What comes to mind when I read this is the wrong interpretation that many Catholics have made of the document on Faithful Citizenship from the USCCB. I just heard today that two priests in two different parishes have told their parishioners that it would absolutely be a sin to not vote for Trump. Perhaps the priests and the people who echo their statement have never read Faithful Citizenship. It alarms me that the pulpit can become a substitute for conscience in political matters, where a Catholic does not represent the Catholic church or any church when he or she votes, but votes according to his or her conscience.
What comes to mind when I read this is the wrong interpretation that many Catholics have made of the document on Faithful Citizenship from the USCCB. I just heard today that two priests in two different parishes have told their parishioners that it would absolutely be a sin to not vote for Trump. Perhaps the priests and the people who echo their statement have never read Faithful Citizenship. It alarms me that the pulpit can become a substitute for conscience in political matters, where a Catholic does not represent the Catholic church or any church when he or she votes, but votes according to his or her conscience.
You're absolutely correct. When it comes to voting, abuse of conscience form the pulpit is so common that I suspect it's the norm.