SPEAKER_01 0:07

Welcome to Beyond the Beacon with Bishop Kevin Sweeney, a podcast of the Diocese of Patterson, New Jersey. Join us for weekly conversations about our Catholic faith, and together let's strive to live a life of faith, hope, and love. I'm Jay Agnes. With me is Bishop Kevin Sweeney. Bishop Kevin, how are you doing today? I'm good, Jay. How are you? I'm doing I'm doing well. I got I gotta ask you, so I know you're a Yankees fan and all and all that, but do you is there a part of you that roots for the Mets in some slight way, or is it is it really more of a like absolute friction? Next question.

unknown 0:39

Wow, okay, all right.

SPEAKER_01 0:41

Because if they win tonight, they're gonna be credit for uh it's always I think good to see um, as they say, gritty and gutty.

SPEAKER_00 0:50

Um hard fighting, never give up. Um and they um they certainly um have been that uh since I guess June. Yeah, from what I've heard and little I've seen. But um but uh always look forward to a subway series would be great. Um and I would have to be honest that um that team that plays in flushing, I always forget their name. Uh they beat the Yankees four times this year in the sub in the sub in the in the subway series during the season. So, you know, um it would be a good fight. I'm yeah very confident that's a good thing.

SPEAKER_01 1:27

Maybe the pendulum will start swinging the other way. Excuse me? The pendulum might start swinging the other way. Maybe the Mets might start winning. All right. Well we're gonna let's let's move on. Let's talk about time to pray. Yeah, why don't we go straight to the prayer then, Bishop?

SPEAKER_00 1:42

Uh well we're um recording today on um Thursday, uh what's today's date, October 3rd, when the day in the midst of um some beautiful feast days. Uh we didn't celebrate at Mass this Sunday. Past Sunday was the Feast of the Archangels, Gabriel, uh Raphael and Michael. Um Monday the 30th was Saint Jerome, the great scripture scholar, translated the scriptures into Latin. Um Tuesday, I was happy to be at uh Delbarton School for um the Feast of St. Therese, the little flower. Um and then yesterday was the Feast of the Guardian Angels, so maybe we'll say that prayer that um some learned uh and maybe we should make it more popular again. But uh and then tomorrow I'm looking forward to being at St. Anthony's Parish in Butler with the Franciscan friars as uh we'll celebrate the Feast of St. Francis, and I'll be at uh St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Haskell for confirmation in the evening tomorrow.

SPEAKER_01 2:39

So will you be blessing any animals?

SPEAKER_00 2:41

I we may we might be tomorrow at St. Anthony's, yeah. So um so um a great time of year for uh like an all-star lineup of saints that we celebrate in these days. But so let us place ourselves in God's presence in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. As we ask God's help, blessing, and guidance, we ask the help and intercession of our blessed mother and all the saints, and also that help of our guardian angels as we pray. Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love commits me here, ever this day, be at my side to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

SPEAKER_01 3:21

Thanks, Bishop. So we're gonna be talking about elections and public policy and all sorts of stuff along those lines. Everybody's favorite. So I wonder. Well, we're gonna have fun with it. So but I want to ask you um fun question uh for you, and and please uh don't forget to everyone is welcome to send in questions for the bishop beyond at patterson diocese.org. Bishop, do you recall when you turned 18 and voted in your in your first uh election, who who was running? Was it a presidential year or not?

SPEAKER_00 3:52

Uh I don't have a vivid memory of going into the booth for the first time, but I know I did vote um in I turned 18 in uh 1988. So um it was um uh President uh Reagan's um second uh uh uh no, excuse me, it would have been President Reagan was finishing, so it would have been George W. Bush against Michael Dukakis. Oh, yeah. Yes, right. Um so um then yes. Uh but um it makes me think of uh uh conversations with Cardinal Dolan. Uh the Al Smith dinner is coming up, and uh it was interesting to hear uh because Vice President Harris has said that she has other obligations and won't be there. And uh Cardinal Dolan said that the last time that that happened was, I guess, in 1984. Mondale was running, and he lost he won only one state, his home state of or two. Um I forget, but it was uh President Reagan won 48 or 49 states. Um so um, you know, that that was Cardinal Dolan's comments. You can go to the conversation. But uh and they were hopeful that uh Prize Vice President Harris might still change her mind this time. Uh-huh. Um so uh the it's coming up next week, a week after I think. I think it's the 17th. I wonder if um he did this last year, I think. Um I wonder if Cardinal Dolan is flying home again from Rome because the synod we should we're praying for the synod on Synodali that just began, and uh um so um we were with Cardinal Tobin last uh Thursday for the Mass and Rally in March for Life, which we'll talk more about. But uh Cardinal Tobin said the Mass on Thursday and on Friday he was leaving for the synod for Rome for the Synod on Synodali. So yes it'll be um I know Carl Dolan talked about unless he's uh uh we'll have to see.

