The M+G+R Foundation
How Should Catholics Determine Which Candidate to Vote For?
or, for that matter...How to Function With and For God 24 Hours a Day
Regarding the threat of excommunication
issued by some members of the Roman Catholic Hierarchy (depending on which candidate the
faithful may vote in the upcoming U.S. elections) we recommend to the faithful to review
the clear instructions that the official Vatican
"Guardian of the Faith", Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, has given to the U.S. Bishop's Conference
(and the world, through it) regarding this very important matter.
In matters of this nature, the Bishops
do not have much Administrative or Moral leeway once the Vatican pronounces itself. Of course, if
they choose to reject the specific instructions from the only individual officially empowered by
the Roman Pope to set such guidelines, then, why should they expect any obedience from the
faithful which has already been "severely burned" by their irresponsible behavior in the past -
recent and not so recent?
INTRODUCTION
We have received a letter which is so appropriate to be answered immediately for
worldwide dissemination that we have chosen to issue it as a document. The letter, and miguel de
Portugal answer, follows.
The Letter
Your website is and has been for several years a wealth of information to our family. I read your words and pass them on to my husband. I find Miguel to be very believable.... always giving the glory to God and not drawing excessive attention to himself. This is refreshing in a world where many "prophetic voices" seem to do the opposite.
My question is about how to help Catholics decide how to vote in this year's election. For the past 5 years or so (after a deep RE-version to our Faith), we have thought that it would NEVER be "right" to support a candidate with pro-life (The M+G+R Foundation assumes that you mean pro-Choice and not pro-Life) views. We are confused though, because of the current administration's stance on war and foreign policy. Isn't our situation in Iraq and the Middle East considered "the taking of innocent lives," and just as serious as abortion?
Also, there is something about Kerry that both my husband and I simply "like." Are we being misled? It's more of a "gut" feeling that he's honest, down to earth, and sincerely wanting to change things for the better. We like him, but the liberal views on abortion are a big concern for us. We feel that, as Catholic Christians, sanctity of life should be the first priority. How do we decided which lives are more "valuable," those of unborn babies or those of innocent civilians ravaged by war??
We will continue to pray for knowledge and discernment on how to vote this November. I know that God will give us guidance to make a good decision. We will watch the board updates in case you are able to help shed some light for us.
Christ's Peace,
S - U.S.A
miguel de Portugal
Responds
How could I not be giving all the Glory to God. Your letter is a perfect example of why.
I have been prompted by God to address the issues raised in your letter and, frankly, although possessing the information (from Him, of course), I did not know how to better present such an extremely controversial and potentially inflammatory information. Then your letter arrives - clearly Divinely inspired because I immediately saw in it the format to utilize to address these issues plus additional information is "downloaded" from Heaven to augment what has already been given to me.
Then, sister in Christ, how could I not give all the Glory to God? All I could possibly claim would be my ability OR inability to transmit what He Wills I do.
To the point!
As you know from the Holy Scriptures, Jesus could not work many miracles and healing in Nazareth because of the lack of faith of His former neighbors [Matthew 13:57-58]. Even today, many Jesus "talkers" do not have much faith, thus, they obtain precious few results through their copious prayers. We have addressed this in our document What Went Wrong With Christianity? (that it seems to have lost that miraculous touch).
What is what I do when faced with a situation/quandary such as you and million others have right now?
I request from God, in and through prayer, specifically what I think is the appropriate solution based on: (1) the information on hand; and (2) the inspiration by the Holy Spirit [in your case - (1) the news you read/see/listen to; and (2) that "gut feeling", respectively] and, in an act of true (He can read our hearts as an open book - we cannot fool Him) abandonment, I clearly and unequivocally insist with Him that my request be granted in accordance to His Most Holy and Adorable Will - and not otherwise.
It always does and the results are always spectacularly perfect. It never ceases to amaze me the way He works out some situations that are completely impossible for man.
You may still say: "Well, I still have to do something - for example - like go and vote. What should I do? Would I be a bad Christian to vote for someone who is pro-Choice?" First of all, let us all understand that "pro-Choice" does not mean the same as "pro-Abortion". More on this issue below.
If I (**) were in your particular situation (as stated in your letter), and if I had no further input on the issue, I would go and vote for Mr. Kerry while praying to God to negate such vote if my action were not in accordance with His Most Holy and Adorable Will.
