How Should Catholics Vote? 

My mother would say: when you have done all you can do to make a decision, let the final step be prayer

5:26 EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. After elected officials take office, we should be constantly urging them to do better! We don't owe them "loyalty" or immunity from criticism. We, as people of conscience, should be keen critics.

What confuses many Christians - not just Catholics - is that for years one party has associated itself with Christian values while associated the other party with non-Christian values, but in practice, each party has some Christian and some anti-Christian values. As Catholics we should have enough discernment to see the actual values of each and vote according to that and not on what we are told through the media or other channels.

Father Casey, what you've shared has saved us all much cognitive and emotional torment. You didn't tell us how to vote, but offered us tools by which to choose. "Thank you" barely scratches the surface of my gratitude.

This is the problem with a 2 party system

Interesting this came out the same day where I saw an article that reported that Pope Francis stated his disappointment in both Harris and Trump and called on Catholics to vote for the lesser of two evils. This is a standard I have long used at all levels.

I am a practicing Catholic, I live in Indian Country and have learned from my native friends to look at least seven generations in to the future. One of the candidates is at least looking forward to a future one is stuck in the past. I will be voting for the one who looks forward to the future.

For me the question is unbelievably simple: Which party booed God at a national convention? I won't vote for that one.

Great video. Myself as being a Christian going both to the Catholic Mass and Evangelical Churches, I wish more Evangelical church pastors spoke about politics this way rather than saying "Vote for this specific candidate.".

Thomas Sowell once said, "It's the best I can do in a morally constrained world", it is a good guide

Father, I’m sure at 2:38 you accidently omitted the words ‘conflicts in..’ so that we should have heard, “Conflicts in Israel and Ukraine threaten our world” rather than, “Israel and Ukraine threaten our world”!

The American Solidarity Party aligns much better with Catholic values than either Republicans or Democrats - if you don’t live in a swing state, that might be a good option for people who feel politically lost and want to show that they care enough to vote and care enough to want better options

My biggest problem is the Media not doing their job to fairly call out issues on both sides. They should Report and We should decide

My thoughts on which party is most aligned with Catholicism on each criterion: 1. Human Life: Mostly Republicans. Republicans are aligned with Catholics on anti-abortion and anti-euthanasia. Democrats are historically the anti-death penalty party, so they get some credit there. 2. Religious freedom. Mostly Republicans. Republicans have supported Catholic organizations who seek to stick by their values and support private Catholic education. Democrats get some credit for tolerance to religious minorities, which is part of Father Casey’s criterion. 3. Marriage. Mostly Republicans. Republicans historically opposed gay marriage, not allowed by the Church, but reversal of this is not realistic and not a major plank of the modern Republican Party. Democrats get credit here for positions like subsidizing child care, which encourages married couples to have children. 4. Disparity between the rich and poor. Mostly Democrats. Democrats support allowing workers to organize and negotiate for better conditions, and supports policies like increasing the minimum wage. Republicans argue these things hurt working people, and claim they have other solutions for this, your mileage may vary. 5. Care for undocumented immigrants. Democrats. Not much needs to be said here. 6. War, terror, and violence. Mixed. Both parties support Israel’s shocking actions in Gaza and the West Bank, including against Palestinian Christians. Trump is more vocal about a peaceful solution in the Russia-Ukraine war. Democrats support limited gun control which may reduce violence domestically. Catholic Democrats and Catholic Republicans usually have their outs on these. For example, Catholic Democrats may say they are personally pro-life but support choice, or have problems with how pro-life legislation affects people in practice. Catholic Republicans may oppose programs and policies intended to help the poor or working class, but say they believe in private charity to help such people. Happy voting!

First, vote according to your conscience. Second, try to live as Jesus did and wants you to. Third, encourage other people to live as Jesus did and would want them to.

Like our Pope Francis stated. “Vote for the lesser evil.” God bless you my brother 🫶🙏

Vote according to the sanity of the candidate. That’s a good place to start🤷‍♂️

Only Jesus perfectly checks off all the boxes.

