Now what?!?

It’s Wednesday morning, with one new item inserted before the rest of the pre-prepared set of articles.

Election Section

History will be made either way Given all the twists and turns in recent months, it’s easy to overlook the historical significance of this election. Harris would become the first female president in the United States’ 248-year history. She would also be the first Black woman and person of South Asian descent to hold the office.With a Trump vicrtory, he would become the first person convicted of a felony elected to the U.S. presidency, having been convicted of 34 felony counts in a New York hush-money case little more than five months ago.

How do we prepare to bind the nation’s wounds? From the National Catholic Reporter, Michael Sean Winters says, “We don’t know whom Americans will choose to lead the country in tomorrow’s election. Half the U.S. will love the choice; the other half will hate it. How should we, as Catholics, help unite the country when it is done?”

For sisters outside the US, the stakes are high in the 2024 election. Catholic sisters outside the U.S. say they are watching the race for the White House with a mixture of concern, worry and even anxiety, saying what happens will have deep ramifications throughout the world.

Election: What would Thomas Aquinas say? OPINION by Thomas Groome, professor of theology and religious education at Boston College. “I recognize that some 80% of Americans favor allowing abortion, at least in certain circumstances. The great Catholic theologian, Thomas Aquinas, insisted that civil laws must reflect “the consensus of the governed.” So, until the great majority of Americans generally oppose abortion, while allowing for rare exceptions, Catholics cannot impose our moral norms on the rest of society.

What would St. Augustine say? VIEWPOINT: Augustine of Hippo’s sprawling masterpiece The City of God, written in the early 400s, has enduring relevance for us today. I believe that its wisdom can teach us to inhabit the fractious, polarized time in which we live. As a philosopher and a Christian, it is particularly disconcerting to me how many Christians seem to be suspicious of liberal democracy. And conversely, it is unsettling how many fellow citizens imagine that Christianity is an inherent threat to democracy—though sadly, I can imagine why they have reached that conclusion.

Election Deniers Are Out in Full Force. WIRED Magazine finds “true believers, convinced beyond all reason that the last election was stolen, have spent years preparing to undermine this one. At last, their time has arrived.

The ‘Catholic Vote’ ANALYSIS: Harris Campaign Is Stalling With Catholic Voters, While Trump Is Connecting. The National Catholic Register reports, “While both candidates made initial outreaches to Catholics, the Harris campaign has largely ignored them in its recent messaging.”

Latina Christians and the future of abortion in Florida. Latina Floridians told RNS their faith has guided them as they work to engage their communities to vote for or against Amendment 4. Our report is from Religion News Service.

Conservative, white religious women for Harris. Democrats and some prominent evangelical women are highlighting Donald Trump’s character and conduct, as well as issues such as abortion access, to convince religious conservative women to vote for Harris.

The ‘Courage Tour,’ a religio-political rally, is going around battleground states. It is focused on defeating Democrats, but also on defeating ‘demonic forces.’

Harris, Trump voters differ over election security. Among registered voters, 90% of Kamala Harris’ supporters – versus 57% of Donald Trump’s backers – say they’re confident that November’s election will be administered well. Similarly, Harris supporters are far more optimistic that mail-in ballots will be counted as voters intend, and that U.S. election systems are safe from hacking.

What happens if Trump tries to overturn another election loss? In speeches, social media posts, and interviews, former U.S. President Donald Trump has been signaling that he is highly likely to challenge the election results should he lose on Tuesday. The big question is what may happen next.

‘We tried Christian nationalism in America.’ It went badly, according to a report from Religion News Service. Nostalgia for a ‘Christian America’ overlooks the realities of religion in the founding era — which included taxes, jail time, exile and even public hangings for anyone who defied state-run churches.

‘How to End Christian Nationalism.’ Amanda Tyler offers her debut book with a roadmap to building multiracial interfaith coalitions and fostering what she calls ‘uncomfortable’ but necessary conversations — especially for white Christians.

Turning Point USA: ‘Spiritual Warfare’ on campus has appeared at over 45 Christian colleges or universities since 2020; 21 of those chapters appear currently active.

A source of hope and grounding

VIEWPOINT: The Holy Spirit moves at ground level. This is the vision of Matthew Heyd, the newly installed bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, and it is repeated in every communication. This watchword has become a source of hope and, yes, grounding for me.

At the local level: American politics at its best. VIEWPOINT: Beyond the national divisions of the presidential race, civility and neighborly trust largely reign in local government.

Synod on Synodality

Challenges and proposals Pope Francis’ three-year consultation on the future of the Catholic Church concluded on Oct. 26, outlining the institution’s challenges and proposing ways for all the baptized to be involved in charting a path forward.

It’s Premature to Judge the Synod Just Yet ANALYSIS: The Synod on Synodality will have an important epilogue in the conclusions of the study groups to which Pope Francis entrusted the most controversial issues, including the question of women in ministry. From The National Catholic Register.

Cardinals seek revamping USCCB structure

Two top U.S. cardinals are calling for the U.S. bishops’ conference to revamp its governance structures to better reflect Pope Francis’ call for a more synodal church. Cardinals Cupich and McElroy call on US bishops’ conference to be more synodal. 

Gaza-Israel

A key action webinar to help stop the genocide in Gaza was organized by the Global Solidarity for Peace in Palestine (GSPP), of which Pax Christi International is a part. The GSPP is a coalition of organizations from around the world committed to defending the rights of Palestinians and ending the occupation. The webinar was entitled, “Stop the Genocide” – A call to action for peace in Gaza.“

Pew reports

Diwali, the annual festival of lights that has religious significance for Hindus, Sikhs and Jains, is being celebrated this week. In India, nine-in-ten or more Jains (98%), Hindus (95%) and Sikhs (90%) participate in celebrations of Diwali, as do 79% of Buddhists, 31% of Christians and 20% of Muslims, according to a Pew Research Center survey of Indian adults conducted in late 2019 and early 2020.

5 Prayers for the United States

Shortly after the United States was founded, then-Bishop John Carroll, the first bishop of Baltimore (encompassing the entire country), showed his devotion to the new nation by writing a prayer in 1791 for the U.S. government. Bishop Carroll wrote the prayer shortly before George Washington, the first U.S. president, was elected to a second term in 1792. From the Catholic Review, Baltimore.