As we adults prepare to exercise the responsibility of voting, we must keep the following people in mind:
- The innocent and defenseless unborn children who have no rights. Abortionists slaughter them with impunity, by the thousands, every day.
- All our children, who deserve to grow up in a society where the law preserves the bond of marriage between parents.
- The potential victims of the immigration enforcement called for by Messrs. Trump and Cruz.
Re: #3… We cannot imagine that any genuine justice lies in a specious attempt to distinguish “legal” from “illegal” immigration. From the point-of-view of the immigrant, the “legal” immigration of three, four, five, or six generations ago differs in no way from the “illegal” immigration of the past two generations. What changed was the arbitrary stipulations of American immigration statutes.
Did our undocumented neighbors have the option of coming to America legally, but failed to exercise that option, through their own blameworthy fault? Hardly.
We have to start with the fact that our neighbors are our neighbors. Can any decent person support the proposal that the government remove some of my neighbors by force, for no good reason? No.
In fact, even now Trump’s and Cruz’s ideas have the effect of terrorizing whole families. If we have any decency and Christian love, we will rush to declare that we ourselves have no share whatsoever in such cruel nonsense.
…Now, we pastors do not have the duty to tell anyone how to vote. But as a shepherd of souls I say to you, dear reader:
We must think of 1. the innocent and defenseless unborn babies, of 2. all children, who have the right to a home with mother and father, and of 3. our undocumented neighbors who have no legal rights.
If we vote without thinking of these brothers and sisters, who have no vote, we will face a rigorous judgment for our negligence, when the Day of the Lord comes.
Father Mark White Blog 
Amen,Father Mark! Thank you!
This issue of immigration has become one of the most confused and confusing in a long time. Are we being informed with truth or what the media says is truth? Are these “neighbors” any different than my grandparents two generations ago because they only have to walk across a border and not cross an ocean as well? We are all being made to look like fools to each other whichever way we choose to vote. This subject has been made a point of purposeful divisiveness. The devil is in the mix. Cathy
Ok Father, I have your opinion in mind now. Obviously, you do not support Mr. Trump or Mr. Cruz. You make no mention of Mrs. Clinton or Mr. Sanders, so your opinion there is unknown. May I propose a question to you sir? If the poles bear out correctly; Mr. Trump and Mrs. Clinton will be their respective parties candidates. Whom shall you support then? Mr. Trump, or Mrs. Clinton?
….If we have any decency and Christian love
…. Can any decent person
…Now, we pastors do not have the duty to tell anyone how to vote
….we will face a rigorous judgment for our negligence, when the Day of the Lord comes.
Before coming Catholic, I had some really terrible previous sins to confess, and confront, which I did with the help of certain compassionate people in the church helping me.
I never thought voting could make me face rigorous judgement of negligence, when Lord comes.
I have never been more confused, and first time I have wavered any thought of regret
Do I come to you, to confess if I vote, or voted for Trump or Cruz, will you forgive me for this, especially now knowing your opinion, am I no longer a decent person for voting for Cruz or Trump. I know you are a tool the lord uses to offer forgiveness, but would I feel it genuinely as forgiveness.
Will I still face judgement for this when the Lord comes.
I’m not trying to make light of this, I’m truly confused now on many issues of the church.
Concerns me, how many Catholics just won’t vote, out of fear of making the wrong choice
I appreciate the questions. But I don’t really know what to say other than what I wrote above. In this fallen world, no candidate is perfectly good. By the same token, none of the candidates are utterly evil. To vote for a particular candidate BECAUSE he or she supports abortion, or BECAUSE he or she plans to send government agents to divide immigrant families…may the Lord preserve us from such malice. To vote without thinking of the weakest and most defenseless when we do so–that would leave us on the wrong side of the picture painted in Matthew 25. We have to think about the interests of those who have no advocates, and then make the best vote we can. As I used to say when I was an English teacher, there is not ONE right answer here, dear ones. The only place where politics is pure is the bright city where St. Peter himself serves as the mayor. We just have to take care to vote as thoughtful Christians, and not not out of self-interest, malice, or unchecked emotion.
Open boarders and general amnesty are not intrinsically Christian and definitely not in the interest of common welfare of a sovereign nation, my opinion. A terrible divisiveness is and has been at play for generations. I think it naïve to believe one elected official can “fix it” when the hearts of the majority are so ego centric, quite bereft of any respect or recognition of The Almighty God. I do believe one elected official can profoundly exacerbate an already very sick situation. I have every confidence WHATEVER creature is finally ‘elected’ will do just that. I vote anyway.
Thank you Father Mark for your follow up on the voting article referring to Trump or Cruz.
Our country needs help and guidance, I pray God will give us a decent one.
I also pray God helps me to have trust in ANY Politician.
It unfortunately will come down to the lesser of 2 evils we have to choose from.
We need God back in America.
I’m sorry if I offended you.in my response,
However I am still confused on what a catholics to do…just pray on it.
Soooo…I’ll go to confession, and get this settled.
Peace, Sharon Faith
Well Father, it’s looking more and more like we will have an option of Mr. Trump or Mr. Cruz vs. Mrs. Clinton come election time. Who do you suggest we not vote for in this case? Not vote for Mr. Cruz or Mr. Trump, and vote for Mrs. Clinton?
A question unrelated to the political agenda of the day. Why don’t you put a link on St. Andrews web site to your blog page here?