Well done, Father! "Voting for someone is not an endorsement of everything they do, but we weigh the pros and cons on many issues." "As Catholics, we are not single-issue voters. " (Forming Consciences, USCCB). Republicans may have to vote pro-gun, while Democrats may have to vote for legal abortion. As long as they intend their votes for religious liberty, the common good, aid to the poor, dignity of workers, care for creation, etc., there is no sin. committed.

I know one thing for certain. As a Christian, I refuse to vote for an authoritarian bully who sets the tone for everyone who follows them.

Abortion is a public health crisis brought about, in part, by our contempt for the poor. We need to build a society where abortion is socially unthinkable, regardless of the price of raising a baby.

I'll be voting for the side that supports the least infanticide and doesn't encourage people to pursue disordered and damaging lifestyles

Abortion takes special place in my mind. Innocents need protection.

From the comments it would seem that many Catholics have conveniently forgotten the Ten Commandments. Sad.

"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." - James 1:27. Don't let the world corrupt YOU..."the world" is defined in Sacred Scripture as the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride in riches. Also, Matthew 25:31-46 is a wonderful voter's guide. How we treat those immigrants will be brought up in Christ's Final Judgment of the Nations, separated like the sheep from the goats.

American Solidarity with Peter Sonski is the way

Diluting the Catholic vote can actually be beneficial. Unless a candidate actually campaign on being pro-life, they are not guaranteed the vote just because they are "the lesser of two evils".

Larry Burkett's book on "Giving and Tithing" drew me closer to God and helped my spirituality. 2020 was a year I literally lived it. I cashed in my life savings and gave it all away. My total giving amounted to 40,000 dollars. Everyone thought I was delusional. Today, 1 receive 85,000 dollars every two months. I have a property in Calabasas, CA, and travel a lot. God has promoted me more than once and opened doors for me to live beyond my dreams. God kept to his promises to and for me

Vote according to your conscience

Vote Jesus

Interesting to see that what the Bible gives most importance to, poverty, is only on the 4th place.

I don’t think caring for the immigrants means letting them just come illegally into this country. There’s other ways to care for people in other countries.

There are lots of topics, but I feel this video fails to address the weight of certain topics over others. Some topics are non negotiable according to the teaching of the church.

I'm not american and I don't live there neither. But this tips certainly work for every kind of election in other countries. Thanks

Every life isn't special. Every life is sacred.

Why does an organization that engaged in the sexual abuse of minors and sheltered the perpetrators think it is entitled to speak on morality and public affairs?

im neither catholic nor a us citizen but here i am watching this video

Thank you, Father Casey for this message, in such divided times.

Anyone who supports abortion will never have my vote

I just walked out of the confessional where I discussed my struggle with this exact issue. Your points are so helpful in making my decision. God bless you!

Very insightful, thanks Fr.

Honestly I don’t think either are a good fit, but it’s one between two unfit candidates in my opinion

Being pro life, as Pope Francis has said, has not to do only with the startpoint but with all complex situations that we as a community have to face to prevent poverty, violence, injustice against every person. Our response to the reality of abortion, I think, should include all these complexities and of course not criminalize a woman for feeling she has no other alternative

The problem with one-issue, cafeteria Catholics is that they can't see beyond their own "logs" in their eyes. Rather than claiming to be "pro-life" they should just be "anti-abortion", because they aren't caring what happens to people after they are born.

Thank you for setting me free. When a devout Christian like Mike Pence is booed by a group of Christians for saving our democracy, that tells me that the church is broken (at least that part of the church). I’m so glad I became Catholic in my mid 30s. Now in my 70s, I will be voting for the candidate with the best character. It’s time to move on.

Idk how a person can call themselves Catholic and support anyone in the Democratic Party.