SPEAKER_01 5:44

Yeah, I don't know how's he gonna pull it off? Yeah, we'll see.

SPEAKER_00 5:46

Well, somebody helped him with their private plane, I think, last year. So um so yes, I did vote, and I think I voted in each other presidential elections, and I I think I voted just about every two years. Um uh um the midterms. Yeah, right. Uh good. Well, we're gonna talk about the try to vote every year. Uh and more recently I uh yeah. Um so we gotta get out and vote. It's a part of our responsibility. We'll know more about that.

SPEAKER_01 6:13

Yeah, good stuff, Bishop. Thanks for sharing that. And uh yeah, we're gonna talk more about the importance of voting. So with us today, Jim King is the executive director of the New Jersey Catholic Conference, representing the Catholic bishops of New Jersey on matters of public policy. He's monitoring what's happening at the State House and ensuring our community has a voice in public policy issues. When he's not defending the church, he is coaching his fifth-grade son's football team, the Falcons, as their defensive coordinator. He and his wife, Sarah, have three children, Brendan, Megan, and Declan, and are hosting an exchange student from Germany. Oh. His oldest son, Bishop, plays golf in high school. And uh so welcome. Thank you. It's great to be back.

SPEAKER_02 6:58

Thank you for the time. Brendan.

SPEAKER_00 7:00

I don't know if we it's my brother's name. I think I remember you mentioned that, yes.

SPEAKER_02 7:04

So he completed his second season with the golf team, and now he's turning his focus to getting ready for wrestling season. So bless him. Yeah. So I I tell him I got uh I don't know if wrestling is the best sport to help you with your golf game, because you know, it might injure your shoulders or but it could build up his muscles.

SPEAKER_00 7:19

It could, yeah, it could. And endurance, right? Uh it could. Um and two younger daughters.

SPEAKER_02 7:25

One younger daughter. Oh, two boys. Yeah, two boys. They bookend the daughter who's right in the middle. She reminds my wife and I every day that she's not only the only child, she's the only daughter, so she has it really difficult in life. So but uh she's uh she's cheerleading. Her and her brother go to the same high school. She's a freshman, he's a sophomore, and uh our youngest Declan feels finally like an independent student because it's the first time in his life that he's at school without an older sibling there, so he kind of feels like he's able to run.

SPEAKER_00 7:54

And this might be a topic for another show, but I remember we spoke not that long ago about um uh some schools moving towards cell phone-free school days, right? Yes. And uh you share with me some communication, I think, from one of the schools. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 8:08

Uh how is that going? I don't think there's any issue with it. I think more was made about it prior to the school year. I know my my son was sitting there going, the administration doesn't know what they did. We're gonna rise up and you know, we're gonna have them overturn the policy.

SPEAKER_00 8:23

And I don't think meanwhile, they're now cell phone free for the day?

SPEAKER_02 8:27

They are well, yes, they're supposed to be cell phone free for the day, but without uh uh outing anyone, I'll say that I have discovered a couple of times that some are not staying cell phone free.

SPEAKER_00 8:39

But they're they're they're they're working towards the goal in the school.

SPEAKER_02 8:42

Uh the school has implemented a a 100% no-cell phone policy during the day. It has to stay in their lockers. And uh, you know, they they have Chromebooks which they can use to email. I get several emails from my daughter throughout the day asking if she can stay after school or go over a friend's house. Um but yeah, the cell phones are gone, and I I you know I haven't heard any complaints about it. I heard more complaints before the school year started. Right. But now that the school year is in full swing, they don't come home going, if I only had my cell phone today, you know.

