Others think all politicians get caught up in going along to
get along so they can’t ever exhibit moral integrity. It’s instructive then
to see that Paul Ryan, the newly introduced running mate for Mitt Romney, spoke
at Georgetown University (a Catholic school) about how his Catholic faith
informs his policy formation.
It’s worth reading the whole speech at this
site. When I read it, I saw a great summary of this very complicated
topic. These four subjects in that speech are worth exploring to see how faith
can be implemented: (the quotes are from Paul Ryan’s speech)
Social Doctrine—“The
work I do as a Catholic holding office conforms to the social doctrine as best
I can make of it. What I have to say about the social doctrine of the Church is
from the viewpoint of a Catholic in politics applying my understanding to the
problems of the day.”
Solidarity—“Serious
problems like those we face today require charitable conversation. Civil pubic
dialogue goes to the heart of solidarity, the virtue that does not divide
society into classes and groups but builds up the common good of all.”
Subsidiarity—This
is the concept that those entities closest to the problem know it best and are
best able to address it. So, families, friends, neighbors, cities, counties,
and states should take care of issues first before relying on the national
government to get involved. “Government is one word for things we do together.
But it is not the only word. We are a nation that prides itself on looking out
for one another—and government has an important role to play in that. But relying
on distant government bureaucracies to lead this effort just hasn’t worked.”
Preferential option
for the poor—It is a moral choice to prioritize resources so that the poor
can have a necessary safety net. However, “…I do not believe that the
preferential option for the poor means a preferential option for big government.”
Ryan goes on to talk about poverty, taxes, Medicare, and affordable
health care. These are all subjects that demand civil dialogue and respect for
differing opinions. That civil dialogue will lead to solidarity in working to effect true
social justice.
I’m with Ryan. I believe it is not only possible, but the most
moral choice for Christians to put their faith into practice in the public
square.
