Cardinal Philippe Barbarin of Lyon, France, is concerned that democracy is in danger.  He sees that voices of justice and moderation are being squeezed out of democratic politics by increasingly radical voices of both liberal and conservative parties.  In part, the Cardinal blames misuse of the media – which is not always used to speak with the voices of shepherds.

If we don’t solve these problems, we will lose democracy.  And in a democracy there is no one to blame, and no one to solve these problems, but us, the voters.  We must educate ourselves, and we must vote wisely, for the good of all.  As a starting point, we must identify – and support – responsible sources of news, including our own Catholic newspapers, radio, and television networks.  And we must become personally involved in the electoral process.  We must speak up to our elected representatives, to let them know of our convictions. (more…)