Bishops of Madrid call on voters to bring their values to voting booth

Madrid, Spain, May 14, 2007 / 10:03 am

The bishops of the ecclesiastical province of Madrid have called on the faithful to vote responsibility in the upcoming local elections on May 27 and to keep in mind Catholic teachings as they cast their votes for choices that are “compatible with the faith and with natural law.”

In a message the bishops recalled that Catholics must keep certain principles in mind when voting.  Among these is the “defense of the fundamental rights of the person, above all the right to life in all if its stages.”  “Abortion, abortifacient contraceptives and euthanasia,” they stressed, “can never be justified in favor of social policies, considering the aforementioned rights.”  In addition, the bishops emphasized the importance of “the defense of religious freedom, its appreciation and public expression, especially that of the Catholic faith, “which has shaped our history,” as religion is a “constitutive element of the person and assists in the moral and social progress of the human community.”

The message also emphasized the principle of the defense of the family and of authentic marriage, as well as the right of parents to choose the kind of education they desire for their children, “according to their religious and moral convictions.”

The bishops also said the faithful should place importance on “the promotion of a culture that is open to moral and religious values,” and on “openness in solidarity to immigrants and the promotion of a just social order.”