Denver Catholic

2 OCTOBER 8-21, 2016 | DENVER CATHOLIC Archbishop's Page General Manager KARNA SWANSON Director ANDREW WRIGHT Business Manager MICHAEL O'NEILL Published by the Archdiocese of Denver, 1300 S. Steele St., Denver, CO 80210 Denver Catholic (USPS 557-020) is published bi-weekly, except monthly in January. Denver Catholic is printed by Prairie Mountain Publishing, LLC in Boulder. Periodical postage paid in Denver, CO. SUBSCRIPTIONS: $35 a year in Colorado; $42 per year out of state. Foreign countries: $42 surface, all countries, 6-8 weeks for delivery; $135 air, all other countries (average). Mexico, $48 air; Canada, $55 air. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Denver Catholic, Circulation Dept., 1300 S. Steele St., Denver, CO 80210 or email circulation@archden.org. EDITORIAL: 303-715-3230 or denvercatholic@ archden.org. ADVERTISING: 303-715-3253 or denvercatholicads@archden.org. CIRCULATION CUSTOMER SERVICE: 303-715-3230 or circulation@archden.org. Archbishop's Column Most Rev. Samuel J. Aquila PHOTO OF THE WEEK ARCHBISHOP'S SCHEDULE OCT. 16: Mass, 100th anniversary of St. John's Church, Stoneham (12 p.m.) OCT. 17-21: Priests' retreat, YMCA of the Rockies, Estes Park OCT. 22: White Mass before Gospel of Life Conference, St. Thomas More, Centennial (8:30 a.m.) @ArchbishopDen Oct. 4 Congratulations to Archbishop- Elect Paul Etienne, appointed to #ArchdioceseofAnchorage from #DioceseofCheyenne! Blessings from #ArchDen +sja Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila celebrates Mass at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. PHOTO BY AARON LAMBERT Voting as a Catholic in 2016 ideology before their faith and living their faith in the public square. This is the most important guid- ance I can give: allow your ongoing personal encounter with Jesus Christ and the Church to guide your polit- ical decisions. I say this because we believe that the truth about ourselves and the world we live in is revealed in and through him. Our society su' ers and has su' ered for quite some time because too few people live an inte- grated life – one that does not divide "the personal" from "the public." This year there are some critical changes to the two major parties' plat- forms that some at the dinner were not aware of. Most important is that this year the Democratic party platform calls for the overturning of the Hyde Amendment, a provision that both parties have voted to include in the federal budget and on other spending bills for 40 years. The Hyde Amend- ment prohibits federal taxpayer money from being used for abortion. The platform is aggressively pro-abortion, not only in funding matters, but in the appointment of only those judges who will support abortion and the repeal- ing of the Helms Amendment, which prevents the U.S. from supporting abortion availability overseas. Con- versely, the Republican party platform is supportive of the Hyde Amendment and just this year strengthened its sup- port for life by calling for the defunding of Planned Parenthood, banning dis- memberment abortion and opposing assisted suicide. Our conversation then turned to the understanding of the freedom of religion, the freedom of conscience, and the ability for faith-based orga- nizations like the Church to provide charity through shelters, hospitals, homes for the elderly, etc., without fear of government interference and the existence of a respect for religious values. In that vein, the subject was raised of the Health and Human Services mandate. This regulation requires the provision of contraceptives, steriliza- tions and some abortifacients through employer's health plans. Most surpris- ing to me was that all at the table were practicing Catholics who are involved in their faith, and a couple of them had neither heard of the di› culty the Obama Administration has created for the Little Sisters of the Poor, nor the litigation that has occurred trying to force them to violate their consciences. Catholic voters must make them- selves aware of where the parties stand on these essential issues. The right to life is the most important and fundamental right, since life is nec- essary for any of the other rights to matter. There are some issues that can legitimately be debated by Christians, such as which policies are the most e' ective in caring for the poor, but the direct killing of innocent human life must be opposed at all times by every follower of Jesus Christ. There are no legitimate exceptions to this teaching. The health of our nation depends on a deep respect for human life from the moment of conception until natural death, and the future of our society depends on how we protect that right. If we don't, eventually we will go the way of Rome and Greece and other great civilizations that have risen and fallen. Some, both in politics and in the Church, have stated that it is the Church that needs to change her teaching to include abortion, same- sex unions, and even euthanasia. Yet, in faithfulness to Jesus Christ, to the Gospel and to Sacred Tradition, the Church cannot change her teaching on these issues without denying Christ. She would cut herself from the vine and only wither away, as promised by Christ. The further we move away from Jesus Christ and his teachings, the more will our churches empty. We are where we are today because too many Catholics and other people of faith have embraced the ways of the world and not the ways of Christ. They have not served as leaven that transforms society, but rather have condoned evil and the throw-away culture that Pope Francis frequently reminds us to reject. When we fail to do this, the govern- ment will step in to fi ll the void. Indeed, the government will become "god" and impose its beliefs on the citizens. One only needs to look to the Health and Human Service contraceptive mandate, or the attempt by President Obama to force a transgender agenda onto public schools. We may even soon see the federal funding of abortion and the approval of physician-assisted suicide in Colorado. We are witnessing the dictatorship of relativism and the erosion of true freedom. And as Pope Francis often preaches, the devil gets in the mix quickly, especially when people no longer believe in God. So my advice to Catholics in voting in this presidential election is to fi rst look at who forms you and your con- science. Is it your personal encounter with Jesus Christ and the Church, the voice of God which cannot con- tradict the truth or revelation, or is it the ideology of some political party? Secondly, look at how you have been a leaven in society. How have you sought the common good and the values of the Gospel, especially by serving the poor, the needy, the unborn and the dying. If you truly live your Catholic faith, you will not fi nd complete alignment with any political party, and that is okay. Thirdly, look at how each party platform supports human life from conception through natural death, the freedom of religion and the freedom of conscience, the family, and the poor. Finally, do vote, as every Catholic has an obligation to participate in the political process. For many, the presidential elec- tion will involve a choice between the lesser of two evils. On the Colorado ballot, we will also face the evil of physician-assisted suicide, known as Proposition 106. In conforming our hearts and minds with the Gospel and its clear teaching on life, all Catholics are called to vote "no" on this issue. A "yes" vote only furthers the throw- away society, and the culture of death. You will be hearing much more on this in the days and weeks ahead. Let us keep our country and state in our daily prayers, praying for God's protection and blessings in these challenging, di› cult times in which we live. And let us in charity pray for the conversion of those who support a throw-away culture of death! «

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