PARTICIPATION OF PARISHES AND CHURCH ORGANISATIONS IN ELECTION ACTIVITIES To help parishes and Church organisations (diocesan institutions, Catholic schools, Catholic social centres, etc.) take an active part in the Legislative Council Election of the Hong Kong Special Administration Region on 12 September 2004, Bishop Joseph ZEN, SDB, has promulgated the following diocesan guidelines: (1) In keeping with the social teachings of the Catholic Church (cf. Vatican II, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, no.75; John Paul II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on the Vocation and the Mission of the Lay Faithful in the Church and in the World, no.42; John Paul II, Encyclical Letter on the Hundredth Anniversary of Rerum Novarum, nos.46-47), the faithful should take part in the elections under the guidance of their Christian conscience and with the enlightenment of the Gospel. Before voting, they should assess the personal qualities and platform of each candidate. They should avoid a narrow-minded outlook and a choice based on self-interest. Instead, they should have a comprehensive examination of the positions of the candidates. In other words, they should, on the one hand, take into consideration the various issues facing our local society and the various needs posed by the common good, and, on the other hand, scrutinise the personal integrity of the candidates, their scale of values, their philosophy, their talents and weak points, the way they go about their business, their sense of responsibility, their past contribution to the local community and Hong Kong society at large, as well as their political stance. (2) Parishes and Church organisations should exhort the faithful to pray for just and fair elections, and to fulfil their civic obligation and exercise their civil right by registering as electors and taking an active part in voting and in standing for elections. In choosing responsible and capable candidates, the faithful will contribute towards building up our society and enhancing the well-being of the human family. (3) In order that the faithful may receive adequate formation, parishes and Church organisations should, as far as possible, organise talks and seminars on the social teachings of the Catholic Church, on the political system of Hong Kong and on social analysis. To enable the faithful to become acquainted with the candidates and their platforms, it is fitting for parishes and Church organisations to take the initiative to organise election forums attended by all the candidates concerned. Other members of the local community may be invited to all the above activities. (4) With the permission of the Parish Priest or the Head, the premises of a parish or Church organisation may be used for election forums at the request of the candidates. This availability should be open to all candidates concerned, but may not be reserved for particular candidates or political parties/groups. The premises of social centres or social service units run by the Catholic Church may also be used for other electioneering purposes, provided they are made available to all candidates or political parties/groups concerned. If it has been decided to allow a particular candidate to hold an election forum or conduct other electioneering activities on the aforementioned premises, other candidates concerned should be informed and given the opportunity to do the same, so that no unfair advantage will be accorded to or obtained by any one candidate over others. (5) With the permission of the Heads, election advertisements may be made available or displayed in social centres or social service units run by the Catholic Church. Such materials may be made available on the premises of other Church organisations or parishes with the permission of the Head or Parish Priest, but they may not be displayed, except during the periods when election forums are being held. The same principle of fair and equal treatment for all candidates applies here [see no. (4) above]. With the permission of Parish Priests or Heads, election materials printed by the Government may be made available or displayed on the premises of all parishes or Church organisations. The contents of the election advertisements of candidates made available or displayed on premises under the Catholic Church do not necessarily represent the position of the Catholic Church. (6) Lest the mission of the Church to preach the Gospel be misinterpreted (cf. Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, no.76; Encyclical Letter on the Hundredth Anniversary of Rerum Novarum, no.47), parishes and Church organisations may not publicly, either directly or indirectly, lobby for or endorse any particular candidate or political party/group in the name of an organisation of the Catholic Church, by way of opposition or support. (7) Clergy and religious, like other citizens, should fulfil their civic obligation by registering as electors and by taking part in voting. However, they should avoid causing misunderstandings about their role as representatives of the Church, and should refrain from exercising their religious authority in the political field, in which they have neither special authority nor professional knowledge. Accordingly, they may not stand for election, nor may they in their own name or as a group, publicly, either directly or indirectly, lobby for or endorse any particular candidate or political party/group, by way of opposition or support. (8) Apart from the foregoing guidelines, the faithful are also required to follow the “Guidelines on Election-related Activities in respect of the 2004 Legislative Council Elections” to be issued by the Electoral Affairs Commission in mid-July and available at District Offices, or at the Registration and Electoral Office and its website (http://www.info.gov.hk/reo). (9) Catholic schools have to comply with the following specific guidelines - (i) Any principal or teacher who wishes to stand for election must give a prior undertaking in writing to the School Management Committee that he/she will continue to perform his/her normal duties efficiently notwithstanding that he/she might be engaged in campaign activities or the performance of additional responsibilities consequent upon his/her election. Where applicable, prior approval for “Outside Duties” under the respective Code of Aid (1994 edition) for Primary Schools [no. 61(b)], Secondary Schools [n. 60(b)] and Special Schools [no. 70] must be obtained. (ii) With regard to Catholic schools, the “Head” mentioned in nos.(4) and (5) above refers to the “School Management Committee” concerned. (iii) No student, staff personnel or school facilities may be utilised for the campaign or promotion activities of any particular candidate or political party/group. (iv) Catholic schools should also comply with the “Guidelines” of the Electoral Affairs Commission [see no. (8) above] on “Electioneering Activities Conducted in Schools or Participated by School Pupils”. (10) In case of doubt regarding the interpretation or observance of the foregoing diocesan guidelines, the Chancery Office should be consulted. **************** Parish Priests and the Heads of Church organisations are asked to post the foregoing diocesan guidelines on noticeboards for public information. Given at the Chancery Office, 21 June 2004. Rev. Lawrence LEE Chancellor |