The soul of a nation

The vitriol leading up to the 2020 election showed just how divided our country is. The aftermath didn’t wipe that away.

This election brought record voter turnout in the U.S., not just total numbers but a higher percentage, with almost two-thirds of the voting-eligible population casting ballots. The number of options for voting provided additional opportunities: in-person voting on Election Day; absentee voting, by mail or drop-off; early in-person voting; even curbside voting for elderly or infirm folks who might have been concerned about walking into a crowded polling place during a pandemic.

Millions of people expressed their opinion on local, state and national races.

Joe Biden, the apparent president- elect, gave a speech Nov. 7 in which he pledged “to be a president who seeks not to divide but unify” and “who doesn’t see red states and blue states – only the United States.” While the election won’t be certified until Dec. 14, when the Electoral College meets, it’s apparent that Biden will become only the second Catholic to take the White House. At the end of his speech, he evoked a song familiar to many Massgoers when he quoted “On Eagle’s Wings,” by Father Michael Joncas, a Catholic priest.

Biden says he wants to restore the soul of America. We hope he does. But he won’t do it alone. The great thing about our democratic republic is that we get to participate in the process. And that process does not end with an election. That’s where it begins.

Neither the Republican nor the Democratic party completely align with church teachings on moral and social issues. There are points of convergence – and divergence – for each.

We are glad that Biden believes in universal health care, especially for the poor and vulnerable. We hope, however, that concern doesn’t trample on the conscience rights of religious employers and others to not provide coverage that goes against their deeply held beliefs, such as the Little Sisters of the Poor who have fought in the courts for nine years against the contraceptive mandate in the Affordable Care Act.

We are glad that Biden opposes the death penalty. We are disappointed that Biden and his Democratic confreres don’t think the right to life should apply to a child in the mother’s womb. In fact, it’s nearly impossible to be a fully pro-life Democrat, embracing life from conception to natural death, due to the party’s all-in platform in favor of abortion-on-demand.

AP Votecast indicated that among Catholics, 50 percent of voters supported President Donald Trump, with 49 percent choosing Biden. From what we have heard and seen – including in the comment sections on the Catholic Review’s social media platforms – some Catholics voted for Biden not because of his stance on abortion but in spite of it. For some reason or reasons, they found Biden less reprehensible than the incumbent.

The great thing is, if Biden says he wants to be a president who unites and represents all our needs, we can make sure he does that. Our job as voters is to hold accountable our elected leaders.

As Catholics, it is hard to find a political home that can accommodate all our beliefs. Our Maryland Catholic Conference, the public policy arm of the bishops and dioceses that serve the state, can help Catholics and others of good will navigate the sometimes tortuous pathways of politics. If you want to be part of the solution, visit mdcatholic. org, and click on “Get Involved.”

Politics doesn’t have to be unfriendly and confrontational. We can be so much better than that.

We have a president-elect who wants to unify. By all means, lead the way. We will be watching, and hoping, and praying, that it is true.

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