SPEAKER_00 9:13

There's a book, The Anxious Generation, that really is um I'm just finishing it and it's um it's a little scary to think um, you know, what the impact has been. Uh he would say since around 2010, 2012, with the combination of the introduction of the iPhone and smartphones and then uh social media. And I think this brings us to um uh the topic that we're here to discuss today. Um that as faithful disciples, as people of faith, we have a responsibility. Bishop Barron, who I love, always talks about, you know, our our our Christian Catholic faith is not individualistic, it's not just for me to hold. It's there's when we receive that faith, we have a responsibility to share. Jesus calls us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. And uh certainly in Matthew 25, um, how we care for the least of our sisters and brothers, the the hungry, the homeless, um, the the stranger. Um and uh and one of the ways we do that as a community or society is by decisions that our elected representatives make, right? To help how do we help those who are most in need, and um so uh these and questions and issues can become very complicated, but um as as um as as Catholics and as Christians, um we we have responsibility uh to um to uh not only bring our voice to the public square but um bring our values and beliefs into the um uh voting booth, and uh and that's part of I pres uh would I think that's somewhat of a description of what you do, Jim, as the director of the uh New Jersey Catholic Conference.

SPEAKER_02 10:47

Would would that be uh I think that's one of the most accurate descriptions of what I do. You know, uh the lead-in talking about what our topic was today, you know, faith and politics, the old adage is you never talk about them at uh social function. So my wife reminds me every time we go to a party not to talk to anyone. My job is uh both uh You can talk about coaching your son, that's okay, right?

SPEAKER_00 11:10

And your children, but stand there and just shake your head.

SPEAKER_02 11:12

Don't say what you do, and uh but no, uh I I I think it was 100% spot on what we do. And uh, you know, when I was uh asked to sort of step into the role of executive director, I gave one of my first interviews as executive director, and they said, Well, how do you see your responsibility? And I said, I see it the same way. All Catholics should see their responsibility. We're all called to be evangelizers, we're all called to be that salt of the earth. Um now, who we evangelize to changes based on our positions in life, our responsibilities. So I'm a v I view myself primarily as an evangelizer to the people at the Statehouse. Now, some might say it's like Christ's gospel adage that you may not be welcome, the prophet's not welcome in their hometown, or if they're you don't if they don't receive the message, just shake the dust of their sandals and move on. But uh, you know, i again it's who are we called to deliver the message to uh in our lives. So, you know, we I think we're called to be uh evangelizers to our elected officials at the State House, at the federal level, and in some part helping others to realize that responsibility as well, because we have a moral responsibility to be engaged in the public square and the civil discourse, you know, civil discourse and what's going on in society and what laws are passed and who's elected.

SPEAKER_01 12:29

So how do how does it work on the ground? Are you so you're meeting with lawmakers, trying to having conversations?

SPEAKER_02 12:36

Yeah, I mean again, it's all uh it it really starts with relationship building. You know, I think one of the uh greatest opportunities the church has is given the diversity of issues we work on, um, we try to develop relationships with people who may uh on the surface appear not to be on our side on a couple of issues, but I think there's always something we can find to start building that bridge. You know, we don't have to become adversarial with everyone. You know, we try to we use the term issues of mutual concern. I mean if you've any elected official you talk to that's ever received a letter from me, I always put that term mutual concern.

SPEAKER_00 13:10

I you know, there's something that we're always able to discuss with someone that uh it's easy to uh or maybe we seems to get highlighted things that we disagree with one another on, but there are things that um those who might disagree on certain topics, uh other areas they they're they are in agreement, right? And uh and sometimes if we focus maybe on what we have in common, we can find ways to work together. And I'm sure um a a large part of of your work, Jim, is um building relationships, right? That um we may be ideologically opposed and they may know um where the Catholic Church stands on certain um issues, but if uh you're able to build a relationship with an elected official um that, you know, in his or her policy decisions unfortunately may not uh um agree with what we believe, but um in building those relationships um the the it is possible to find some areas of common ground, right?

