As the election approaches, political clashes become more frequent and intense. In these often tense times, God calls us to trust and follow him during this time of Kairos (time of great opportunity). As the election brings out the best and the worst in people on political battlegrounds, the news fronts of social media, and the world around us, have you thought about how your faith affects your life and how you talk about politics? And how does CCHS’s motto of unum affect us, even though our political parties rip our country in two? As the election draws closer and closer to our community, the perspectives of faith-filled people on the CCHS campus can inform us of how the election and politics themselves affect one’s faith and vice versa.

Father Matthew, one of CCHS’s resident chaplains, reflected on the many divisions facing our country and how the different opinions affect the Catholic faith. He said, “So, the beautiful thing about the faith is that it gives a way, precisely uniting people with different views on things that are very practical…And so the faith gives a way always of uniting, of uniting when we seek God in our lives.” Father Matthew hopes that however deeply rooted our political beliefs are, we can follow the example of the Boy Scouts, and put God, family, and country in front of them. While the election and your personal political beliefs are important, letting faith come before them, especially when you speak about them, is important as well. It is important to take a step back and consider whether your words are coming from a place grounded in Christ or from your own desire to be right. Doing so can help you approach political issues in a gentle manner, even when you may disagree with someone.

Ms. Valentini, a 9th and 10th grade Catholic Faith teacher, offers her take on CCHS’s religious motto of unum. She said, “I think on a positive side we are trying to create an environment of welcomeness where everyone… has a sense of belonging and I think that’s super important. On the flip side, I think we could probably be more unum [and] I think we’re doing this…to articulate our core mission but also to explain a little bit better, because I think sometimes people have a perception of Catholic faith or Catholic teaching [as] archaic. We believe all these weird things that the modern world doesn’t believe or we just give it like a very watered down version and I think if we see the richness of the teaching we’d be really struck by it.” Her comments emphasize the importance of understanding Catholic Church teachings on various social issues. It also demonstrates the need to know why you believe what you believe, even when that might not fully line up with Catholic social teaching. 

Although people may not consider their religious beliefs as an important part of their everyday lives, it affects everything and everyone we interact with, including politics. Religion, and the right to have different beliefs, is one way our country (and school!) can be unum, despite differences in other aspects of our lives. It is also what makes our school and country so unique and interesting, everyone’s differences and similarities being united under God, as the Pledge of Allegiance says. Through the representation of different demographics including religions, our country is filled with diverse opinions. However, our faith is not disconnected from politics but represented by the millions of Christian ballots in the box. 

Senior Lily O’Shaughnessy, when asked if she was going to vote when she turns 18, stated, “I’m taking College PoliSci, [and] we were learning about the importance of representation, specifically for a democracy. So I feel like it’s really important to have representation, even if you feel like your vote won’t count at all.” 

Finally, Father Matthew spoke about the love of our country, explaining, “There’s a virtue of patriotism, which is a virtue that helps us to love our country…So when we do what we think we see as being best for our country, we’re actually practicing a virtue. And…virtue directs us towards God. So, by practicing patriotism not only am I loving my country and trying to do what I see as best for my country, but I’m also using that as a pathway to to glorify God and unite myself to God.” Essentially, by loving our country, we are loving God. We can practice our virtue and be a good citizen simultaneously. Although some think that politics and faith are different, they are both examples of expressing your beliefs and trying to make the world and yourself better. 

Ms. Valentini and Father Matthew both plan to vote in this November’s election. In the words of Ms. Valentini, she votes to “hope for some kind of impact” on the country, or even on the state or local level. On November 5, these two individuals – thoughtfully grounded in their belief in God – will cast their votes, hopefully alongside many others on this campus, to try to make a positive change in our nation.