Politics and faith - National Centre for Evangelisation, Australia

This edition of Faith Journey is arriving in your inbox in the fourth week of the Australian federal election campaign. For those of you who love the rough and tumble of politics, there will be plenty of media banter to fill your days. For those of you less interested in politics, it’s probably wise to turn off all your devices and connect with friends and nature!

As I write these words, I’m reflecting on two hot election topics discussed on the radio as I drove to work. The first was who had the most roadside corflutes – those wobbly plastic signs on sticks advertising candidates – and the second was which school will have the best election day sausage sizzle. Elections are serious business!

Seriously, though, the freedom to hold elections is core to our democratic society. As Catholics, and those considering becoming Catholic, this is a moment to think deeply about our own values. Is there a political party, either locally or federally, that has policies and plans that will speak into these values?

Of course, in the examination of our own values we might give thought to whether our choice of candidate will be focused on a single issue which is primarily self-serving, or all about “me”, rather than considering what might be good for “others”. These “others” might include the most vulnerable in our society, especially people who do not have the capacity to make changes that will improve their quality of life.

Cutting through the political rhetoric can be tricky, and each of us will have to determine which candidate will best serve our own needs – or the common good. This article has no intention of suggesting who you should vote for. However, voting Australians, politicians and those who guide the election process could all do with our prayers. So, this month, we offer you a prayer for the election. You never know, it might just help.

Prayer for the election

God of this land and of every people,
who shape all things according to your own design
and write your law in every human heart:
we thank you for this country we call home,
from the First Nations people to others born here
and those you have gathered from across the earth.

We pray for the citizens of our land in this troubled time,
that we may be committed to justice,
to the dignity of each human life,
and to solidarity with all Australians and with the world.

Guide all who seek election to serve the nation;
may the Holy Spirit inspire them to pursue a better politics
that is wise and courageous and governs for the good of all.
May all of us see and hear you in the most vulnerable,
that we may respond to the cry of the earth
and the cry of the poor,
that we may respond to you.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

From the ACBC statement - 2022 Election (see below)

Prayer for the election

Further Reading