A moral obligation to get involved

Around forty young adults throughout the Diocese of Corpus Christi gathered on October 1 for a night to discuss the topic of faithful citizenship. Father James Vasquez presented on the subject, bringing in documents such as “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship” by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.

“I’m really excited. This is the first time I can vote in a federal election. I became American two years ago. I grew up in Canada. I’ve lived in the U.S. for about 25 years. I’ve been following different things through the years, and it’s been interesting to note how we bring our faith to civic life,” said Diocesan Director of Young Adult Ministry Siobhan O’Connor, who introduced the event speaker. “As a Catholic, I’m going to vote because I care about what’s happening in the social order. We vote because we are citizens and people of faith.”

The event was part of a program called Theology on Tap, in which spiritual leaders or religious academics give lectures on current topics within religion and theology at a bar or restaurant setting. The Diocesan Office of Young Adult Ministry and Young Catholic Adults Corpus Christi (YCA) hosted the quarterly event, which also functions as a fundraiser for each respective ministry. At this quarter’s Theology on Tap, different voting guides were provided as supplemental resources to the talk for attendees to take home and study.

 “It is a great community initiative that helps bring, whether it’s speakers or local ideas, to people who may have questions and hopefully give them answers from a Catholic perspective, and our goal is to help those inquiring minds and guide them in whatever questions they may have,” said John Dunne, Vice President of Young Catholic Adults Corpus Christi. John and Siobhan co-emceed the evening event.
Fr. James VasquezFather Vasquez explained the event’s theme as a moral obligation of the faithful to get involved in secular society and the political realm, saying that it is necessary for the lay faithful to be involved and to allow their faith to direct how they interact in society. “It is necessary for the Church to talk on these subjects,” Father Vasquez said. “The human person is at the center and guides involvement in society as Catholics – not to build an ideal but to love our neighbor."

He stated that no political party has every issue completely aligned with the Catholic Church’s social teachings, yet all issues do not carry the same moral weight. Father Vasquez told the audience that the texts he referenced throughout his talk help the Catholic faithful form their consciences according to God’s truth, to speak on social and political matters and to make political choices, including for whom and against whom to vote.

Father Vasquez emphasized Scripture, prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament and the Catechism of the Catholic Church as ways for the faithful to develop a well-formed conscience, cultivate the virtue of prudence, and aid in doing good, avoiding evil and making moral choices. He also said serving at homeless shelters, pregnancy resource centers, and other organizations helping those in need are ways of forming a conscience to see the good thing to do more clearly and to make a judgment of reason called conscience.

After Father Vasquez’s presentation, the format changed to a question-and-answer section, during which those present could ask Father Vasquez questions in a group setting.
“I wanted to hear the priest’s perspective,” said Chris Cobb, a young adult who expressed why he and his wife Veronica attended Theology on Tap. Cobb also shared that he was curious to see what other people’s beliefs were. “We all have Catholicism in common, but do we see things politically the same?” asked Cobb.

Afterward, individuals socialized and further discussed the topic for the night. Sofía Rodriguez, President of Young Catholic Adults Corpus Christi, explained, “Especially right now as we approach elections, a lot of young adults, first-time voters, and Catholics above everything else are wondering, ‘How are we going to make our voice heard?’” She indicated that there is information overload and the need to allow space to discuss faithful citizenship. “There is no better opportunity to learn about our faith, as we exercise our right to vote than through the teachings from a priest over all the resources provided by the Catholic Church.”

The Diocese of Corpus Christi also published a 2024 Catholic Voter's Resource at https://diocesecc.org/vote.