Our Duty to Vote, Informed by Truth, in Obedience to Truth

Voting for Family and Life on November 7

Archbishop Burke addresses this most urgent responsibility we have as voters and as citizens, especially as it relates to Amendment 2.

Our responsility is first, "to vote", and also, "to vote for both the integrity of procreation within the family and the inviolability of embryonic human life."

Failing to vote is failing to exercise the virtue of love on behalf of the whole of society. Failure to vote is failure to vote for the truth which will serve the greatest good of all in society.

It seems to me that a failure to vote against Amendment 2 would be a mortal sin, especially in light of the gravity of this direct constitutional attempt to clone human life for the purpose of killing it. (This is somewhat outside the scope of Archbishop Burke's column, but I tend to lose too many "thoughts" these days and feel I better record it while it's on my mind.)

We have grave matter - a direct attack against the most defenseless of humanity, an attempt to create a class of human persons whose lives are reduced to slavery, experimentation, and direct killing.

We have knowledge of the gravity of the matter. We have been informed numerous times that it is our duty, for the love of Christ, our fellow man and for the common good, to vote in opposition to this direct attack on the integrity of human procreation and the dignity of embryonic human life.

What willful, deliberate action do I take, based on the knowledge that I have of this grave matter? Will I sin gravely or will I avoid killing my soul and choose to exercise the virtues which are pleasing to God?

Do I accept the Church's teaching just as I would the teaching of my Lord, Jesus?

Or do I permit my arrogance and pride to consume me so that I reject the good, the objective truth, my obligations - because my understanding of "freedom" is deficient?

Does my pride interfere in my conforming my will to the will of Christ?

Does my pride lead me to violate my obligations to God and to others who depend on me - like the unborn?

Do I vote in conformity with the good, in conformity with the truth, in conformity with the the will of my Savior?

Or do I cast my ballot in rebellion to the truth, in a manner which ultimately results in my crying out, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!!!"

For some people, these may indeed be real obstacles. Those of us who have been consumed with arrogance and pride in our lives can understand this and the difficulties that some may have. However, I cannot understand how any rational and truly compassionate person would not fulfill his/her obligation to vote against this horrendous amendment.

Please read Archbishop Burke's column...His columns are clear and unambiguous - he leaves the reader with the information needed to contine on the road to holiness and sanctity.

Please share these words and the prayer below with your friends and family. Countless lives are stake as are the rights of citizens to a representative government.
From the Review, Archbishop Burke continues:

Please vote for the truth. Please encourage others to do the same.

I close with the prayer which I offered at the Rally for the Defeat of Amendment 2, held at St. Alphonsus (Rock) Church on this past Oct. 28:

"Almighty God, we come to You in our great need. You have made us the stewards of your manifold gifts. Above all, you have made us stewards of your greatest gift, human life created in Your own image and likeness, and redeemed by Christ, Your Son, on the Cross. Our stewardship of Your gift of human life, at its very beginning, today stands under a great challenge.

Without Your help, we know that we will fail to safeguard our tiniest brothers and sisters.

With Your help, we are confident that we can safeguard and foster all human life, especially the lives of our brothers and sisters who are under deadly threat.

Enlighten our minds with Your truth and inflame our hearts with Your love, that we may be wise stewards of human life, and courageous defenders of our innocent and defenseless brothers and sisters.

We beg You to grant the grace of conversion of mind and heart to those who would offend You most gravely by attempting to generate human life artificially and by destroying the embryonic human life which they have generated.

Grant to us all the conversion of mind and heart which will enable us to speak the truth and to do the truth with Your divine love which knows no boundary or limit.

We ask this, all-loving Father, through Christ, Your Son and our Lord, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen."