Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 18, 2025 Column Father De Celles
VIRGINIA ELECTIONS: NOVEMBER 4. Voting is the most fundamental building block of our nation, and the basic defense of all our freedoms. But so many of us don’t bother to vote, or if we do vote we often vote based on very little knowledge of the candidates, and over secondary issues. Sometimes we even vote based on some irrelevant attribute of the candidate: e.g., their looks, color, education, and especially political party. All this instead of finding out what the candidates plan to do in office, and where they stand on the most important issues on the table.
And by “the most important issues,” I don’t mean our pet projects, but the issues that are most fundamental in maintaining a moral and free society.
Virginia State and local elections are now only 16 days away, Tuesday, November 4 (although you can still vote-early-in-person). Sadly, many Virginians will not vote in this so-called “off year election,” even though it will decide who writes most of the laws and policies that govern our daily lives, especially the lives of our children, as we elect a new Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, State Delegate.
But where do the candidates stand on the most important issues facing us? Two weeks ago we included inserts in the bulletin that summarized the candidates’ positions on the some of the most important issues. These inserts are also available on the Voter Information table in the narthex, and online at https://vacatholic.org.
Here’s a summary of the Gubernatorial Candidate’s positions on the key Catholic issues.
Abortion. Abigail Spanberger, Democrat, is strongly pro-abortion on demand, even supporting an amendment to the Constitution of Virginia that permanently enshrines the right to abortion. Winsome Earle-Sears, Republican, is strongly pro-life.
Religious/Conscience Freedom. Abigail Spanberger opposes the freedom of religious institutions, and supports, for example, forcing the Little Sisters of the Poor to pay for birth control for their employees, and Catholic hospitals to provide abortions to patients. She would also require Churches to follow laws contrary to their beliefs about homosexuality and transgenderism. Winsome Earle-Sears supports the of rights Churches, religious institutions, and healthcare professionals to follow their religious beliefs or conscience.
School Choice. Abigail Spanberger opposes any effort to assist parents in choosing their children’s schools, particular voucher programs. Winsome Earle-Sears says, “whatever…the parent(s), want: public, private, parochial, home school, whatever it is, a hybrid — you make the choice. “
Parental Rights. Abigail Spanberger opposes legislation that seeks to require schools to notify parents of their right to know what their children are being taught and the school’s policy for things like biological males using girls’ restrooms and showers or competing in girls’ sports. She says that it is not the state’s role to determine if girls can be forced to shower with boys. Winsome Earle-Sears supports parents’ rights to know what their children is learning and any counselling their children are receiving, including on transgender issues and abortion. She says, “parents have the final say.” She is strongly opposed to girls being forced to shower with boys or to compete against boys on girls’ sports teams.
My limited space here doesn’t allow me to go through all the candidates. But I can say that in the races for Lt. Governor, Attorney General and Delegate
the Democrat candidates all basically align with their party’s candidate for Governor. In other words, the Democrats are pro-abortion like Spanberger, the Republicans are pro-life like Earle-Sears, etc.
Two things I should point out. first, I am appalled at the violet rhetoric that Attorney General Candidate Jay Jones has used in the past, calling for the murder of one of his opponents and his opponent’s children. Second, I am appalled that the Republican Candidate for Lt. Governor, John Reid, is a practicing and proud homosexual, who supports “gay marriage.”
Summary, My Opinion. Since Spanberger and all the other Democrats running on November 4th are pro-abortion, anti-parental rights and anti-religious freedom, and all their Republican opponents are all pro-life, pro-parental rights and pro-religious freedom, I don’t see how any Catholic could vote for any of the Democrat Candidates.
DEATH PENALTY. A few days ago Pope Leo seemed to say that capital punishment, the death penalty, is against Catholic teaching and anyone who supports it is not “pro-life.”
Setting aside the fact that in the U.S. last year over 1,000,000 babies were murdered in abortion and only 25 executions of criminals were carried out. And setting aside the fact that babies have no choice when it comes to being aborted, while executed criminals choose to commit crimes they know carry the death penalty and are afforded years and years of trials and appeals to fight execution.
Setting all that aside, the Church teaching has always been in support of the right of governments to carry out the death penalty, i.e., capital punishment is not immoral or not pro-life.
The teaching was not changed by Pope Francis and cannot be changed by any Pope because it has been infallibly taught by the constant teaching of the Church. While some claim the teaching has “developed” based on our understanding of the dignity of the human person, that employs a false notion of development, on based on the heresy of modernism, which has been repeated condemned by the Church. If the teaching has somehow “developed,” there would have to be a clear record of that development, a clear logic and explanation of how the “new” teaching is consistent with and flows from the former teaching. There is none.
Moreover, such a development would have to be accepted not only the pope but somehow also by the bishops throughout the world, and, to some extent, outstanding theologians and the faithful in general. But none of this has happened. So sadly it seems our new Pope Leo made a mistake in an off the cuff remark to the press that has no binding or magisterial weight.
The death penalty is still moral, and you can be pro-death penalty and pro-life.
Men’s Day of Recollection. I invite all the men of the parish, 18 years old and above to attend the 27th annual Christ the King Men’s Day of Recollection, which will be held this Sat. October 25 from 8:30am–2pm here at St. Raymond’s. This year’s them is: “Die Catholic and in the State Of Grace and You Win: How to make the last battle of your life a Victory.” Once again, this year’s speaker the inimitable Fr. Francis de Rosa, well known pro-life speaker, scholar and Pastor of St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish in Colonial Beach, VA. Fr. de Rosa is a good friend of mine and I am excited to have him join us again this year. I encourage all the men of the parish to come and bring their friends from other parishes. There is no charge for this event, but you must register before noon tomorrow, October 20, to attend. Register at www.waywomen.com/mensretreat
Oremus pro invicem. Fr. De Celles