A Catholic approach to elections
by Peter Knox SJ
It’s just over two weeks until South Africa goes to the polls again. This will be our seventh general election and will mark thirty years since we first experienced the thrill of democracy of universal franchise. We remember that the churches contributed significantly to the democratic transition in South Africa. Many Christians made great sacrifices in their direct involvement in the struggle. Some gave refuge to people being persecuted by the apartheid police. Others kept the educational, health and social services running while everything around them was falling apart.
Many Catholics of that time were inspired by the ideals of a more just society announced by Catholic Social Teaching (CST). This collection of the teachings of the Church over 130 years applies Jesus’ command to love one another to concrete social situations. As we approach Elections 2024 it would be good for us to revisit the Catholic vision and to compare today’s candidates for political office against the standards of CST. Based on their manifestoes or track records, how well do they uphold Christian standards?
There are several elements (or principles) in the body of CST. All of them proceed from the fundamental understanding of who all humans are: created equally in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:27). This gives us an inalienable human dignity and right to life from the moment of our conception to our natural death. Because God has no favourites (Acts 10:34-35), all of the gifts of creation are meant for all people – the “universal destination of goods.” To live well, we need a government that promotes peace and encourages every resident to care for our common home, planet Earth. In a spirit of solidarity, our society should prioritise particularly, care for the poor and vulnerable. Everybody should enjoy safe and dignified work to support themselves and their family. We should participate in the affairs of society that directly impact us, particularly at our own level of subsidiarity.
As we consider the party or individual that might receive our vote, we should consider whether they just give a façade of democracy and caring for the common good or whether they are in it for themselves or a few select ‘cadres.’ We can ask whether they will allow robust debate and respectful difference of opinions, or whether they will encamp themselves behind a wall of resistance and silence, or even worse, become violent when they are contradicted. Will they be open to meeting the needs of people who are not their natural membership – like the youth, the handicapped, the elderly, or gender and ethnic minorities? Will they be hospitable to foreigners, refugees and asylum seekers? Will they encourage freedom of religion, of conscience, of expression, of the media and educational opportunities, or impose a one-size-fits-all ideology?
All of these are legitimate concerns for citizens as we vote in two ballots for parties and individuals for national parliament and in one ballot for the provincial legislature. Let us embrace our responsibility as Christians by giving prayerful consideration to the Church’s social teaching tradition and the needs of the country for the coming years. The wisdom of our faith tradition should guide all our decisions.
