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•
The excessive consumption of material goods and the destruction of natu-
ral resources, which harm both the environment and the poor
•
The deadly attacks on fellow Christians and religious minorities through-
out the world
•
The narrowing redefinition of religious freedom, which threatens both
individual conscience and the freedom of the Church to serve
•
Economic policies that fail to prioritize the poor, at home or abroad
•
A broken immigration system and a worldwide refugee crisis
•
Wars, terror, and violence that threaten every aspect of human life
and dignity
All of these threats, and more, speak to a breakdown in what Pope
Francis has called an “integral ecology” (
Laudato Si’
, nos. 137-55). Without
the proper ordering of relationships of persons with each other, with creation,
and ultimately with God himself, sin takes hold. Pope Francis reminds us that
all individuals, nations, and members of the global community have the duty
to place the needs of others ahead of selfish desires to possess and exploit the
good things that come from God’s hand.
This document is to be read prayerfully and in its totality. It would be a
serious mistake—and one that occurs with regrettable frequency—to use only
selected parts of the Church’s teaching to advance partisan political interests
or validate ideological biases. All of us are called to be servants to the whole
truth in authentic love, and it is our fervent hope and prayer that this docu-
ment will provide aid to all those seeking to heed this call.
Finally, while this document is about the civil order, we cannot fail to call
the faithful to prayer. The struggles that we face as a nation and as a global
community cannot be addressed solely by choosing the “best candidate” for
political office. No, in addition to forming our consciences, we must fast and
pray, asking our loving and gracious God to give us the ability to effectively
proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ through our daily witness to our faith and
its teachings. Let us all take to heart the urgency of our vocation to live in the
service to others through the grace of Christ and ask humbly in prayer for an
outpouring of the grace of the Holy Spirit on the United States of America.