Today marks the first day that ballots are being sent to voters across Michigan ahead of November’s General Election. To help each of us to prayerfully inform our conscience before voting, FAITH Magazine – the Diocese of Lansing’s official publication – has produced a guide to voting written by the Chairman of the Diocese of Lansing’s Commission on Catholic Social Teaching, Kishore Jayabalan. Kishore writes:

Catholic citizens in the Diocese of Lansing have the right and duty to participate in political life. For most of us, this participation takes the form of voting for elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels of government. While the tone and tenor of the campaign season can appear overly partisan or personality-driven, we should strive to be more thoughtful and coherent, exercising both faith and reason in our voting behavior.

When considering whom to vote for, Catholics should evaluate the policy positions of the candidates from the perspective of the Church’s moral and social teachings. The four main principles of Catholic Social Teaching (CST) — human dignity, the common good, solidarity, and subsidiarity — are especially helpful when thinking about social issues. Taken together, these principles are the pillars of a society that reflects God’s will for the created order and the natural moral law. Read more here