Our NYS Catholic Conference of Bishops have just issued a statement, Our Cherished Right, Our Solemn Duty, reminding us of our duty to vote.  Yes, we hold separation of church and state as an important principle.  We, as Catholics, also firmly believe in the duty of each individual to stand up for what we believe in.  One vital way of doing this is exercising our right to vote. 

We vote based on our values rather than our self-interest.  There may not be a perfect candidate but God has given us the gift of wisdom to help us decide which candidate most closely believes in the same values we do.  To do that we must take the time to watch the news, read the newspaper, or search the Internet to find out what we can about the candidates and then make a prayerful choice between the candidates.

For more on Catholic voting principles check out http://www.faithfulcitizenship.org

Peace,

Fr. Jeff