Zagreb, (IKA) – The bishops of the Croatian Conference of Bishops have sent a message to the faithful on the occasion of the forthcoming parliamentary elections in the Republic of Croatia, which will be held on Sunday, November 25. The bishops urge the faithful “to prepare and vote in the elections with moral awareness and responsibility, in order to contribute effectively to the continued development of the Croatian Homeland” and encourage “all who have the abilities and gifts, especially the young, to commit themselves boldly to political life, aware that this is one of the worthy means of serving one’s nation.” “In democracy, the Church recognizes the opportunity for broad participation by citizens in making political decisions, insofar as democracy guarantees the opportunity to vote for and supervises those who are elected. True democracy consists of accepting values, including human dignity, respect for human rights and the common good, as the goals and criteria for organizing a healthy political life,” emphasizes the message. Noting that many voters do not exercise their civil rights and do not go to the polls, the bishops stress that thereby “they leave the responsibility to others for the decisions being made in their names in the Croatian Parliament about them, their children, their families and the entire country.” “The coming elections are therefore important because, after achieving evident economic and other advances, as also recognized by the international community, we find ourselves at the historical crossroads of entering European integration and forming a legal system that will determine long-term social development and the value orientation of our country. The Croatian Parliament, as the most important legislative body in the country, an ancient institution that has safeguarded the legal continuity of the Croatian state and expressed the sovereignty of the nation for centuries, should continue to be a place to which we elect capable, moral, qualified and honorable persons,” state the Croatian bishops, and emphasize the necessity of becoming as well acquainted with the candidates and party platforms as possible.
The message also presents fundamental criteria according to which the faithful should evaluate the parties and candidates, including “concern for the common good, particularly commitment to life, solidarity with the poor and the disenfranchised.” The faithful are urged to vote for that candidate and party that defend and protect human life, from conception to a natural death, promote the dignity of marriage and the family, and support the right of parents to the holistic upbringing and education of their children. Furthermore, the believer will vote for those who support the demographic renewal of the country, support the free choice of religious instruction and catechism in the schools, promote the right to employment, work, a suitable home (apartment), a children’s allowance, Sunday as a day of rest, as well as a tax system for the benefit of the family, culture and the common good. The believer should vote for that candidate who supports social justice and the right to information in the service of the entire truth about a person, and who opposes drugs, addictions, corruption, pornography and prostitution. The believer will give his or her vote to the candidate who supports peace, the whole truth about the Croatian past, the Homeland War and defenders, and respect for the natural environment created by God.
At the end of the message, all the faithful are urged to go to the polls, exercise their civil rights and responsibly fulfill their Christian duty. “In your Christian conscience, carefully evaluate which persons and what sorts of programs will receive your vote. On this occasion, we also remind priests to ensure that church premises are not used for partisan promotional activity. We urge all to pray that this year’s parliamentary election will strengthen unity and promote the genuine progress of our Homeland, which we commend to the intercession of Our Lady, whom we have called the Queen and Advocate of Croatia for centuries,” states the message of the Croatian bishops on the occasion of the coming Parliamentary elections.