What's a Catholic to do?

The grinding of teeth and the muttering of low-level "grrrs" have filled the land as the post-election process has dragged on. And on. Supporters of President-elect George W. Bush, who won the electoral contest, judge the other side as infuriatingly sore losers whose legalistic nitpicking knows no bounds. Backers of Vice President Al Gore, who won the popular vote, rate the other side as manipulative road-blockers who resist an accurate vote count. During the Florida stand-off, words like "fascist," "communist" and "thief" have been uttered by people who know better but who opt for partisan maneuvering over the national interest.

So what's a Catholic voter to do amid such rancor? Like anyone else, Catholics can be tempted to anger, vengeance, name-calling, a refusal to recognize anything legitimate about their opponents, and cynicism. But as Christians, we are called to resist such temptations.

No one knows for sure if the nation will be Bush-bound or go Gore-ward, but every Catholic knows that he or she is about to enter Advent (see pages 1, 12 and 13). The four weeks before Christmas provide a perfect occasion for cultivating virtues Americans will need when a president is finally sworn into office: forgiveness, reconciliation, healing and a willingness to move on.

Advent is a time of waiting. Catholics in particular and our country in general should use this period of quiet expectation for seriously reflecting on the benefits of patience and how we can weave a sense of unity out of this knot of turmoil.

(11-30-00)