Thai Bishops at the Assumption Cathedral in Bangkok during Mass with Pope Francis on November 22, 2019 (Vatican Media)
Thai Bishops call Catholics to act as ‘moral force’ in
upcoming polls
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Thailand (CBCT) issues a
pastoral letter urging Catholics across the country to vote responsibly in the
forthcoming general election on February 8.
By Chainarong Monthienvichienchai, LiCAS News
The Catholic Bishops of Thailand have reminded the faithful
that they have a vital role to play as a “moral force” and “social conscience”
in safeguarding a truthful and just electoral process.
In a message addressed to parishioners nationwide and
released on January 27, Archbishop Francis Xavier Vira Arpondratana, president
of the CBCT, stressed that voting is not merely a civic right but a moral
responsibility rooted in the Church’s social teaching.
“The Church invites all Christians to recognize that voting
is a moral obligation for the common good,” Archbishop Vira said. “Exercising
the right to vote is not simply a legal duty, but a moral requirement that
citizens must collectively fulfill for the good of society.”
Citing the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Archbishop
recalled that citizens are called to contribute to the common good through
concrete actions such as paying taxes, defending the country, and participating
in public life through voting. Neglecting to vote, he noted, constitutes a failure
to participate responsibly in society.
The pastoral letter offers guidance to Catholic voters as
the campaign period intensifies ahead of the election, which will determine all
500 seats in Thailand’s House of Representatives, whose members will nominate
the new prime minister.
According to the CBCT, authentic democratic participation
does not end at the polling booth. “Participation includes monitoring,
scrutinizing, and upholding moral truth at every stage of the electoral
process,” the statement said, adding that abstaining from voting may be morally
permissible only in exceptional cases where no candidate meets minimum ethical
standards.
The Bishops also warned against reducing democracy to
procedural rules alone. “True democracy is not merely the result of laws and
regulations,” Archbishop Vira said, “but arises from the acceptance of
fundamental values such as human dignity, human rights, and the common good.”
Without these values, he cautioned, democracy risks becoming
a “disguised dictatorship” that ultimately oppresses the people, citing the
Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church (No. 408).
The CBCT urged Catholic voters to choose candidates who
respect human dignity, prioritize the common good over personal or factional
interests, and demonstrate genuine concern for local communities, especially
the poor and the vulnerable.
Drawing from Scripture, the pastoral letter recalled God’s
instruction to Moses to select leaders who are “capable, God-fearing,
trustworthy, and incorruptible” (Exodus 18:21).
Such leadership, the Bishops said, reflects God’s vision of
power exercised not for personal gain but as “power for service,” in line with
the Church’s social doctrine.
The Bishops also addressed political leaders and public
officials directly, calling for integrity throughout the electoral process.
Quoting Jesus’ teaching that “whoever is faithful in small
matters will be faithful in great ones” (Luke 16:10–11), the statement warned
that even minor acts of vote-buying or electoral fraud sow the seeds of
corruption that can destroy a nation.
Political corruption, it said, is a betrayal of the people
and a grave violation of social justice.
Acknowledging long-standing challenges in Thai elections,
including vote-buying and increasing political polarization, the CBCT expressed
hope that the upcoming polls would become “a testament to our love for God and
for one another.”
The Bishops called the faithful to prayer, asking God to
grant wisdom and discernment to all citizens so they may choose virtuous leaders
and sound public policies.
They also prayed that those elected would govern with
integrity and lead the nation toward “true peace, justice, and fraternity.”
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