SPEAKER_02 14:45

Certainly. And I think you can only find those areas if you're respectful, civil, um, and you try to find uh work that you can collaborate on together at first. You know, um I always say, you know, it's difficult to go into a legislative office and ask someone to vote no on something if they don't know you or if the only time they hear from you is if you're criticizing them for their positions. But uh if you can develop a positive relationship, and I I say this to parish groups all the time, I say Knights of Columbus groups, you know, I say, get to know your elected officials, especially your state representatives, you know, and when you have to reach out to them to vote no on a bill, at least they'll say, Oh, I know this group, and maybe they won't uh you know, do what you want them to do or what you're asking them to do, but you know, maybe they'll have a conversation with you and uh slowly but surely you'll see the change come along. I I I've rarely and I have to say I've been in b in governmental work and politics for almost 25 years now, and I don't think I've ever come across an instance where somebody's gone in with one to a meeting with an elected official, the elected official has held one position and they've gone in and you know made their case and the elected officials come out saying, I can you know for the 180 on the yeah, yeah. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 15:59

So it's it's uh But over time they might um uh um I'm thinking back to I know you've been on the podcast before, but uh we we got we met for the first time uh over Zoom uh and then a number of times in the spring and early summer of 2020 when uh I was named as the new bishop and in the transition time and in the midst of the lockdown. And uh um that was my first um introduction also to Cardinal Tobin and um uh Bishop O'Connell in Trenton, Bishop Checchio and um in Metutchin, and Bishop uh Dennis Sullivan in the Diocese of Camden, uh, and uh the auxiliary bishops in in Newark are part of those conversations as well. And uh you host us um or organize the uh the meeting um uh each quarter, and uh it's been interesting, uh, and I'm so grateful to Cardinal Tobin, the bishops and yourself, Jim, for um kind of bringing me along, welcoming in. And uh, but it's uh it's it's been a great experience for me to see how our five dioceses um uh work together as the church, Catholic Church here in New Jersey, coordinated by the Catholic Conference. And uh I think we had a great example of that um uh working relationship um uh this past Thursday at the um first ever uh New Jersey State Mass rally in March for Life. Yes. As um we're grateful to the National Nart March for Life group that uh had reached out and um as they're doing now in states since the Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade, and so much now falls on state legislation and um and and state lawmakers uh in terms of the protection of life. And um Bishop O'Connell, I thought, as Cardinal Tobin celebrated the Mass, uh, gave such a powerful homily. I've it's been it's in our newspaper and encourage anybody to read it. I was at one of our high schools and I asked them to to because I said to them you could talk about it in religion class, but you can also talk about it in uh government and politics class, right? Because he he, I think, articulated so well uh what we're trying to bring, uh, not imposing our our our our beliefs. And as he said, you know, he talked about the scientific fact of where life begins. Uh so maybe uh to say a word about um working uh with Cardinal Tobin and the bishops in those quarterly meetings, and then maybe what it was like for yourself uh uh moving. It was a l it was a lot of uh I know you met regularly with the pro-life directors, respect life directors of each diocese in the planning process. Uh so what was that experience like for you um over these the last recent months?

SPEAKER_02 18:33

Well, I have to say, first the quarterly meetings with the bishops are some of the most stressful times in my life. Leading up to you know the planning and the the agenda. You know, I feel like I'm going before a firing squad because I never know what's going to be asked. But uh I always enjoy getting together with the bishops because uh you know I represent you and your brother bishops, and it's important for us as the conference to hear uh your thoughts, uh your objectives, what you would like us to represent uh the group on, and uh you know it's good to have that direction. So I'm always appreciative of the information I get. You know, I might not always have an answer right away, and I might go, why am I being asked this? But you know, I like having the clarity when I hear that feedback from the bishops. But uh, in terms of the Mass for Life, the credit has to go 100% to the Respect Life Directors. Uh when they announced, when the National March for Life Organization announced that they were going to do a New Jersey-based now, they had done uh similar marches previously in other states like Pennsylvania.

SPEAKER_00 19:34

Pennsylvania just had their second annual, right?

SPEAKER_02 19:36

I believe third. They're out to third, but they've seen uh tremendous growth in attendance. Uh this year, I believe there were almost up to 6,000 people attended in Harrisburg, and one of whom was my son. My daughter was supposed to go, but uh I believe she had a test that day, so we had to back her out. But uh, you know, my son's gone the last two years with his high school. He loves it. He uh marched a little bit with Archbishop Perez of Philadelphia and uh um And both both your kids that they're involved and your olders are involved in their local respect life. They are as a matter of fact, they are. My as a matter of fact, my daughter is at the as we speak, is at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia's um respect life summit for high school students today. So she left at 7 30 this morning. I think they were going to uh another high school somewhere in the Archdiocese, and uh she's gonna spend the whole day uh with other high school students attending talks on respect life issues, learning what they can do in their community to promote the culture of life. So we're very proud of the question.

SPEAKER_00 20:34

I was so happy with um our high schools. I think all seven, uh three Diastin and the four other uh run by religious communities, uh all sent uh delegations. And uh I think there was it was it, I guess they had worked with the committee. Was it Notre Dame High School in Lawrenceville, the Yellow Shirts, they had a huge group that led the march, right?

SPEAKER_02 20:52

I think that was a coordinated effort between the high school, uh the mass planning committee, and the march committee to to get Notre Dame to lead the march. I I agree, first of all, about the presence of the high school students. I thought the courage some of these high school students shown, and you know, we weren't really greeted at all parts of Trenton as we are shaking with love. We were shown that uh bronx number one a couple of times as you as we joked. But uh uh I have to give a lot of credit to the high school students because I thought about myself and I don't know if I would have been able to serve the same courage. I mean, as we were processing through the streets of Trent or marching through the streets of Trenton, um there were a couple of times where people voiced their disagreement with us in very colorful ways, and the high school students didn't back down, they held up their signs and they were proud to be pro-life, proud to be part of the march. So I thought it was quite a uh a testament to the spirit of life uh among our youth and young adults that were present.

SPEAKER_00 21:47

Yeah, it was it was and uh I remember also uh I guess it was in our spring meeting with the bishops, um the the rally and march had been planned and the date was chosen. Um and uh with the respect life coordinators there was the request made to the bishops could we have a mass, as as I think they've learned um in doing other state marches that when there's a mass beforehand it helps to uh increase the participation and um and I think it brings a faith element into what we're doing as well. Obviously, the the the the people of all faiths or no faith could come and witness on on behalf of the dignity and value of life and um and and the the care that we have for moms and understanding of the situations that uh a woman can be in in a pregnancy. Um uh uh that would that has to be uh part of our awareness always. Um but um But we have to also think about when life begins and and what it means for the child in the womb that uh right now doesn't have much protection or any uh here in our state, unfortunately. Um so uh um but uh uh so having the mass uh before the rally in March, I think certainly helped um uh with attendance and participation. And I remember being on a Zoom call in in the when you brought the question to Cardinal Tobin and the bishops uh about the possibility of having a mass at the request of the uh Respect Life directors, and uh Cardinal Tobin didn't hesitate nor nor any of the bishops to say yes. That would be and and I know Bishop Checkyo had another commitment, but um again, Bishop O'Connell's beautiful homily. Bishop Sullivan was there with the new bishop coadjutor. You won't be the baby bishop of Jersey. That's true, I didn't think of that. Yes. Uh so um so yeah, it was um uh I thought it was uh wonderful to see um that we were able to have the mass and as well.

SPEAKER_02 23:40

I've been with the conference for uh 13 years. I started in the uh November of 2012, and I d I've never been part of a statewide event like that. So obviously when the request was made, I had a lot of questions, and my wife always reminds me, she goes, Don't you know, don't shoot down every idea, because I'm usually the one that tries to find like the landmines that you want to defuse before you go into a planning process and uh or make a request.

SPEAKER_00 24:05

Right.

SPEAKER_02 24:06

And she's like, yeah, so my wife always reminds me of that. So when I hear about you know statewide collaboration and trying to get all these people in Trenton, I'm like, well, are we going to park? Are we gonna do this? And you know, uh there was a real let go and let God moment. And I think that came as we were planning it and you and the other bishops uh were showing your support for this and your enthusiasm for it. It was like, okay, well, if the bishops are behind us and they're gonna make the effort to come, we talked about um Cardinal Tobin, you know, really I mean, when you know he left the next day for He had a pack for a month to be away for a month, right. But I I can tell you, and I don't think I'm going outside of any breaking any confid you know confidentiality here. I mean he rearranged his schedule. He I think he was gonna leave earlier for Rome to get there and get settled for the synod. And uh he basically pushed it to the 11th hour, his departure to the 11th hour, just so he could be with us uh at that mass. And I think, you know, having you and the cardinal and the other bishops present is what drew a lot of people to the mass in the f you know, because of all the bishop making that commitment to be there.

