Puerto Rico bishops conference issues 2024 election reflection

Scene of the walled city of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. The oldest Governor’s Mansion under the American flag, La Fortaleza, is top right. / Credit: Wikimedia Commons

ACI Prensa Staff, Jun 2, 2024 / 05:50 am (CNA).

The bishops of Puerto Rico have published a pastoral message ahead of this year’s Nov. 5 elections, in which they call on the citizens of the U.S. territory to “decide correctly” through “discernment, contemplating in depth the reality and the history” of the island.

This year, Puerto Rico’s voters will choose their governor, resident commissioner (sole non-voting member of the U.S. Congress), all members of the Puerto Rico Senate and House of Representatives, as well as all 78 mayors of the island’s municipalities. 

In addition, for the first time, this Nov. 5 Puerto Rico’s voters will cast a symbolic vote for President and Vice President of the United States. Those ballots will not be tabulated in the official U.S. presidential election, however, which is limited to U.S. citizen voters who are residents of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

“Knowing how to discern in order to decide well, requires the utmost respect for people. The debate should be about ideas that arise from reality and not about liking a particular person. Prioritizing the essential dignity of each human being will impose on us a sacred respect for others,” the Puerto Rican Bishops’ Conference (CEP) counseled voters, adding that this will elevate the level of dialogue and the debates and foster an atmosphere of respect during the process.

Citing 1 Thessalonians 5:21 “Test everything; hold fast what is good,” the bishops exhorted Puerto Ricans to elect representatives who know how to “become servants of the people” in addressing urgent needs. “We must not lose our sense of urgency towards those who are suffering, and it is a duty to identify those who will work together with each other beyond partisan lines, to find authentic and far-reaching solutions,” the bishops emphasized.

In this regard, the CEP also identified more than a dozen top priorities on which candidates and elected officials should focus to improve the situation on the island. These include the protection of children at every stage of life, including the unborn, the protection of vulnerable adults, the protection of the family, the problem of violence and drugs, poverty and the healthcare system. 

The “demographic situation” in reference to the aging of the population and low birth rate as well as the “definitive solution of the political status of Puerto Rico” rounded out the priorities.

In conclusion, the bishops emphasized “the importance and nobility” of political activity and the political vocation, which is designed to serve everyone equally, with a special predilection for those who are suffering the most.

The “world of politics,” the bishops observed, demands a level of solidarity “where we are all co-responsible for everyone.” 

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.