Faith in Action
An election guide from the Catholic Bishops of Victoria
As we approach the 2026 Victorian Election, we are each invited to pray, listen and form our consciences in the light of the Gospel and the teachings of the Church, so that we may discern responsibly how to exercise our vote.
There is no Catholic political party, nor one required way for Catholics to vote. In making a decision, we may consider the record, policies and guiding values of candidates and political parties.Our faith calls us to support those who seek to govern in ways that advance the common good, protect the vulnerable and build a just society in which all people can truly flourish.
As members of one human family, we are bound to one another in mutual responsibility and love. We are called to seek not only our own good, but the good of others and of society as a whole.
Catholic social teaching offers four key principles to guide our discernment of the choices before us: human dignity, the common good, subsidiarity and solidarity.As we discern between the policies of political parties and candidates to assist us in informing our vote, we might ask:
- How do they uphold the human dignity of every person?
- How do they promote and advance the common good?
- How do they support subsidiarity, enabling communities and local institutions to participate in decisions that affect them?
- How do they foster solidarity, especially with those who are vulnerable, disadvantaged or excluded?
Dignity of the Human Person
God created the human person in his image and entrusted humanity with responsibility for creation. Every human life is sacred and inviolable, unique and unrepeatable, possessing God-given dignity, freedom and purpose. This principle lies at the heart of the Church’s insistence on respect for human life and the protection of every person from conception to natural death.
The Common Good
The common good concerns the good of the whole person and of all people. It seeks to address the social conditions that allow people to reach their fulfillment and ensure access to what they truly need, including material, cultural, moral and spiritual goods. It requires special concern for those who lack what they need, and fair sharing of the goods of the earth.
Subsidiarity
Subsidiarity recognises that individuals should be free to take responsibility for what they can do themselves without these tasks being delegated to or exercised by others. It resists unnecessary centralisation and calls on governments to respect the initiative, freedom and responsibility of each cell in our society, including families.Solidarity
We are made for communion with God and others. Solidarity expresses this interdependence and the unity we are called to as one human family. It requires respect for every person, responsibility for our neighbour and their flourishing, and a willingness to give of ourselves for the good of others.Key Policy Matters
Among many important issues at stake, the following issues deserve careful attention:
Freedom of Religion and Conscience
Human beings are able to act in freedom, to reason, and to make decisions formed by belief and conscience. Violating a person’s right to act according to their conscience is a grave matter which goes against God’s plan. The rights of parents to make decisions for their children, and of individuals and religious organisations to act according to their beliefs, must always be protected, as must the right to practise faith publicly.
The Place of Faith Communities
People of faith make up a substantial part of the Victorian community, with faith communities making a significant contribution to the common good, including through education, health care, aged care and social services. Governments should recognise this contribution and respect the place of faith in the lives of Victorians and in public life.
Respect for Life
Every person is made in the image and likeness of God and has an inherent dignity that cannot be taken away. Life is sacred from conception until natural death. Public policy should give particular care to the unborn, children, people with disability, those who are seriously ill and those nearing the end of life.
Among laws violating respect for life, recent legislation providing access to euthanasia and assisted suicide, so-called “voluntary assisted dying”, claims to offer choice but instead masks inequitable access to palliative care. Adequately supporting palliative care and protecting the right of health care professionals and providers to conscientiously object should be a priority for government.
The Family
The family has a privileged place in society. It is where we first learn love and responsibility, and it remains the most basic social structure. Governments should enact social and economic policies that strengthen families and assist those experiencing hardship or family breakdown.
Parents should be supported in guiding their children’s formation, care and faith. Currently the Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Act places arbitrary limitations on parents, families and people of faith, affecting the care available to children experiencing gender incongruence or dysphoria. Governments should ensure parental care and guidance, consensual counselling, religious teaching and non-coercive prayer are not unduly restricted.
Care and Protection of Children
The rights of children to be protected, nurtured, loved, educated and cared for are paramount. Past failures, including within the Church, remind us that child protection must be at the forefront of public policy and community life. We all share responsibility for creating a hopeful future in which young people can thrive.
Education and Just Support of Our Schools
Education is essential to society and deeply formative for young people. Parents must have the right to choose a faith-based education. Catholic schools should receive just and fair support, including the continuation of current funding arrangements for non-government schools and capital funding to support the expansion and establishment of schools in growth areas.
The Government should also prioritise amending the Victorian Equal Opportunity Act to ensure that faith-based schools can employ those who share their faith and mission.
Health Care
How we care for those suffering ill health, especially the most vulnerable, is a fundamental test of our society. While Australia has strong health care, delays and gaps in access remain. Adequate resourcing is needed to meet growing need and to ensure timely care, particularly for the most vulnerable.
Catholic hospitals and care services must always be free to deliver care in accord with our faith, without facing attempts to force participation in practices such as abortion, euthanasia and assisted suicide. The conscience of health care providers and professionals should always be respected.
Justice and Social Services
Many issues of justice require our attention, including the rehabilitation of prisoners, care for First Nations people who face disproportionate disadvantage, addressing homelessness and housing stress, prevention of domestic and family violence and care for children unable to live safely with their own families.
How we treat the vulnerable is a key measure of our community and of those seeking election.
Our Common Home
We are called to be good stewards of the natural world, caring for and respecting the common home gifted to us by God. The earth’s valuable resources should be used in ways that are responsible, safe, equitable and sustainable.
Economic Management
An economy is not abstract; it is made up of human relationships and choices. Economic management affects the cost of living, employment, housing, services and opportunities. Governments must ensure economic decisions serve the common good and that limited resources are used responsibly, equitably and prudently.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is reshaping society, but as Pope Leo XIV reminded us in his first encyclical, we need not reject technology or fear progress. Technology should always remain at the service of the human person, strengthening rather than weakening our relationships with one another and with God. Governments considering AI should place human dignity at the centre of their decisions.
Prayer for Victoria and the Upcoming Election
Heavenly Father,
you are the source of all goodness, justice and truth.
We thank you for the freedoms we enjoy in Australia,
including the gift of free and fair elections.
We entrust to you our State of Victoria
and all who live within it.
We pray for wisdom and discernment
as we approach the upcoming election.
Guide us in our deliberations,
that we may elect representatives
who will work tirelessly to pursue the common good.
We pray for all those standing for election.
Give them wisdom, courage and genuine commitment
to the service of others.
May we honour and glorify you in all that we do,
and seek always to contribute to the common good.
We ask all this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Amen.