I liked what Charlie Kirk said about this subject. We must think of voting as a chess move for the direction we think society should go, not as a full endorsement of the candidate. I disagree with Fr Casey’s view on the undocumented migrants. He overlooks the fact that there are many migrants who are violent, drug cartel members and those involved in human trafficking. And what about the Haitians who are eating people’s pets? While I agree innocent migrants should be treated with Christian kindness, that doesn’t necessarily mean we should allow them all into our country when we should be focusing on our poor who already live here and are now getting less care because of the migrants. We simply don’t have the capacity to take care of everyone and it’s not unchristian to acknowledge that. A pastor who takes care of the poor but neglects his own family is not doing God’s will.

I am a Catholic guy from Lebanon, the US election does affect us, that why I will permit myself to comment on this post, and I find it challenging to understand how any Catholic could support Kamala Harris in this election for the following reasons: 1. Abortion: Harris clearly supports abortion, and it is concerning that if she becomes president, the number of abortions might increase due to her and her cabinet promoting this act of violence. For example, she has said, "The right of women to make decisions about their own bodies (abortion) is non-negotiable. We will fight to ensure that women have access to the full range of reproductive healthcare. We will not stand by and let them undermine women’s rights." 2. LGBTQ+ Issues: Harris supports teaching and promoting LGBTQ+ issues in schools. Many Lebanese parents return to Lebanon specifically because they do not want their children influenced by these teachings, especially in her state California. I do not know about other states. 3. Christmas Greetings: Christmas should be about the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, reflecting the significance of God coming into our world. Several presidents have emphasized this by using "Merry Christmas" in their messages: o Franklin D. Roosevelt: His 1933 Christmas message began with, "A Merry Christmas to you." o John F. Kennedy: His 1961 Christmas message started with, "On this Christmas Eve." o Ronald Reagan: His 1981 message began with, "Merry Christmas." o George H. W. Bush: His 1989 message included, "Merry Christmas to you all." o Donald Trump: His 2017 message began with, "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year." Presidents who have used "Happy Holidays" include: o Bill Clinton: His 1998 message included, "Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year." o Barack Obama: His 2009 message said, "Happy Holidays." o Joe Biden: His 2021 message included, "Happy Holidays." Kamala Harris once screamed with full anger, “Don’t you dare say Merry Christmas”. 4. Immigration: Americans should recognize that they live better than 99% of the world’s population. If they wish to help, they should focus on aiding other nations to become democratic and resolving conflicts (stoping wars …), rather than opening borders to an influx of immigrants. I know that many US hedge funds and US weapon companies gain from these conflicts and may help the US company, but if you really care about world population you should vote for Trump whom in his time no serious wars begun. 5. U.S. Foreign Policy and Lebanon: In Lebanon, we face a terrorist group called Hezbollah, which is linked to Iran and targets opposition, particularly Catholic (Maronite) leaders (many were killed, Pierre Gemayel, Gebran Toueini, Bachir Gemayel) and this group made many terrorist attack on American soldiers. The Obama administration, which supports Harris, made an agreement with Iran that allowed it to gain financial resources, which were used to support Hezbollah. This has strengthened Hezbollah's position and exacerbated the situation for Catholics in Lebanon. This group also targeted US citizens 1. 1983 Beirut Barracks Bombings: On October 23, 1983, Hezbollah orchestrated a truck bomb attack on the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 241 U.S. servicemen. This attack was one of the deadliest on U.S. military personnel and significantly influenced U.S. policy in Lebanon. 2. 1984 U.S. Embassy Bombing: On September 20, 1984, a bomb exploded outside the U.S. embassy in Beirut, killing 24 people, including one American. Hezbollah was implicated in this attack, although it was primarily conducted by another radical group, the Islamic Jihad Organization, which was closely linked to Hezbollah. 3. Ongoing Hostilities: Over the years, Hezbollah has continued to be involved in various forms of hostility against U.S. interests in the region. The group's support for anti-American groups and its role in regional conflicts have often put it at odds with U.S. foreign policy. How can any Catholic support a party that helps terrorist groups that persecute Catholic minorities and attack US soldiers and citizens. Catholics should have the courage to publically support Trump in this election, even if he is not catholic, his values, politics and actions does support the Catholics worldwide.

