Scottish Catholic Observer

The Bishops of Scotland have condemned the renewal of the Trident nuclear weapons system as ‘a grave threat to the human family’ in their advice to Catholics to ahead of the May 7 general election.

They also warn that ‘on serious issues, some politicians who profess a Catholic Faith remain silent—or even surrender—in the face of grave ethical injustice.’

In a pastoral letter released today, which will be read at all 500 Catholic churches in Scotland this weekend, Scotland’s Catholic bishops will urge parishioners to participate in the 2015 general election and to be informed by the teachings of the Church and to remember ‘the dignity and value  of every human being.’

“As Catholics, we can never separate how we act from what we believe without undermining what we believe and damaging who we are,” they say. “The time has come for a new generation of Catholics to join political parties and to dedicate ourselves to political service in a way that remains faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, laying the foundations for a new  Civilisation of Love that serves the common good of all, especially the  most vulnerable in our society.”

They also urge the Catholics to remember that ‘the sanctity of human life, protected from its beginning to its natural end is the fundamental issue,’  that ‘politicians should defend the institution of marriage and the family as the basic unit of society on which so much depends’ and that ‘the first consideration for any economic policy should be the dignity of the person, not the pursuit of profit.’

Regarding nuclear weapons, the letter laments the fact that ‘successive UK Governments have made plans to replace and upgrade our nuclear weapons capacity.’

“This is despite the considerable costs involved and in the face of persistent moral objections,” it says. “While recognising each country’s right to defend itself, the existence of nuclear weapons, and their possible proliferation, continue to represent a grave threat to the human family.”

The bishops also ask Catholic voters to remember ‘the dignity and value of every human being should be at the heart of politics.’

“It [what] demands that we proclaim the Gospel of Life in all places and at all times, for if human life is not sacrosanct then no other human right makes any sense at all,” they say. “Laws which permit abortion, euthanasia and assisted suicide are profoundly  unjust.  We do not want to accept the continued existence in our society if such fundamental violations of human rights and we commit ourselves to work peacefully and tirelessly to oppose and to change them.”

On the issue of the family, they say ‘common sense and much research tell us that children do best when they are raised by a mum and dad who are married to each other.’

“This ideal is not always possible in reality and we applaud and support families who achieve remarkable things in the most difficult of circumstances,” they say. “Once again we should encourage our politicians to defend the institution of marriage and the family as the basic unit of society on which so much depends.”

The bishops also urge politicians to endorse the living wage campaign and to accept that ‘religious liberty must be non-negotiable.’

The letter is signed by the seven sitting bishops of Scotland and Mgr James MacNeil, diocesan administrator, Argyll and the Isles.

—Read the full letter at http://www.scmo.org/articles/bishops-urge-catholics-to-cast-their-vote.html

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