SPEAKER_00 25:09

Well, it uh you know, it it wouldn't have been much without the crowd that was there, and uh and so each person that came we're we're grateful and uh hopefully it's something we can build on.

SPEAKER_02 25:19

We're just waiting for somebody, I somebody asked me if we were already planning the mass, the plans for the mass. I said we don't have the date for the March next year. So once we get that date, we'll uh start putting things in place. But I don't think we're gonna have to do as much as we did this year because we know what uh we're trying to give you a heart attack already.

SPEAKER_01 25:35

That's okay. That's okay. And it was, you know, on my end on the with the communications directors with the dice, it was it was a great collaborative effort. We had Cecile was down there collecting some social media uh footage and and she wrote a great article for the Beacon this week. But we also had, we shared uh your office, I think covered the cost even for the the pool photographer who provided photos to all the diocesan newspapers. So it was it was great, yeah, it was it was healthy and uh collaborative in all sorts of ways in all sorts of different offices. Um why don't we um why don't we move into elections and Now we can sit back and relax because there's nothing happening between now and the middle of November, right?

SPEAKER_00 26:12

Right, right, right.

SPEAKER_01 26:13

So um that's right. I mean you guys must get what do you tell if people come up to you and they say, Jim, who should I vote for in November? Bishop, who should who am I who should I vote for? What do you guys tell them and and how do you help them form their consciences?

SPEAKER_00 26:28

Go to our website or the NGC, NJCC website and read uh uh Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, right? You have a copy there? Yeah, right here. Here it is. Um I don't know if that's the most recent copy.

SPEAKER_02 26:40

Right.

SPEAKER_00 26:41

Well it's uh available online with the the most recent uh introductory um uh uh introduction from the USCCB. So maybe you want to share a little bit about that? And uh just by way of introduction, um quotes Pope Francis, and hopefully every Catholic knows it really is. Um and the blessing that we have as citizens uh comes with responsibility. Um we can choose our our leaders and and and our priorities, um, but to do that we have to vote. And uh as hard as the decision can be, Pope Francis talked about sometimes it seems like the lesser of two evils, um, but uh we can't exempt ourselves from that responsibility. Uh so if if you're struggling, um this document can help, and Jim can share a little bit about that. Sure.

SPEAKER_02 27:30

No, so actually two things I just want to say uh leading into that. One, as I was preparing for this pot uh our podcast, our gathering today, um, you know, and this kind of relates to what Jay, your question about people ask, who should I vote for? And there is frustration. Uh Bishop, I'm sure you get letters and emails, just frustration that the church doesn't definitively say vote for candidate A or candidate B, or we put our endorsement in, you know, obviously there's some legal reasons why we can't do that that have uh impact on our tax status, you know, tax status, but you know, that's not why we don't endorse candidates. Um because we recognize participation in the civil life, and this is what I thought about last night, as a moral act, and moral acts involve choice, you know, it would almost be and you know, correct me if I'm wrong, but I would almost think it's a contradictory to the Catholic faith if the church were to come out and say every Catholic should vote for candidate A or candidate B, because why? It denies their gift of free will.

SPEAKER_00 28:32

Yeah, we we have to make decisions in conscience, a well-formed conscience. Um but um uh there's there's many reasons as again I understand some would say you should the bishop should tell uh everyone you can't vote for this candidate or you should vote for that candidate. Um, but uh that's not um we believe how the Holy Spirit has been guiding us for 2,000 years. Uh um, you know, it goes back to, I mean, the Lord Himself, as I quoted some of what he teaches us and and St. Paul talking about um our responsibility as citizenships and the magisterium, the teaching of the church, saying we gotta be part of um our our community and and and be contributors to the the the common good. Um so um so that we need to be part of it, yes, but voting for particular candidates or or certainly um we can't align ourselves with the here in the United States with a political political party because neither is or is gonna be a uh I don't think either wants us, right? So I mean, so um so yes, uh um as frustrated as it might be for some, the church does not say you should vote for candidate A or B, but here's the values. Look, inform yourself, um, uh be aware, uh prepare, pray, um, but go to the voting vote boot and and vote according to your conscience.

