{"id":15507,"date":"2016-08-15T15:34:00","date_gmt":"2016-08-15T15:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/archbishop-chaput-urges-catholics-not-to-vote-on-autopilot-98617\/"},"modified":"2016-08-15T15:34:00","modified_gmt":"2016-08-15T15:34:00","slug":"archbishop-chaput-urges-catholics-not-to-vote-on-autopilot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/08\/archbishop-chaput-urges-catholics-not-to-vote-on-autopilot\/","title":{"rendered":"Archbishop Chaput urges Catholics not to vote ‘on autopilot’"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

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Philadelphia, Pa., Aug 15, 2016 \/ 09:34 am (CNA<\/a>).- In his latest column for the Philly Catholic Archdiocesan paper, Archbishop Chaput shared some of his personal thoughts on the upcoming presidential election, and implored Catholics to take the time to pray and form their consciences before voting.<\/p>\n

This year is a particularly interesting one for Catholics, Archbishop Chaput said, because both major candidates for president \u201chave astonishing flaws.\u201d<\/p>\n

The archbishop, himself a long-time registered Independent, said this realization is both \u201cdepressing and liberating at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDepressing, because it\u2019s proof of how polarized the nation has become. Liberating, because for the honest voter, it\u2019s much easier this year to ignore the routine tribal loyalty chants of both the Democratic and Republican camps,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoth major candidates are \u2013 what\u2019s the right word? so problematic \u2013 that neither is clearly better than the other.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why it\u2019s crucial in this election year for Catholic voters to take time in silence, prayer, and formative reading in order to discern what the best course of action will be when they enter the voting booth in November, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNote that by \u2018Catholic,\u2019 I mean people who take their faith seriously; people who actually believe what the Catholic faith holds to be true; people who place it first in their loyalty, thoughts and actions; people who submit their lives to Jesus Christ, to Scripture and to the guidance of the community of belief we know as the Church,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n

One of the most important things Catholics can do is to pray, the archbishop said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd prayer involves more than mumbling a Hail Mary before we pull the voting booth lever for someone we see as the lesser of two evils,\u201d he added. \u201cPrayer is a conversation, an engagement of the soul with God. It involves listening for God\u2019s voice and educating our consciences.\u201d<\/p>\n

Silence is necessary for prayer, and so prayer must mean that Catholics take time to \u201cunplug\u201d in order to make room for silence \u2013 from T.V., from social media \u2013 and in order to make time for true prayer, Archbishop Chaput added.<\/p>\n

The Archbishop also made several suggestions for Catholics who are looking for formative reading on the subject of Catholicism and politics, including \u201cLiving the Gospel of Life,\u201d the 1998 pastoral letter of the U.S. bishops and \u201cthe best brief guide to American Catholic political reflection yet produced.\u201d<\/p>\n

Archbishop Chaput also recommended several books, including \u201cResurrecting the Idea of a Christian Society\u201d by R.R. Reno, \u201cIt\u2019s Dangerous to Believe: Religious Freedom and Its Enemies\u201d by Mary Eberstadt, and two essays by Czech writer V\u00e1clav Havel: \u201cPolitics and Conscience\u201d and \u201cThe Power of the Powerless.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the archbishop admitted that he is not sure yet how he will vote in November, he wrote that \u201c(i)t\u2019s a matter properly reserved for every citizen\u2019s informed conscience.\u201d<\/p>\n

But taking the time to ensure one has a well-formed conscience is crucial, he added.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe next few months will determine the next decade and more of our nation\u2019s life. We need to be awake, we need to clear our heads of media noise, and we need to think quietly and carefully before we vote.\u00a0 None of us can afford to live the coming weeks on autopilot.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

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