Remember to vote for the things that matter most
Purple Catholic Saturday Post
Good morning and happy Saturday. This week, EWTN News and RealClear Opinion Research released a poll that shows how Catholics are thinking about the upcoming presidential election. Overall, Vice President Kamala Harris has more support from Catholics than former president Donald Trump does.
As you might expect, following the national trend, Catholics of color are more likely to support Harris. The same is true for Catholic women.
What struck me about this new poll is that the frequency one attends Mass no longer predicts what party a Catholic might vote for. Since EWTN News began these polls, those that attended Mass at least weekly overwhelming supported the Republican candidate. In this poll, the only category of Mass goers that supports former Trump are those that attend Mass daily.
This shows a continued divide on issues and the candidates regardless of religiosity that mirrors the American public in general.
I was speaking to my wife the other evening about my observations that Catholics in America often seem to identify less with their faith when voting and more with a political party. It is why so many conservative Catholics decry the “globalist” and “progressive” tendencies of Pope Francis. Its why progressives spend so much time trying to advocate for so-called same-sex marriage within the Church.
They forget that the Church is larger than the United States and our political problems. The fastest growing area of the Church is in Africa, where talk about so-called same-sex marriage isn’t even a topic of conversation. In other parts of the world, the pope is concerned about the saftey of Christians and their ability to worship, not the fact that John Doe in Chicago has to go to a different liturgical rite than he prefers.
When we get caught up in politics, we seem to forget the important things about our existence. These might be described as “the things that matter most,” as my late former boss Al Kresta used to say.
While all politics is local, we do need to remember that there are people (including our fellow American citizens) that struggle with poverty and lack of a good education, and that there is an entire class of people killed every day because of the legality of abortion. Promoting justice and the dignity of the human person is essential when we go to vote.
Jesus gave us the two most important commandments that can be summed up like this: Love God and love your neighbor. We have to make sure that we focus on these two commands when we go and vote.
New content
Beginning on September 9th, I will be publishing Faithful Citizenship Minutes. These are short, one minute, audio reflections on Catholic participation in public life. These are entirely based on Catholic social teaching and the US Bishops document Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship.
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Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
This week we are entering the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time. This Sunday we will hear readings from Isaiah 35:4-7; Psalm 146; James 2:1-5; and Mark 7:31-37.
Here are some resources to help you prep for the readings this Sunday:
In the Liturgy of the Hours, we begin Psalter Week III.
Here is a calendar for the rest of the week:
Monday, 9 September - Memorial of St. Peter Claver, priest
Thursday, 12 September - Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary (optional)
Friday, 13 September - Memorial of St. John Chrisostom, bishop and doctor
Saturday, 14 September - Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
[Jesus] went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every infirmity among the people.
Matthew 4:23
In the news:
The United States
EWTN News poll: Harris leads Trump among Catholic voters - National Catholic Register
Nebraska pro-lifers challenge abortion ballot measure - WORLD Magazine
Walz, Vance, and the New Christian Politics - Wyatt Flicker in Jucy Ecumenism
Tearing down the Rupnik idol - Anthony Esolen in the Catholic Thing
When religion isn’t good enough - Fr. Samuel Keyes in Catholic Answers Magazine
Charles Barkley makes $1 mil. to St. Mary’s Academy after seeing students on 60 Minutes - Aleteia
Ohio State football team leads Jesus revival on campus, hundreds attend - National Catholic Register
The Vatican
Indonesian police detain seven in a failed plot to attack Pope Francis - The Straits Times
Indonesians cherish their moments with Pope Francis - UCA News
From tunnels of war to the tunnel of friendship - L’Osservatore Romano
The World
Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro declares Christmas will begin on October 1 - AP News
International Eucharistic Congress begins in Ecuador - National Catholic Register
China ends international adoptions - Christianity Today
At deadline, Chaldean bishops not planning apology - The Pillar
Have a good weekend,
Matthew