17/10/2026
𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗮𝗲𝘀𝗮𝗿: 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Fr Marcus Goulding (newsletter article)
The Victorian State election will be held on Saturday 28th November 2026. Early voting will open on Wednesday 18th November 2026. This Sunday's Gospel is, therefore, a timely reminder for us about how we as Catholics participate in the political process.
In the Gospel, Jesus makes a revolutionary distinction: "Give to Caesar that which is Caesar's and to God that which is God's." Caesar was the supreme political leader of the Roman Empire. The Caesars were venerated as gods. Jesus, however, distinguishes between God and Caesar. Caesar is not God. The state is not God. The government is not God. Jesus puts a clear limit on the authority of the state and government.
At the same time, Jesus' distinction between God and Caesar acknowledges that the state and government do have legitimate authority that we must respect. Each nation has it's own form of political process. In Australia, we have a form of the Westminster system that blends constitution, monarchy, and a democratically elected parliament. We are required by law to participate in voting at elections for our local, state and federal leaders. The Catholic Church has always strongly encouraged Catholics to pray for our political leaders. The Church also strongly encourages Catholics to participate in politics, whether that be as political candidates, party members, or voters.
Importantly, Jesus' teaching also means that our engagement in the political process has moral significance. Our participation in the political process has consequences for our relationship with God. We may never participate in the political process in a way that causes us to commit sin or participate in evil. We may not separate our politics from our faith. This applies to those who hold political office as well as to those who vote in elections.
In a democracy such as ours, therefore, voting is a moral act. The way we vote has consequences for our relationship with God. You can sin by voting for a candidate who supports evil policies. Their sin becomes your sin. When we vote, we must do our best to vote in a way that accords with God's law as taught by the Catholic Church.
If voting is a moral act, then we must inform ourselves about who we are voting for and the policies they support. It is not always easy to determine which candidate's policies are most in keeping with what we believe. Nevertheless, we can all do a Google search for the candidates standing in our electorate, and another Google search for the policies of each candidate.
There are many issues at play in the next election, but some issues are of more moral weight than others. One of the most weighty moral issues is the sanctity of human life. As Catholics, we want a government that respects human life from natural conception to natural death.
It was extremely disappointing to see the Labor and Liberal parties this week pledge to provide free abortions if they win the next election. This is already party policy for the Greens. A Catholic cannot, in good conscience, support a candidate or party who advocates for abortion or euthanasia.
We also want a government that, among other things, respects religious freedom, respects the rights of the family, ensures workers are remunerated justly, cares prudently for the natural environment, and cares for the poor. We want a government that respects the limits of its own authority and uses that authority responsibly in service of the citizenry, not itself.
As the state election approaches, I encourage everyone to inform themselves about their local candidates and each candidate's policies. If you want help understanding a particular political policy from a Catholic perspective, you are welcome to speak to me.
