The 250th anniversary of our nation provides an opportunity to reflect on the principles upon which America was founded. Beginning with the call to reject “taxation without representation” and continuing through efforts to ensure all citizens can participate, the right to vote is among our most cherished American privileges.
For representative democracy to work, participation is essential. For Catholics who are American citizens, the right to vote is also a moral obligation, as the Church recognizes that voting has implications for advancing the common good.
Every election carries these implications, but the upcoming general election in Michigan is particularly consequential, as voters will choose the state’s next governor, attorney general, and secretary of state, one of Michigan’s two U.S. senators, each of the state’s 13 congressional representatives, and all 148 state legislators.
How then should Catholics approach this moral duty? As voters in Michigan consider their choices for the upcoming August primary and the November general election, MCC is re-presenting the teachings of the U.S. bishops on faithful citizenship through our Focus publication, titled Form Your Conscience, Vote with Faith.
The title summarizes the process by which the faithful are invited to participate. First, Catholic voters should ensure their conscience is formed in accordance with the tradition of the Church, from Sacred Scripture to the teachings handed down over centuries. Catholics should ask themselves whether their perspectives are grounded in the principles of Catholic social teaching, particularly the necessity to protect and defend the dignity of all human life, from the beginning to its natural end.
Catholics are then called to participate in the election by researching the candidates and evaluating how they align with the Church’s social principles. This year’s Focus provides additional commentary and reflections to consider amid the proliferation of misinformation that is often found online or in your mailbox.
The Church’s encouragement of faithful citizenship is a summons to those tempted to stay on the sidelines, and also to those who are prone to vote according to partisan or ideological interests. Faithful citizenship is an opportunity to think deeper about the choices at the ballot box, and to invite God into the discernment process.
This process can seem daunting, considering that neither of the two major political party platforms nor their candidates fully encompasses the breadth of Catholic social teaching. Ultimately, the Church leaves the decision and discernment to each individual, but not without offering guidance.
I encourage you to find a copy of Form Your Conscience, Vote With Faith, available in print at your local parish or online at micatholic.org/election2026. I hope reading and reflecting with Focus and the accompanying materials will help every Catholic approach the election with a mindset grounded in the principles of our faith.
As we commemorate the 250th anniversary of our nation, mark the occasion by honoring the American tradition of electing our leaders by exercising your right to vote.
The Word from Lansing is a regular column for Catholic news outlets provided by Michigan Catholic Conference, the official public policy voice of the Catholic Church in this state.
