This pre-election Public Dialogue explored the political and religious dynamics of this tumultuous U.S. presidential election year after the attempted assassination of former president and current candidate Donald Trump, the withdrawal of President Joe Biden, the nomination of Vice President Kamala Harris, and the selection of J.D. Vance and Tim Walz as vice-presidential nominees.
In this unprecedented context, our democratic institutions are being tested. As we approach this election and look to the future, Pope Francis’ warnings about the global “retreat from democracy” remind us that the goal of politics is “listening and serving people” and that “democracy always requires the transition from partisanship to participation, from ‘cheering’ to dialogue.”
Reflecting the latest political analysis through the lens of Catholic social teaching, this dialogue explored these and other questions:
- What is going on, and what should we look for in the final six weeks of the campaign?
- How will faith and the faithful shape the campaigns and voters’ decisions in this election?
- How will these choices affect our democracy and our future as a nation?
- How do polarization, isolation, and lack of solidarity threaten our democratic norms and institutions? What can be done to strengthen them?
- How can Catholic principles of respect for human life and dignity, solidarity and subsidiarity, a priority for the poor, and care for creation be reflected in the discernment and choices of believers?
Kim Daniels, director of the Initiative and member of the Vatican Dicastery for Communication, moderated the dialogue.
Resources
View a list of resources for this dialogue.
This Public Dialogue was part of the Initiative’s Faith and the Faithful series and was co-sponsored by the Institute of Politics and Public Service at Georgetown University.
