Holy Cross Lecture to Address Catholic Conscience in the Voting Booth

Auxiliary Bishop Robert McElroy, Archdiocese of San Francisco, will give a free, public lecture titled “Catholicism, Citizenship and Conscience: What Does It Mean to Be a Faith-filled Voter in our Polarized Society?” on Tuesday, Oct. 16 at 7:30 p.m. in Rehm Library, Smith Hall at the College of the Holy Cross.

In his talk, Bishop McElroy will explore what it means to vote your conscience and how to affirm Catholic values when they split down political party lines.

“Our party structure has bisected the issues that Catholic theology points to as pivotal and critically important,” McElroy said. “It puts us in a terrible dilemma in choosing how we vote and how we express ourselves. So what do we do? We have to turn to our conscience every time we vote.”

Known for his scholarship, Bishop McElroy holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Harvard University, a master’s in divinity from St. Patrick Seminary and University, both a master’s degree in history and a doctorate in political science from Stanford University, and a doctorate in moral theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1980 and ordained as a bishop in 2010.

He is the author of two books, “The Search for an American Public Theology: The Contribution of John Courtney Murray” (Paulist Press, 1989) and “Morality and American Foreign Policy: The Role of Ethics in International Affairs” (Princeton University Press, 1992).

The talk, presented by the Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J. Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture, is one of the Deitchman Family Lectures on Religion and Modernity. To learn more about McFarland Center events and to find lectures online, visit www.holycross.edu/mcfarlandcenter.

About the Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J. Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture:

Established in 2001 and housed in Smith Hall, the McFarland Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture provides resources for faculty and course development, sponsors conferences and college-wide teaching events, hosts visiting fellows, and coordinates a number of campus lecture series. Rooted in the College's commitment to invite conversation about basic human questions, the Center welcomes persons of all faiths and seeks to foster dialogue that acknowledges and respects differences, providing a forum for intellectual exchange that is interreligious, interdisciplinary, intercultural, and international in scope.  The Center also brings members of the Holy Cross community into conversation with the Greater Worcester community, the academic community, and the wider world to examine the role of faith and inquiry in higher education and in the larger culture.