FAITH Saginaw Fall 2008 : Page 2
Below: Joseph Treadwell f r o m t h e e d i t o r T his month, my first-born son celebrates his first birthday. Next month, our nation will elect a new president. As a Christian father, I find that both events have great significance. Perhaps now more than ever, I feel the weight of our moral obligation to faithful citizenship in national and local politics. Through faithful citizenship, we are called to contribute to the common good of our nation by standing up for the dignity of human life and leading the way to a better future for those generations who will come after us. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” This phrase from the Declaration of Independence is, in a sense, the creed of the national idealism of our still-young United States. It was a belief reaffirmed by Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg, as war gave birth to freedom and dignity for former slaves. It was echoed by Martin Luther King, Jr. when he proclaimed his dream. It is a message that still needs to be heard in a nation that continues to struggle with prejudice against foreigners and others who are created equal. It is a truth that must be proclaimed in a nation that denies the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness to its most vulnerable citizens – those who remain unborn – because of the legalized genocide of abortion. “From the dawn of the republic, America’s quest for freedom has been guided by the conviction that principles governing political and social life are intimately linked to moral order based on the dominion of God the Creator,” said Pope Benedict XVI, on his visit to the United States in April. “[Freedom] demands the courage to engage in civic life and to bring one’s deepest beliefs and values to reasoned public debate … ‘in a world without truth, freedom loses its foundation,’ and a democracy without values can lose its very soul.” As the November election approaches, we are again reminded by bishops of the United States about our moral duty to participate in the political processes with consciences formed by the teachings of the church and truth of the Gospel. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishop’s (USCCB) has a great wealth of online resources (www.faithfulcitizenship.org) designed to help guide individuals and parish communities in their practice of Faithful Citizenship. “In the Catholic tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation.” (Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship #13) May we all have the courage to bring our FAITH into the public square. - Matt Treadwell is editor-in-chief of FAITH Saginaw and communications director for the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw. On the Web: A Call to Political Responsibility from the Catholic Bishops of the United States,www.faithfulcitizenship.org. FAITH Saginaw Fall 2008 Liturgical Calendar: St. Therese of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor Oct. 1 | Guardian Angels Oct. 2 | St. Francis of Assisi, Relig for the next generation our nation needs our faithful citizenship
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