Thank you Father Casey. I was truly at such a loss on who to vote for I was seriously considering not voting at all. Thank you for explaining how best to way my conscience in this. You have removed such a weight from me. God Bless you and your work.

THis is great. I was personally disappointed that Care for the Environment isn't on the list, but like you said, no governing body is perfect!

7. The mental health of the candidate.

It's simple, VOTE for the most pro-life candidate because without LIFE no other rights matter.

One candidate is too pro choice. But did give credit, if not praise, to God. The other is actively campaigning on abortion and spits on our faith. The choice isnt perfect but it is clear

That was a big soup of words to reach to the same conclusion as Pope Francis: if we vote, we’ll have to pick the lesser of two evils, because none of the two candidates / parties is without flaw when it comes to moral values.

All due respect to the Bishops but what are these 'most reputable news sources'? The New York Times? The Washington Post? CNN? FOX? ABC? CBS? NPR? I can't imagine any of these being considered a reputable new source. Perhaps the Bishops have a list they would like to put their imprimatur on.

Catholics for abortion? I think the choice is clear?

I’m Catholic and will never vote democrat literally our priest has told us this and he’s the head of our Church. I will be voting Trump 🤝🏼

Thank you for this video father. Great guidance on the complexities and responsibilities of Catholic political participation. There is always work to do, in life, in faith, in civic duty - we aren’t perfect and we are ever evolving and must always be thinking about how to best fulfill our roles in society. God bless you.

I am a single issue voter. I simply cannot vote for someone who supports abortion through the 9th month.

In the 1960s someone said that Catholics took their religion from Rome but their politics from home. With many Irish, Latina, and Italians registered as Democrats that party was identified closely with the Catholic Church.

Vote for the party that DIDNT kill 25 babies in their rally… that did it for me!!! Truly horrendous

Thank you Fr Casey. God bless ProLife🎉 Trump - Vance 🎉 🇺🇸

Thank you Father.

Make American great again

Talk about what the pope just said. "All religions are a path to God." I can't wait for the reaction video.

Voting for Trump.. we did our research. Latinos Mexicans Tejanos Chicanos and Hispanics and Argentinos. We stand for God Family and Country.

This video could have been reduced to 3 seconds: “Vote Donald Trump”! 🇺🇸

This Catholic is voting for President Trump ❤!!!!

#5...you state they provide an essential component to our economy while enjoying no benefits or protections. A ridiculous generalization! Most come here BECAUSE of the benefits...healthcare, housing, schooling, EBT cards, etc. Their presence tends to drive down prevailing wages because that is how an economy works. Is not Temporary Protective Status and access to our court systems "protection"?

Ukraine doesn't "threaten the safety of our world," Russia's invasion of Ukraine does. It's not compassionate to blame people for resisting a military that would see them massacred, disappeared, and forgotten.

Trump, in Catholic and my family, we are voting for Trump

The choice is clear to me. I’m not gonna vote for a pro-war, pro-censorship candidate who applauds the political persecution of opponents. I’m voting Trump.

Pretty Simple based on the 6 points Trump isn't Perfect but he is closer to the Catholic vision. It also helps his WIfe Melania is a devout Catholic .

Protecting and promoting families and children at home and abroad. This should be universal. While this isn't cut and dried, I think having children is the best evidence of where priorities can be found.

I'm Catholic. You're not telling me what to vote for.

Remember as true Christians we should not support any views that see a particular set of people as lesser human beings. Read your Bible’s

