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contents of faith and morals. The Christian faith is an inte-
gral unity, and thus it is incoherent to isolate some particular
element to the detriment of the whole of Catholic doctrine.
A political commitment to a single isolated aspect of the
Church’s social doctrine does not exhaust one’s responsibility
toward the common good. (
Doctrinal Note on Some Questions
Regarding the Participation of Catholics in Political Life
, no. 4)
Making Moral Choices
31. Decisions about political life are complex and require the exercise of a
well-formed conscience aided by prudence. This exercise of conscience begins
with outright opposition to laws and other policies that violate human life or
weaken its protection. Those who knowingly, willingly, and directly support
public policies or legislation that undermine fundamental moral principles
cooperate with evil.
32. Sometimes morally flawed laws already exist. In this situation, the process
of framing legislation to protect life is subject to prudential judgment and “the
art of the possible.” At times this process may restore justice only partially
or gradually. For example
,
St. John Paul II taught that when a government
official who fully opposes abortion cannot succeed in completely overturn-
ing a pro-abortion law, he or she may work to improve protection for unborn
human life, “limiting the harm done by such a law” and lessening its nega-
tive impact as much as possible (
Evangelium Vitae
, no. 73). Such incremental
improvements in the law are acceptable as steps toward the full restoration
of justice. However, Catholics must never abandon the moral requirement to
seek full protection for all human life from the moment of conception until
natural death.
33. Prudential judgment is also needed in applying moral principles to specific
policy choices in areas such as armed conflict, housing, health care, immigra-
tion, and others. This does not mean that all choices are equally valid, or that
our guidance and that of other Church leaders is just another political opinion
or policy preference among many others. Rather, we urge Catholics to listen
carefully to the Church’s teachers when we apply Catholic social teaching to
specific proposals and situations. The judgments and recommendations that
we make as bishops on such specific issues do not carry the same moral author-
ity as statements of universal moral teachings. Nevertheless, the Church’s