Written by Kathy Clubb
18th Oct 2024
As the US Presidential election draws nearer, two conflicting opinions are emerging for Catholics wishing to vote in a principled manner. Both have their merits and both allow for a decision to be made in good conscience. The conflicting points of view are being promoted by two holy and learned priests, making the American voters’ choice even more difficult.
One decision which is very clear from the outset is that no Catholic may, in good conscience, vote in support of Kamala Harris. Harris and her running mate, Tim Waltz, have made their extreme pro-abortion views abundantly clear. Thus to directly vote for their ticket as a means of directly supporting the Democrats is a matter of mortal sin for Catholics.
Since the American electoral system is quite different from that of Australia, voters cast their vote for a specific President, rather than voting for a party as is the case here. This leaves voters with two options: vote for Trump or vote third party and risk seeing Kamala Harris made President.
From a traditional Catholic point of view, there is no imperative to vote when neither candidate is morally sound. This article explains the principles in a case like the current presidential election:
- It is sinful for a Catholic to vote for a candidate who claims to be Catholic, but who is not Pro-Life (abortion, euthanasia, homosexual unions)
- However, Catholics are not morally obliged, in any way, to vote for the opponent of the above candidate.
- Catholics are only required to vote for candidates who are solidly Catholic
The Lesser of Two Evils
The decision to vote for Trump is the option of those who see him as the lesser of two evils. No longer worthy of the title ‘pro life’, Trump is nevertheless not rabidly for abortion as is Kamala Harris. He and his proposed Vice President, J. D. Vance, have both openly stated their support for abortion in the first trimester as well as for IVF. Vance, a new convert to Catholicism, remains unrepentant in his support for access to the abortion pill. Trump, the first sitting President to attend the March for Life in Washington, reversed his position on abortion when the Republicans lost a series of electorates in the Mid-terms. At the time, he blamed their pro life stance for the losses.
This betrayal of the pro life movement was compounded when the Republican Party’s 2024 platform was revealed at its National Conference. Some delegates were shocked to learn that the platform had been amended without their knowledge and was ratified without any debate. The new platform has removed the protections for the unborn which until then had marked the republican Party as pro life in theory, if not always in practise. As well as allowing for abortion on demand, the Republican Party now officially acknowledges same-sex unions as legitimate ‘marriages.’
Yet, for many Catholics, a vote for Trump is a vote against Harris and her open-slather attitude to abortion. The popular exorcist, Fr. Chad Ripperger, has laid out the principles whereby Catholic can vote for Trump in good conscience. He said,
“The basic principle is, in a situation like that, then your obligation is to vote for the lesser of two evils. And the reason being is because … when you’re voting for a lesser evil, you’re not voting for the person’s evil ….. What you’re voting to is to preserve the good that would be lost if the other opponent got in, who’s more evil.” [emphasis added]
Another way of stating this argument is that an imperfect ally is preferable to a perfect enemy.
Voting for a Pro-life Candidate
The other option for Catholics and others of good will is to vote third party. There are a few minor parties who run candidates solely so that conscientious objectors to the two major parties will be able to vote. Included among these third party options is a new party from the founder of Operation Rescue.
The principle used in making this choice is that it is immoral to vote for anyone who has expressed their support for abortion. Voters with this mindset are prepared to endure a Harris/Waltz administration, and all the persecution that entails, rather than vote for the pro-abortion Trump.
A major proponent of this point of view is Bishop Athanasius Schneider, who believes that voting for a pro-abortion candidate like Trump can be likened to offering a pinch of incense to the pagan emperors of ancient Rome. Just as the martyrs were prepared to die rather than betray their faith even to a small degree, so third party voters believe it is not morally licit to vote for Trump even to save their nation from Kamala Harris.
The danger, so the argument goes, is that the Republicans will have no incentive to roll back any of the anti-life and anti-family policies which they now openly support, if voters are willing to choose them over the Democrats. The warts-and-all approach has never been seen to work in any jurisdiction throughout history, so this is a very salient point. (Ed Feser draws out this point in his excellent article, here.)
Trump has already broken his promises: who’s to say that this won’t happen at any time in the future? There is next to no chance that Trump will end his support for gay ‘marriage’ or mRNA technologies. And while it is true that he may act to secure the southern border, with a million undocumented illegals already in North America, the damage is largely done.
Another way of stating this argument is that Hitler should be preferred to Stalin.
Preparing for Persecution
It is unfortunate for America, the ‘land of the free’, that no matter the outcome of this election, trouble is on the way. As always, it will be the innocent who suffer most while the so-called ‘elites’ hunker down in their gated communities, surrounded by armed bodyguards who are ready to whisk them to safer climes at a moment’s notice. Not so the everyday families who are already suffering due to rising inflation and illegal and unregulated immigration.
Thankfully, there are a number of prayer initiatives to provide the much-needed spiritual ammunition for a battle of this nature. Fr. Ripperger, has composed a prayer consecrating the election to the Blessed Mother; Bishop Joseph Strickland has called for a 61-day Rosary crusade for the election of pro-life leaders in the U.S., for the conversion of Vatican prelates, and for peace.
Although we Australians are not in the unfortunate position of having to vote in such a crucial election, we should all offer at least a few prayers for protection of the American people and for an honest outcome to the election. We should also pray for a mitigation of the flow-on effects which we are sure to suffer, no matter who wins. As a major trade and defense partner of the US, Australia is not isolated from any chaos experienced by that nation: our destinies are very much entwined, for better or for worse.
