations of Europe)the Catholic Church and vote President Obama out and the Republicans in! When I'am dead and stand before God I will have no problem explaining my voting ,I voted for the party the I believe would do the most good for the unborn and the living and that's not Republican .P.S.does anybody seriously think God will judge your life on how you voted ,Christ when on Earth never said what Roman political fraction to support or be against .
Kasoy
7 months ago
Aside from voting with true discernment (with a well-formed conscience), there is another more important task for Catholics: to raise morally upright children and grand children so we can assure that immoral leaders will never be elected to office in future elections and we will have more good Catholic politicians and public servants who truly live out Catholic moral values.
abey
7 months ago
The only hope for America would be to treat this election on "Moral basis".

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