That moment when someone says, "I can't believe you would vote for Trump.” I simply reply, I'm not voting for Trump.” I'm voting for the First Amendment and freedom of speech. I'm voting for the Second Amendment and my right to defend my life and my family. I'm voting for the next Supreme Court Justice(s) to protect the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. I’m voting for the continued growth of my retirement and reducing inflation. I’m voting for a return of our troops from foreign countries and the end to America’s involvement in foreign conflicts. I'm voting for the Electoral College and for the Republic in which we live. I'm voting for the Police to be respected once again and to ensure Law & Order. I am tired of all the criminals having a revolving door and being put back in the street. I’m voting for the continued appointment of Federal Judges who respect the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. I’m voting for keeping our jobs to remain in America and not be outsourced all over the world - to China, Mexico and other foreign countries. I want USA made. I’m voting for secure borders and have legal immigration. I can’t believe we actually have flown 380,000 illegal immigrants into our country and at least 400 terrorists have entered our country during the Biden/Harris term (confirmed by Homeland Security) I am voting for doing away with all of the freebies given to all of the illegals and not looking after the needs of the American citizens. I'm voting for the Military & the Veterans who fought for this Country to give the American people their freedoms. I'm voting to keep Men out of Women's sports. I’m voting for peace progress in the Middle East. I’m voting to fight against human/child trafficking. I'm voting for Freedom of Religion. I'm voting for the right to speak my opinion and not be censored. I am voting for the return of teaching math, history, and science instead of indoctrination of our children and pronouns. I'm not just voting for one person; I'm voting for the future of my Country. I'm voting for my children and my grandchildren to ensure their freedoms and their future. Trump/Vance 2024!🇺🇸 😎✌️🇺🇸

Dear partially grey haired Father Casey Cole, please a make a video on how to pray as a Catholic. Thanks!

Great summary of "Forming Consciences." I've used it the last 4 presidential elections to guide my choices. The last 2 & this time as well, I've concluded that my conscience would not allow me to vote for the candidates of either party. I perceive Mr. Trump to be an immediate danger, but consider the Democratic Party to be an even greater danger in the long run because it is the party of moral relativity & identity politics. Since I live in a state where there is no doubt about the outcome, I feel voting for a third party is appropriate. I'm not sure what is do if my vote might actually matter in the outcome. I used to vote Republican most of the time because while I realized the party took positions that were contrary to Catholic moral teachings, there was reason to hope the party could be persuaded to change. Sadly, I no longer have that hope. It seems to me the Democratic Party has been beyond redemption for many years. My pipe dream is that all voters in my situation would vote for a third party & that when the votes were tallied the majority of votes would be for anyone but the "major" parties. Might send the right message. FWIW, the Constitution Party platform is pretty much in step with the Bishops.

I will vote for the candidate that will have the most power to negate stuff I am opposed to and will face the most opposition against measures they try to put into place.

❗️TRUMP 2024 ❗️

I'm open to discourse if anyone wants to reply to this, but I don't see how a person in good standing with the faith can vote for Harris. I'm not happy that Trump has softened on his 2016 abortion stance. But Harris would allow abortion (MURDER) up to 9 months, if not beyond in some cases... Openness to gay marriage is watering down the actual sacrament of MATRIMONY. If they want to have a secular union call it something else but don;t steal the word marriage... I don't personally like Trump but I don't see any flaws with his policies... If someone wants to point them out, I'll discuss

How could ANY Christian of any denomination vote democrat???????

The newspapers in that picture are all from corporate-owned media. They range from slanted to outright propaganda. It’s incredibly difficult to be truly informed, sadly.

Vote for the American Solidarity Party! Pro-life, pro-worker! 😎

100% Trump 2024

We are Catholic- we don’t believe in abortion. Definitely we vote for whoever not supposed abortion. We vote for President Trump. American needs President Trumps. May God bless President Trumps and American.

Well one attacks and is against most catholic belief the other one fakes it better and at least gave us something

Being pro life should be COMPLETE pro life not just anti abortion. Child care, better healthcare, education, help for families, ending wars etc…this is pro life, not what republicans tend to stand for. Trump isn’t an acceptable choice, me saying this shouldn’t be so shocking. Harris isn’t the best choice either but at least she’s not spreading fear and hate. There’s no perfect choice sadly enough.

