Can a priest get in trouble if he gives election advice that doesn’t align with the teachings of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops? Father Dave answers a #TwitterTuesday question, explaining why Catholic priests around the world are never supposed to publicly endorse a specific candidate for office.
“A representative of the Church cannot declare who people should vote for. In fact, there are penalties in Church law for doing that. Now, priests can give election advice, however we cannot say you must vote for a specific candidate.”
Father Dave also explains that priests can help form a person’s conscience so that they can make an informed decision. He also mentions Busted Halo’s “Voting Catholic” video to learn more about the political responsibilities of Catholics and the issues that are important to the Church. (Original Air 10-18-16)
