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October 8, 2020Dear Parishioners and Friends of our Parish,
As we are now less than a month away from a national election on November 3 that has much of the country and church divided, I am reminded of the words of Pope Francis in his exhortation Amoris Laetitia where he writes that we, the Church, are called “to form consciences, not to replace them.”
As pastor of this storied parish which has exemplified courageous and prophetic Gospel-witnesses in Lexington and beyond, I urge us all to dig deep into the Gospel and Catholic Social Teaching before we cast our vote. The banner in front of our church building says: "Vote - Our Sacred Duty." So, I offer a few words about voting, our sacred duty.
My duty as pastor is to share the Gospel of Jesus who showed us the way to love and embrace all people especially those on the margins. The way of the Gospel is the way of Love. I have never preached or advocated for voting based on a single issue and certainly, I would never suggest that someone vote for a particular candidate. That is a matter of conscience. And the best way to form our conscience is through the Gospel.
Consider all the pro-life issues before casting your vote. The following are the issues that w
e as a parish are praying the rosary for before each mass during the month of October.
Dreamers and immigrants
The elderly, infirm, lonely, abandoned
The unborn
The unwelcomed
Addicts
Healthcare
Black lives, LGBTQ, those on the margins
Ending gun violence and reasonable gun control
The plight of the homeless and mentality ill
The plight of prisoners and those on death row
The death penalty - Pope Francis wrote in his new encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, on October 4: "Today we state clearly that ‘the death penalty is inadmissible.”
And the list goes on to include care of creation and so many other topics...
The Gospel and Catholic Social Teaching which proclaims the dignity of each person cannot be reduced to a single issue. The best way to engage in the political forum is to vote. I urge you to vote, it is your sacred duty. Vote with a conscience informed by the fullness of the Gospel and Catholic Social Teaching.
In the Heart of Jesus,
Fr. Richard Watson