Canadian Catholic Bishops Federal Election Voter Guide

Go here. It’s three pages in total, and there are four main policy headings: respect for life and the dignity of the human person, preferential option for the poor, the war in Afghanistan, and the environment. Would American Catholics agree with their northern brothers and sisters that these are the most important issues in public life (adding Iraq to Afghanistan, of course)?

The section on war is worth highlighting:

“Canada has been involved in the Afghanistan conflict since 2001, collaborating with its allies in the struggle there against the insurgents. Although the situation is complex, our country has a serious responsibility to do everything possible to encourage dialogue leading to peace. War is never the best solution for people in solving a problem. The social doctrine of the Church is clear on this: it is hardly possible to imagine that in an atomic era, war could be used as an instrument of justice. Our country should be a leader in finding a way to resolve this conflict by focusing on the basic issues. For the Bishops of Canada, it is clear there will not be peace in Afghanistan without a true peace process which involves all the parties. This is what Canada especially needs to promote. Are the political parties ready to engage in a peace process for Afghanistan?”

I wonder sometimes why the United States bishops do not couch their teaching on the Iraq war in similarly stark terms.

Here’s what they say on the environment:

“In Canada, ecological concerns often force governments to make the difficult choice between protecting the environment and saving jobs. This kind of dilemma is a symptom of a profound imbalance between economic activities and the place of the human being in nature. It is urgent to establish new and harmonious relationships between both realities. To fail to do so will mean an even more costly deadlock. While recognizing that ‘profit is legitimate and, in just measure, necessary for economic development‘ Pope Benedict also goes on to stipulate that ‘when the logic of sharing and solidarity prevails‘ it then becomes possible to develop an economy leading ‘towards an equitable, sustainable development‘. True political wisdom means acting now to obtain long-term results. This is the opposite of pursuing only short-term political interests.When it comes to the environment, do the political parties show concern for future generations? Do they have a specific plan for redefining the relationship between economic activities and the role of the human being in nature?”