Mercy: Unconditional Act of Love

At the conclusion of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, Pope Francis released the apostolic letter Misericordia et Misera. In this missive, Francis reflects on the need for the Church to reflect the very heart of the Trinity: mercy. This entire celebration of the life, mission, and expression of the Church's mercy is not limited to just one year. Rather, this is to be the perennial disposition of the Church and of all Christians.

Pope Francis beautifully weaves together Old and New Testament passages which point to God's abundant mercy. The pope sees the story of the woman caught in adultery from the Gospel of John as the ultimate icon of mercy. She does not experience the condemnation of God, but the overwhelming joy of the Lord's forgiveness and mercy.

Merciful Jesus and the Woman Caught in Adultery

Among other things in this document, Pope Francis also extended the authority of all priests throughout the world to forgive the sin of procuring an abortion. The pope has also called for churches to celebrate and study the Scriptures in an intentional way at least one Sunday each year. These Scripture passages ought to focus on God's mercy. Similarly, Francis has called for the last Sunday in Ordinary Time (Solemnity of Christ the King) to also be celebrated as World Day of the Poor. In all things, the Church is to live in solidarity with those most in need of God's mercy.

In this current pope, we find one who has been deeply and personally touched by the gift of mercy. How else could Francis have written the following in Misericordia et Misera:

"Nothing of what a repentant sinner places before God's mercy can be excluded from the embrace of his forgiveness. For this reason, none of us has the right to make forgiveness conditional. Mercy is always a gratuitous act of our heavenly Father, an unconditional and unmerited act of love. Consequently, we cannot risk opposing the full freedom of the love with which God enters into the life of every person" (#2).

War is Hell

Last Saturday, I found myself with several hours to kill before a planned engagement later in the day. On a whim, I decided to go to the nearby movie theater to see what might be playing. As I arrived to the theater, I learned that the movie "Hacksaw Ridge" would be starting in five minutes. I had read several positive reviews for this Mel Gibson war movie and decided to watch it.

The movie itself was quite moving. I would recommend watching it, or at least researching the true story of Desmond Doss. As an Army medic, Doss courageously saved 75 wounded soldiers from the battlefields of Okinawa during World War II, all the while never carrying a rifle due to religious reasons. "Hacksaw Ridge" is indeed a story of bravery, especially the courage of maintaining one's conscience in the face of overwhelming pressure and personal abuse.

I experienced several emotions while watching this film. Certainly, I found myself in awe at the tremendous sacrifices made by soldiers, whether in World War II or in today's various conflicts throughout the world.

There was another emotion, however, that I experienced, one that sat deep within and was quite vitriolic. Throughout the movie, I felt a deep disgust for war. There is no other way to say it.
WAR IS HELL. Period.

One of the many innocent victims of war.

When individuals must use their energy and will to kill in order to protect others from being killed, this is hell. When diplomacy and dialogue between nation-states breaks down and ideologies emerge which try to eradicate entire populations of people, this is hell. When innocent civilians, especially children, are the victims of the atrocities of war, this is hell. When men and women are mutilated or subjected to torture, and human rights are violated, this is hell.

Yet again, we are in the midst of another World War. The battlefields span Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Ukraine, Central African Republic, Colombia, and on many other fronts. Innocent civilians are dying. Blood is being spilled. Brother kills brother. We have not learned our lesson. The atrocities continue to grow. The cries grow louder.

War is hell.

Voting in Conscience and with Creativity

Many people have been asking me who I will be voting for in next week's historic Presidential Election. In fact, at a wedding I attended recently, one of my friends cornered me at the mac-n-cheese station during the reception cocktail hour to ask me this very question. In between mouthfuls of that decadent appetizer, I tried to explain to my friend that, in my estimation, neither candidate was a suitable choice for President. Yet, despite my aversion to the prospect of a Trump or a Clinton presidency, I still could not decide who I would be voting for on November 8th.

Now, that being said, I must note that I do not fault anybody for voting for either candidate as their well-formed conscience dictates. However, my own conscience has led me to conclude that I cannot vote for either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. Neither candidate - indeed, neither party - has provided a suitable plan forward for our country that is built upon those virtues and values which cultivate cooperation, compassion, and the common good.

Rather than viewing individual issues in isolation, I believe we ought to see every issue together as forming one coherent vision for America. If we truly want to be a country that is "great again" and "stronger together," then I believe we must be a country that protects the vulnerable (such as the unborn child, the immigrant, the refugee, the poor, the elderly, at-risk minorities), upholds the integrity of every person, pursues peace and limits the use of military intervention, cares for the environment, develops economic policies that actually allow participation at all levels, addresses the causes of violence, racial strife, and inequality, values religious freedom and expression, and promotes authentic human flourishing. 

Again, neither the Trump nor Clinton campaigns have developed policies and proposals that embody this comprehensive vision for our country. In fact, their respective positions actually reject or jeopardize many of these fundamental issues. Furthermore, the candidates have polluted the political conversation in our country in different ways: either with demagoguery and misogyny or with corruption and ethical misconduct. 

For me, the two major party candidates present a real crisis of conscience: who do I vote for when neither candidate is a viable choice?

At first, I thought I would absent myself from voting for President. However, after hearing an inspired homily from a friend who is a priest, I decided that I needed to allow my vote to be cast in faith. Like the mustard seed, this priest implored, so too can God use our votes to bring about unexpected good and growth. Voting, particularly in a volatile election season such as this, is truly an act of faith. When we vote, we trust that God will act, despite the deep and obvious flaws of each candidate. 

A chance phone conversation with another friend helped me to move forward in a new and very unexpected direction. During our talk, I lamented about my conflict of conscience, believing that my only remaining option, besides not voting, was to cast a protest vote. But my friend on the other line of the phone encouraged me to see my vote not simply as a protest, but as a creative response to a failing two-party system. Voting for a third party candidate, my friend encouraged me, would not be a wasted vote. Rather, voting for a third party candidate ought to be seen as a creative act of faith, dictated by conscience, and determined to resist, challenge, and change our current political situation - one step (or vote) at a time. 

And so, I will cast my vote in conscience and with creativity. I will not vote for Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump. I will not allow myself to be limited to two deeply flawed visions for America. 

On Tuesday, November 8th, I will write-in Michael Maturen of the American Solidarity Party for President. The American Solidarity Party (ASP) is a fringe group that was formed in 2011. Its party platform is developed from many principles of Catholic Social Teaching and modeled after the Christian Democratic parties of Europe. Yet, the positions of the ASP are not exclusive to Catholics or other Christians. Any person of good will would likely be able to embrace their stances on life, liberty, peace, cooperation, and equality.  At last, a party and a candidate that I can vote for on Election Day!

Of course, I know Maturen will not win. I know that either Trump or Clinton will be elected President. However, I also know that I must begin to make small steps towards change in how I participate in our country's political system. I cast this vote now as a small act of faith, trusting that one day, our political system will change for the better. The alternative is too devastating to imagine. 

May we soon restore civility, care and compassion, and the common good back into our country's political discourse! And may God act, whatever the outcome of this Presidential Election!