krmThe+Challenge+of+Forming+Consciences+for+Faithful+Citizenship

1. Introducti on- The bish ops wr ote this d ocument in order t o help Cath olics f orm their c onscience s o they can make s ound p olitical ch oices that supp ort human rights. They d o n <span class="status_body">ot tell C <span class="status_body">ath <span class="status_body">olics h <span class="status_body">ow t <span class="status_body">o v <span class="status_body">ote because they state that that resp <span class="status_body">onsibility lies within each pers <span class="status_body">on and their c <span class="status_body">onscience.

2. Why the Church Teaches Ab <span class="status_body">out Issues Affecting P <span class="status_body">olitics- It is a requirement <span class="status_body">of the Church's Cath <span class="status_body">olic faith t <span class="status_body">o help shape the m <span class="status_body">oral character <span class="status_body">of s <span class="status_body">ociety. Faith, thr <span class="status_body">ough human reas <span class="status_body">on, helps us see the truth m <span class="status_body">ore clearly ab <span class="status_body">out human dignity, and helps us f <span class="status_body">oll <span class="status_body">ow Christ's c <span class="status_body">ommandment t <span class="status_body">o l <span class="status_body">ove each <span class="status_body">other. P <span class="status_body">ope Benedict XVI says that the pe <span class="status_body">ople <span class="status_body">of the church must always practice charity, and theref <span class="status_body">ore they must als <span class="status_body">o practice charity in their p <span class="status_body">olitical lives as well.

3. Prudence- The virtue <span class="status_body">of prudence, acc <span class="status_body">ording t <span class="status_body">o the Catechism <span class="status_body">of the Cath <span class="status_body">olic Church, helps us t <span class="status_body">o find the g <span class="status_body">o <span class="status_body">od in every situati <span class="status_body">on and t <span class="status_body">o find the right way <span class="status_body">of achieving it. If s <span class="status_body">omething is t <span class="status_body">o take place, c <span class="status_body">ourage must be acc <span class="status_body">ompanied with prudence. If Cath <span class="status_body">olics are t <span class="status_body">o make the c <span class="status_body">omm <span class="status_body">on g <span class="status_body">o <span class="status_body">od happen in the w <span class="status_body">orld, they must decide what public p <span class="status_body">olicies are m <span class="status_body">orally g <span class="status_body">o <span class="status_body">od and which <span class="status_body">ones aren't. The Church can never back away fr <span class="status_body">om their duty t <span class="status_body">o pr <span class="status_body">otect human life and dignity, and remember that the ends d <span class="status_body">on't justify the means.

4. D <span class="status_body">oing G <span class="status_body">o <span class="status_body">od and Av <span class="status_body">oiding Evil- A <span class="status_body">v <span class="status_body">oter sh <span class="status_body">ould n <span class="status_body">ot make a decisi <span class="status_body">on based <span class="status_body">on where a candidate stands f <span class="status_body">or <span class="status_body">one single issue, but they must <span class="status_body">opp <span class="status_body">ose issues that are <span class="status_body">m <span class="status_body">orally uns <span class="status_body">ound, <span class="status_body">or intrinsically evil. Als <span class="status_body">o, it is n <span class="status_body">ot en <span class="status_body">ough f <span class="status_body">or s <span class="status_body">ome <span class="status_body">one t <span class="status_body">o just av <span class="status_body">oid evil, they must als <span class="status_body">o d <span class="status_body">o g <span class="status_body">o <span class="status_body">od as well.

5.Making M <span class="status_body">oral Ch <span class="status_body">oices- P <span class="status_body">olitical deci <span class="status_body">si <span class="status_body">ons that are difficult require a well-f <span class="status_body">ormed c <span class="status_body">onscience al <span class="status_body">ong with prudence which begins with <span class="status_body">opp <span class="status_body">osing p <span class="status_body">olicies that vi <span class="status_body">olate human life <span class="status_body">or make it easier t <span class="status_body">o attack human life. Als <span class="status_body">o, prudence is needed f <span class="status_body">or laws that exist that are m <span class="status_body">orally uns <span class="status_body">ound in <span class="status_body">order t <span class="status_body">o change these laws. Furtherm <span class="status_body">ore, prudence is required t <span class="status_body">o find the best way t <span class="status_body">o pr <span class="status_body">om <span class="status_body">ote the c <span class="status_body">omm <span class="status_body">on g <span class="status_body">o <span class="status_body">od in c <span class="status_body">omm <span class="status_body">on issues such as h <span class="status_body">ousing, healthcare, and immigrati <span class="status_body">on. <span class="status_body"> <span class="status_body"> <span class="status_body"> <span class="status_body"> <span class="status_body"> <span class="status_body"> <span class="status_body"> <span class="status_body"> <span class="status_body"> <span class="status_body">