Dear Friends and Readers,
I offer this very short essay entitled “Pope Leo on Voting,” as a final effort to encourage all of my over 2000 readers who have not yet voted to cast a ballot in this absolutely crucial midterm election.
Fr. Jim Bacik
Recently, Pope Leo XIV cast a mail-in ballot in Chicago where he was born and raised, the first time in history that a sitting pontiff voted in a national election. The Vatican said that Leo has exercised his right to vote as a United States citizen whenever he was eligible to do so, including during the 20 years he ministered in Peru. The pope has consistently encouraged all people of goodwill to participate in the political process. We should note that typically, only about 40 percent of eligible voters vote in midterm elections. Leo has argued that the church supports democracy because it allows citizens to hold elected officials accountable and to replace them when appropriate through the electoral process. For Leo, voting is a civic duty and a moral responsibility.
The first American pontiff Pope Leo XIV not only instructs us in this principle of Catholic social teaching but he also inspires us to cast a ballot in this midterm election by his own exemplary voting record.
About the Author
Fr. James J. Bacik has served as a priest of the Diocese of Toledo since his ordination in 1962. He is a widely regarded theologian, writer, lecturer and pastor who served as campus minister and adjunct professor of humanities at the University of Toledo for more than 30 years. Fr. Bacik is an AUSCP member. Visit his website at frjimbacik.org.