Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/397333
BY NISSA LAPOINT Casting a ballot this election has to the power to alter soci- ety—that is, if it's done well, according to local experts. Regis University Professor Daniel Wessner, chair of the history and politics depart- ments, said people should vote if they are capable of voting well. But harm could result if it's not done with study, careful thought and robust discourse. "Why should they exercise that duty or why would we consider it moral that they ex- ercise that duty if they're not going to do it well, if they're not informed, or if they're just do- ing it on the basis of television ads?" he said. Voting, according to Catho- lic tradition, is a duty for every citizen. Father Bill Carmody of St. Dominic Parish in Colorado Springs, also the respect life director, said voters must be well-informed and use their God-given intellect to make an informed choice. "Catholics are the most well-educated socio-educated class in the country," he said about statistics on faithful's education level. Using this education means not only re- searching candidates, but al- so their voting record and in- forming themselves on Church teaching regarding nonnego- tiable principles and tenants of the faith, such as the sanctity of human life. The Colorado Catholic Con- ference, the local church's pub- lic-policy arm, released two guides for voters: The 2014 Colorado Catholic Issue Guide and a letter from the state's three bishops addressing the upcoming election. According to faith leaders, voting may be done virtuously. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI wrote in his encyclical Cari- tas in Veritate that voting well means considering the com- mon good of society—the Catholic perspective on the purpose of politics—as an ex- ercise of charity. "The more we strive to se- cure a common good corre- sponding to the real needs of our neighbours, the more effectively we love them," the pope wrote in 2009. "Every Christian is called to practice this charity, in a manner cor- responding to his vocation and according to the degree of in- fluence he wields in the (city)." When voting with chari- ty, he notes how seeking the common good becomes more than a mere secular or political position. "Like all commitment to jus- tice, it has a place within the testimony of divine charity that paves the way for eternity through temporal action," he wrote. Catholics should not be afraid to vote in light of their faith even in the face of INDEX Archbishop's Column ......................2 The Catholic Difference ..................4 Call to Charity ...................................4 Bulletin Board ..................................13 Nun of the Above quiz .................. 14 Service Directory ...................... 14-15 Casting an informed vote PHOTO BY MARC PISCOTTY/GETTY IMAGES A DENVER County election judge holds 'I Voted!' stickers during the 2012 election. OCTOBER 15, 2014 114 Years of Service to the Gospel Volume XC - No. 35 www.DenverCatholicRegister.org I Follow us on INSIDE FAMILY LIFE PAGE 10 PAGE 3 Every mom can be a missionary from home PHOTO BY DANIEL IBÁÑEZ/CNA 'Something new' taking place at family synod SENIORS PAGES 8-9 Photo essay: Married couples celebrated at anniversary Mass For this 101-year-old, it's all hugs See Vote, Page 6 FURTHER READING Online: Colorado Catholic Issue Guide and Colorado bishops' letter at www.cocatholic conference.org Encyclical: Caritas in Veritate by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, 2009