faithful citizenship
26 Aug
Credit: Catholic New World
“A citizen faithful to their nation will act for the betterment of their country’s government, and do so through voting. As a faithful citizen full of Catholic faith, this citizen will vote and be politically active in such a way to ensure that a moral understanding pervades those elected to government and is taken into account in all legislation. The faithful citizen is a citizen faithful to their nation and faithful to their God” – Charlie Labuz
Faithful Citizenship
Catholic New World 2012 Essay Contest Winners, May 20, 2012
C
harlie Labuz of St. Patrick High School is a The Catholic New World and the Office for Catholic Schools 2012 Essay Contest Third Prize Winner. The contest was open for seniors in Catholic high schools asking them to write about what they thought it means to be a faithful citizen.
A complete voter must not only be politically educated but also have a fully developed conscience. Every issue, whether economic or dealing with the rights of individuals, has moral applications. As Catholics we are called upon to act as faithful citizens and put our Catholic education into practice, especially this year during the presidential election. Since political actions and legislative bills all have moral repercussions it is important to apply the spiritual side, along with the fact-based political side of the brain when voting.
The phrase “faithful citizen” may have two meanings. The first, obviously as approached by a Catholic, would be the application of the Catholic faith toward being a good citizen. The other meaning: a citizen faithful toward our nation. The two different interpretations of the same words actually overlap. A citizen faithful to their nation will act for the betterment of their country’s government, and do so through voting. As a faithful citizen full of Catholic faith, this citizen will vote and be politically active in such a way to ensure that a moral understanding pervades those elected to government and is taken into account in all legislation. The faithful citizen is a citizen faithful to their nation and faithful to their God. To be truly faithful to our nation we must advocate its betterment, and the clearest betterment is as a nation grounded in a populace of voters with well-developed consciences. As Catholics we are called to further develop our conscience in order to be the best faithful citizens we can possibly be
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