The only thing that Democrats impress me on is in relation to disparity between poor and rich. On immigration, it's just as important to secure national borders as it is to take care of illegal immigrants. The state should not have to compensate for the illegal actions of foreign citizens entering the country, firm and fair. It is an act of love to the people living there to prevent mass migration, it will make worse conditions for everyone except the people coming in. Now, this is controversial but I firmly believe that entering a country illegally is a selfish act and the people who were given birth right to live there have the right to deport or prevent your entry. It's like trying to enter heaven as a bad person because you want better conditions, St. Peter will turn you away at the gate, but if you have valid reason to be there, you will be granted. Similarly, if you are in heaven and betray God like Lucifer, you should be kicked out - just as immigrants who commit crime whilst being here illegally or take advantage of the benefit schemes instead of working, should be deported. Trump definitely offers a fairer, and more humane. It's not all about the undocumented migrants, you have to take care of every citizen, and many should and will argue that people who came here legally deserve better care from the state.

It's important to try to understand the other side as well. I am biased towards conservatism, but my harsh stance on immigration is paradoxically because I love all peoples, and recognize the damage that unchecked immigration does both to the immigrants and the people who live in the places they are both immigrating from and to. You will never hear a dishonest leftist talk about the devastating effects that unchecked immigration is having on African or Latin American countries due to brain-drain. You will rarely find a leftist who understands that "undocumented immigrants" are modern day slave labor, and that I believe the best way to end this slavery is to close the border. I also care about my nation's native-born people and what they will suffer from mass immigration (cultural destruction, increased ethnic violence, increased crime, and a breakdown of law and order). Despite this, far too often the left will hear I am opposed to immigration, and they will assume the worst about my motivations. In fact, the immigrants themselves are hurt by mass immigration. Far too often, they end up in horrible situations, and even when they don't, they find themselves aliens in an environment hostile to them. I just hope you can consider that there is a strong case against mass immigration that is rooted in a desire for good.

Bad laws can be repealed and bad policies can be reversed, but if you don't have a democracy then don't count on getting any of that done. That democracy is under threat from one party was a glaring omission in deciding how to vote in the video. Pretending that its somehow a case of weighing up the issues covered in video and forgetting about the survival of the right of citizens to choose their leaders was a gross oversight.

I think the issue of abortion is more important than immigration. Being a legal immigrant, I hate being equated to illegals. I think policy outweighs personality. Kamala is openly hostile to Christianity. Trump is not perfect but his policies align more with my priorities. I wouldn't be voting FOR him as much a I'd be voting AGAINST Kamala.

Thanks Fr. Casey, this is encouraging. I always feel bad when voting, feeling like I’m endorsing something terrible to avoid something horrible…

You are spot on when you recognize that no candidate is ideal in every aspect and that voting for someone with something worthwhile is not the same as accepting the undesirable element they also profess. Let me suggest we use a stronger criteria than simply choosing one and working hard to get them to address the things we didn’t want. Let us select the candidate who would require less effort to modify the things we would want them to change. The two aspects of this are the volume of changes needed and the willingness of the person to listen to and accept the alternative view we desire them to change to. Who that candidate is? I will leave it to each person to decide for themselves.

Trump put 3 Catholics on the Supreme Court. Harris routinely speaks out against all Christian values. It doesn’t seem like a hard choice. His rhetoric on illegals it’s hard to listen to, but illegals were safe here when he was president. Inflation was lower when he was president, and that’s better for the poor. All the things Harris is saying that she will do, she could do right now, but doesn’t. She talks about fixing stuff that her administration broke. I’m sorry, as a Catholic, I have to vote for Trump.

I do not intent to push someone to one candidate as opposed to the other but i believe what Charlie Kirk has said "If you vote for Kamala Harris you can no longer call yourself a Christian."

If respect for life is key, don't just listen to what politicians say. Many 'pro-life' politicians preside over administrations where abortions are on the rise, whereas other 'pro-choice' politicians preside over administrations where abortions are on the decline. Just have a look at the national trends for Republican versus Democrat administrations over the last 20 or so years. Look beyond the rhetoric.

Outstanding balanced presentation. Totally in step with the recent comments of The Pope. Thank you!!❤

Just say we should Vote for Donald Trump! That's it! Why do you got to make it complicated for us? We all know he's the best choice!