Politics
The Catholic Bishops in the Netherlands have written a letter to the faithful in the run-up to the general elections on 15 March 2017. It contains “some reflections to exercise the right to vote responsibly” in the light of the Catholic faith, the Bishops explain. When choosing a party, it is fundamental that we “ask ourselves” if it stands out for its “respect for life”, from birth to natural death, and for the family; for the protection “of the equal dignity of all persons, near and far, without exception”; and if it can live solidarity not as “a social distribution of risks”, but in the Christian sense, that is, as rooted in the disinterested and indiscriminate love of the other. Taking care of refugees is not enough: looking at the suffering world means to care for “the right to religious freedom, poverty reduction, access to education and to quality healthcare, sustainability, security, and development cooperation”. National and international co-responsibility also means to “actualise the values – which also have Christian roots – on which the European project is based, as a necessary basis for discussing and solving problems together”. Politicians are invited not to base their campaigns on “fear, on the mentality of living for oneself and one’s own interests”, and “not to vent anger, intolerance and polarisation”, which have a paralysing effect. Citing Pope Francis, the Bishops then encouraged the faithful to “study the proposals, pray and choose according to their consciences”.
