Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life

John Carr, director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, has been closely following this intensely polarized election as it relates to issues of Catholic Social Thought in his America magazine Washington Front column. In his commentary, Carr has identified some major themes that Catholics need to consider and confront during this election season. At an Initiative event in September on "Faith, Anger, and Trust in Campaign 2016," Carr captured the sentiment many Catholics are feeling during this election: “Pope Francis—a year ago we had high hopes, a lot of talk about the common good and the poor. What’s a Pope Francis Catholic to do?”

The issue of finding a candidate who embodies the message of Pope Francis is one that the Initiative has tracked and tried to grapple with since the beginning of this election season. In March 2016, the Initiative hosted a dialogue on "Faith, Francis, and the 2016 Campaign" to explore the impact that the Holy Father’s message is—and is not—having on the election. Highlights of this event included Carr’s insight that "People are finding Catholic Social Thought valuable as a framework in election 2016" and the ensuing dialogue from the panelists on the diversity of the Catholic vote in this election and the level of anger on both sides of the aisle. As panelist Laura Ashburn articulated, "The most surprising aspect of election 2016 is the level of anger. God is talked about, but doesn’t seem to be in it."

One theme that has emerged from commentators at recent Initiative Dialogues is that many American Catholics see Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump as inadequately representing the creed and message of Pope Francis. As Carr phrases it in his July piece "Staying Consistent," now more so than ever before, Catholics have become "politically homeless." In all of his election coverage, Carr sites this reality as a sign of the greater need for our nation to find more common ground with one another on the basis of our common humanity, to work tirelessly for a more bipartisan political climate, and to rediscover a universal commitment to the values which should define our citizenship—namely rejecting a “throwaway culture” and respecting the life and dignity of every human person.

Carr explained during an interview with NPR earlier this fall, "The heart of the Catholic faith is ‘whatsoever you do to the least of these, you do unto me.’ And, frankly, this demoralizing campaign is not focused on the least of these."

In order to foster a discussion on the life and dignity of every human person and the tendency for our nation to harbor a “throwaway culture,” the Initiative hosted an event in April on "Resisting the Throwaway Culture: Protecting Human Life and Dignity." Panelists addressed Carr’s concern that "Life is cheap in a lot of places" and President DeGioia’s reminder that “the work to systematically address the threats to life—the urgency of building a civil society with a shared vision of what human sacredness demands continues to be our work today.” It is these exact issues that the 2016 candidates seem to neglect.

This election is also missing dialogue about the option for the poor. As Carr noted to journalists at America magazine after the first presidential debate at the end of September, "We did not hear much if anything about crucial questions for Catholic voters who take their faith seriously. The poor and vulnerable were missing in Lester Holt’s questions and in the candidates’ priorities and policies. There was no talk of the lives of the unborn children or the dignity of undocumented workers, no real discussion of overcoming poverty or welcoming refugees."

Although this polarization and lack of options is discouraging in the context of the 2016 election, it also provides us with a welcome reminder of the integrity of our Catholic faith. At its core, Catholicism does not submit itself to the changing tides of political discourse and political correctness. At the September event on issues of trust and anger hosted by the Initiative, panelist Melinda Henneberger reminded us that the Catholic Church’s teachings function according to a "long view…[not] what happened in the last six seconds. I don’t think we should judge the impact of Francis based on this last [election] cycle."

As Pope Francis reminds us in his teachings, Catholicism preaches a consistent and genuine commitment to humanity, whether it is in protecting the most vulnerable, advocating for the poor, or encouraging those with means to be the protectors of those without. In his April column "Our Political Mandate," Carr quotes Pope Francis addressing Congress: "You are called to defend and preserve the dignity of your fellow citizens in the tireless and demanding pursuit of the common good, for this is the chief aim of all politics."

Grace Hanrahan (C'18) is an undergraduate studying classical studies at Georgetown.