It is that simple! God IS real and God is all powerful; No one is above God and satan must serve Him for He is the unCreated Creator Who would never abandon a child who, in all confidence and trust, appeals for His intervention. The Universe would cease to function and be swallowed by a "Black Hole" before God would fail a trusting and faithful soul.
Regarding "pro-Choice" and "pro-Life"
The problem lies in the fact that man, pushed by the Administrators of whatever is the Faith in question, wants to force laws into the books to make up for the abysmal deficiencies of an obviously failed Evangelization. A well formed soul or one "not so well formed", but surrounded by well formed souls, does not require a law banning abortion. For that soul, abortion would not even be a choice to be considered!
The only way to minimize abortion (there will always be some - such is human nature) is to properly form the souls so that they never would even consider abortion as a choice. In the meantime, the faithful should storm Heaven with prayers for the conversion of those who promote and facilitate abortions. Isn't that what Jesus told us to do? [Luke 6:27-28] Isn't it amazing that such teaching is very seldom mentioned by the Shepherds?
As we clearly explained in one of our documents - that is the only
perfectly all-around solution to all the problems that assail humanity... yet satan has managed to
convince the Shepherds not to teach that - is not popular, but it
must be done!
In the confusion to run and do the wrong things to serve God in accordance to our will and not His, poor man forgets thatGod is pro-Life AND pro-Choice!
This goes all the way back to Genesis [Genesis 2:17]. God instructed Adam and Eve not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge because they would die BUT allowed them to exercise their free will. Many other examples may be found in the Old and New Testaments regarding this freedom.
For example: Mary agreeing to "... be it unto me according to thy word."[Luke 1:38]; and Jesus having the choice to escape the passion and crucifixion at the last minute at Gethsemane. If He did not have a choice, He would not be praying: "Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done." [Luke 22:42]
Man's Free Will is the cornerstone of his own salvation, by Divine Decree, therefore: Isn't God pro-Choice and pro-Life, both, or not?
Make no mistake: I do not approve of abortion (*) under ANY circumstance . Then, again, I do not approve of war either. A life is a life - an unborn child's or a terrorist's. God is the Father of all - there is no other Creator but Him, and only Him can take what He gave and sustains: Life.
Of course we cannot have an anarchical situation and there has to be a transition period between
the hedonist world of today to the way God wanted the world to be; nonetheless, the only way for
mankind to return to where it should be, does not include "paying violence with violence". As long
as we do, the world will continue to spiral out of control into the abyss; however, as we have
said over and over again: The severity and the pain resulting from the
fall still remains in mankind's hands.
___________________
(*) To the Glory of God: Before my
conversion, I viewed abortion not much different than removing an unsightly pimple from the face -
a little more complicated, but with no more moral significance than that. Thanks be to God that I
was never in a position to induce, promote or suggest it to anyone - because, even if forgiven,
afterwards, that would have left a scar in my soul that would have prevented me to carry on the
work God had in Mind for me.
After the conversion - and not because the Church or civil law forbade it - the thought of aborting a pregnancy simply horrified me. I just knew that, at the very moment of conception, there was already a fully, albeit underdeveloped, integrated human being present, with his/her own Guardian Angel already assigned to him/her and standing by the mother.
I will never cease to praise God for those who prayed for my
conversion instead of condemning me for
being lost!
(**) Please note that I have written:
"If
I
were in your particular situation...." This is clearly meant to convey to the reader
that the response on how to act would be only applicable
to those who are truly His people. He will never
allow any of His own to make a mistake unless it is the only way, with minimum detrimental
consequences, that that particular child of His is to learn a very important lesson (and wouldn't
you want to make that mistake?). And who are His own? "My
mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and put it into
practice." [Luke 8:21]
Somehow those self righteous (traditionalist, orthodox, right wing
activist, etc.) Catholics take it for granted that "they are part of God's inner circle" while
they blatantly ignore what Jesus, through Luke (see above) taught us. Then, when they
hear...
I know you not, whence you are. Then
you shall begin to say: We have eaten and drunk in thy presence: and thou hast taught in our
streets. And he shall say to you: "I know you not, whence you are. Depart from me, all
ye workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth; when you shall
see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God: and you yourselves
thrust out. And there shall come from the east and the west and the north and the
south: and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. And behold, they are last that shall be
first: and they are first that shall be last."
[Luke 13:26-30]
... they will be greatly surprised.
Brethren
- everyone is being warned with ample time for the "Claims, Complaints and Adjustments
Window" in Heaven will soon be shut down.
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