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As the US presidential election approaches, Cardinal Wilton Gregory, Archbishop of Washington DC, has warned Catholics against single-issue voting, urging them to take a broader approach that considers a wide range of issues.
Speaking to Crux during the Synod of Bishops on Synodality in Rome, Cardinal Gregory stressed the need for Catholics to have a comprehensive view of the nation’s key issues.
“No political party and certainly no individual candidate that I’ve experienced embraces the full range of Catholic social, moral teaching” he says. “Obviously, the reverence, the respect of human life is a dominant concern.”
The cardinal questioned whether Catholics should engage in single-issue voting based solely on a candidate’s stance on abortion without considering their other positions.
“Yes, it is foundational, the dignity of unborn life, but does it dispense with all of the other awful proposals that are out there?” Gregory asked.
Umbrella of respect for human life
Gregory highlighted several issues that fall under what he described as the “umbrella of respect for human life”. These include immigration, capital punishment, poverty, racism and mental health.
The cardinal noted that issues such as race, gender and gun violence have also come to the forefront of the election. The cardinal pointed to the ongoing violence in the US and internationally as areas voters should consider carefully.
He also mentioned economic issues including the challenge of earning a living wage, child care and racial disparity, which remain pressing concerns in American life.
Lesser of two evils
Pope Francis recently urged American Catholics to choose the lesser of two evils in the upcoming US presidential election, criticising both Donald Trump’s immigration policies and Kamala Harris’ support for abortion rights.
The pope condemned the refusal to welcome migrants as a “grave sin” and described abortion as an “assassination”.
Francis said both candidates’ policies are “against life”.
“Whether it is the one who is chasing away migrants or the one who kills children, both are against life.”
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