To the faithful of the Diocese of Superior,
As I have been traveling throughout the Diocese and beyond, one of the requests I have been asked over and over is: “Bishop, TELL ME WHO TO VOTE FOR.”
As Bishop, or as anyone directly affiliated with any church, I cannot, nor would I want to, tell someone WHO to vote for as our civic leaders. Our “right” to secretly choose those we are going to personally vote for is a very precious right and should be strictly guarded and protected.
That said, I also want to point out that it also DEMANDS that we educate ourselves on the issues at stake and to the stance of ALL the candidates. We need to remember that as a nation and as a state we will be electing more than just a president and vice president to represent us for the next 2 to 6 years.
At a recent meeting with my brother bishops, we were reminded that there is NO Catholic party listed on any ballot. Although as Catholics we have no political affiliations, we do have the duty and obligation to be involved in the political process of our great nation. Both Sacred Scripture and our Catholic teachings give us direction as to how we should live our lives in relation to one another, which in turn must guide our consciences when we vote. The protection and respect for all human life, at every stage and in every situation, from the moment of conception to a natural death MUST play an important role in the development of our conscience.
To further help, the Bishops of the Wisconsin Catholic Conference, along with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, have approved many materials to further help in providing education, information, and the development of a well-formed conscience. I hope many of these materials have been provided to all Catholics throughout the diocese as inserts in your parish bulletin. Please also read the articles on the following page regarding FAITHFUL CITIZENSHIP.
Finally, as we approach the last days before the election, I cannot over stress the importance of prayer — prayer for the candidates, prayer for our nation at large, and prayer for the guidance of the Holy Spirit for each of us as we cast our ballot.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Bishop James P. Powers
