AMERICA/COSTA RICA - The Church offers criteria to elect the next President: a document is being prepared

Tuesday, 1 October 2013

San José (Agenzia Fides) - The Bishops' Conference of Costa Rica is preparing a document to "enlighten the electorate in the political campaign, in the light of the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church": this was announced by the Bishop of Cartago, His Exc. Mgr. José Francisco Ulloa, who in the note sent to Fides Agency adds that the text will be presented in about 15 days. On October 2, in fact the campaign begins in order to choose the President of the Republic, the Vice President and the Members of the Legislative Assembly in the elections of February 2, 2014.
It is the first time that the Costa Ricans will be able to vote from abroad.
In order to prepare this text, the note continues, all the Bishops that make up the Episcopal Conference gathered, "to share the general ideas". They then sent these ideas to a panel of experts, made up of priests, sociologists, political scientists and economists, who will draw up a final document. After being reviewed, the document will be published with the signing of the entire Episcopal Conference.
"We want to give an orientation to the electorate - said Mgr. Ulloa -. Candidates are not mentioned, it is a general criterion. The voters have freedom of conscience, and we will never say which party to vote for. We want to enlighten the electorate so that they have a clear idea when choosing the candidate or the party that best responds to the interests of Costa Rica". According to the national press, the various candidates and their parties have welcomed this initiative of the Church in a positive way. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 01/10/2013)


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