For Catholics, the voting process is really just a variation of the process we should use in making all of our life decisions.  In voting, we should always:

1. Register!
2. Inform ourselves responsibly concerning (a) the teachings of the Church and (b) issues relevant to the election.  Information on these topics appears below on this page.
3. Reflect prayerfully;
4. Choose confidently;
5. Vote (polling places can generally be found on the provincial/territorial election registrars’ websites); and
6. Once the election is over, stay actively and respectfully engaged with those who have been elected – whether they are our own preferred candidates or not. This is important if we hope to improve our choices in the future.

Even when choices seem clear, we should neither ignore the process nor skip steps: we Catholics have both a civic duty to stay informed and a calling to seek God’s help in choosing. Nor can we responsibly abstain from voting, except in extreme and very clear-cut circumstances. If we don’t vote or stay engaged between elections, how can we hope to improve things? And how, when our time comes and we face judgment, will we explain the fact that we failed to do what we could to help build a world pleasing to God?

“As far as possible citizens should take an active part in public life.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church, Section 1915

For more than 130 years the Catholic Church has offered detailed guidance on a full range of social issues, from the dignity of life and of our life’s work to the environment and proper roles of government, the economy, and educational institutions.

Specifically, we are called to consider each of the following principles, values, and virtues in deciding our votes:

The life and dignity of the human person, which includes both the sanctity of life and the dignity of work.  Catholics care about the sanctity of life because the entire purpose of this life is for each soul God puts into it to find its way back to God. Terminating a life voluntarily at any time after its conception necessarily frustrates that purpose.  We care about work because it is through our life’s work that we apply the time, talent, and treasure that God has entrusted to us assist in His continuing act of creation, seeking truth and working to ensure that all those around us are enabled to apply their gifts as well.

The Church defines the common good as the sum total of social conditions which allow people, as both groups and individuals, to reach their own true human fulfilment more fully and more easily, including commitment to peace, the organization of the State’s powers, a sound juridical system, the protection of the environment, and the provision of essential services to all.  Everyone deserves access to a dignified home, sufficient and nutritious food, and an opportunity to put the talents God entrusted to them to work.

Subsidiarity is the principle that all institutions of society – the government, businesses, schools, community organizations, and above all individuals and the family – help each other to serve their proper purpose.  It includes the general rule that things should be done, and decided, by individuals, or at the lowest responsibly possible social level.  Only by empowering individuals and smaller groups to make their own decisions can their freedom to seek God in their own ways be ensured. Each of us must be allowed to make our own way as best we can, under our own power, charting our own course toward truth in true freedom.

Solidarity, or the principle that what affects one of us affects us all, whether we are in the same town, province, or country, speak the same language, or have the same interests.  As St. Paul explained, we are all different parts of the same One Body of Christ.  If others suffer, we share in their distress.

A very common challenge is to balance the principle of solidarity – which should suggest to all of us that “we’re all in this together” – with subsidiarity, which implies among other things that individuals and organizations should strive to do what they can to take care of themselves first, before burdening others.

The fundamental values of truth, freedom, justice, and love should guide consideration of all proposals.  We should always ask ourselves, how does any proposal relate to the truth, to freedom, to justice, and to love for all?

The virtues of wisdom and humility are also of fundamental importance, though sometimes in our modern culture they can seem to seldom be considered.

Want more information?

Our summary of the principles, values, virtues, and sins of Catholic social thinking, based on the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, the Catechism, and other Church teachings, is available here.

The official and encyclopedic Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church can be found here.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church can be found here.

Curious as to which level(s) of government are responsible for an issue?  A listing of federal, provincial, and municipal responsibilities in Canada can be found here.

Thoughts on the Catholic duty of civic participation can be found here.

Papal teachings, including encyclicals, exhortations, and other documents, are available at www.vatican.va.

Materials published by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops concerning peace, justice, civics, and participation can be found here.

For those wishing to investigate volunteer opportunities, or to check for recent party updates, here are links to the parties’ web pages.

Green Party of New Brunswick

Liberal Party of New Brunswick

New Brunswick NDP

People’s Alliance of New Brunswick

Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick

Elections New Brunswick offers a variety of resources, including vote-by mail instructions:

The very first step is to register as a voter.  Registration information can be found here.

The next step is to reach out to those who seek to represent you.  Listings of registered candidates and parties can be found here as the election approaches.

The next step is to make sure you know where to go to vote.   Directions can be found here as the election approaches.