SPEAKER_02 29:53

Right, right. Because you can't have and and and to expand upon that, it's not just voting that faithful citizenship talks about. I think um if you go through the document and uh again preparing for the podcast and for this season, I don't think voting the act of voting is mentioned to uh you know it's not the focus of this document. It's the focus of the document is how do we uh involve ourselves in uh society in public in the public square, you know, and uh voting's essential and that gets the most attention, but you know, what are we you know, the election days this year, what, November 5th? So the question then becomes what are we gonna do on November 6th, 7th, 8th, and moving forward? You know, I mean unfortunately now it seems like you can never escape election season. You know, here in New Jersey we have an election every year because our state elections are on the off-years of federal elections, so you can't it seems like you can't escape it, but um you know uh it's not that's not all faithful citizenship is about. It's not just about going into a voting booth, it's not just about learning about candidates, it's about how are you engaging with your elected officials, how are you inform uh forming your conscience in you know those off months, how are you learning about issues, you know.

SPEAKER_00 31:07

Parents and teachers, uh Catholic schools and religious education programs, as we're forming young disciples, um we uh you know we talk about service and it's great to see parishes and young people and youth groups and uh being involved in community service. Yeah, that's part of faithful citizenship as well, and hopefully that's um uh leading um young people as they uh mature to think about why not only um you know that I should help someone in need, but why is that person in need? And is there decisions being made by elected officials that either help the person in need or are making it more difficult for people to survive and have their basic needs and have decent work and a decent home and um you know those things that we strive for as a human family?

SPEAKER_02 31:55

Yeah, it's the it's the uh two principles of subsidiarity and solidarity. It's understanding that not every decision has to be made at the macro level or the higher government level for the community, but it's also that we're not so disconnected. We have the solidarity where we can we can make those connections between, you know, uh uh the the the the people who need our assistance and how our vote relates to that and how our actions outside of election season relate to that.

SPEAKER_00 32:20

And uh you mentioned the word solidarity, and uh it's a principle. Um in Poland it was uh a movement uh that uh inspired Saint Pope John Paul II and you know he the saint that he became and the and the Holy Father came out of that experience of living in a people who were oppressed and went from being uh governed by the Nazis to the communists, uh to saying, um, as Bishop Barron likes to quote, when Pope uh Paul John Paul II visited as Pope for the first time, that millions of people chanting, We want God, we want God, with the communist leaders there saying, uh we might be in trouble. So but uh I think and you know uh we the the blessing of the uh our our holy fathers, if you look, you know, through the history of the popes, but even just even the most recent ones, how Pope John Paul II called us to be part of building a culture of life, for example, right? Uh Pope Benedict, the intellectual um uh uh the life of the mind and and how um we need to be educated to be good citizens. And now certainly Pope Francis calling us to care for our environment and um and and uh uh and and listen to those who in the Synod on Synodality and uh you know that temptation I think, especially as Americans, that we have to think I'm so focused on what I know is right, and and yes, there's there's a part of knowing that truth that makes us free, but we gotta share the truth in love, and and sometimes that means taking the time to listen to someone who disagrees with us, right?

SPEAKER_02 33:49

That's right, that's right. And I think uh one of the misconceptions, at least it's a misconception that I had to uh correct in my own thought when I was younger, is that um because somebody identifies with Catholic, they're in lockstep with all my political views. And I can say it was shocking the first time having a p you know, I guess, quote unquote political conversation with a fellow Catholic, and they were saying things that I was like, I don't agree with that. You know, like you're cat, how how can you be cat? And um you you do go through that, I guess, that gut reaction of wanting to put up a wall and kind of argue with them, but then you have to fall back and realize that we're united by our faith. We're brothers and sisters in our faith, and you know, we have to treat them with the love and respect that God treats them with, and it does come down to having those conversations.

SPEAKER_00 34:36

Aaron Powell And Jay was reminding me, as you guys were discussing it just before we started, that uh there's an event coming up that could help uh for those who might be interested in the case. Is it the webinar that you're collaborating with the Pennsylvania Capital? Pennsylvania Catholic, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:49

We're we're extremely excited about this. So I think it's the first time in the Trevor Burrus, it's called Blessed Are the Peacemakers. Blessed are the peacemakers, uh, how Catholics can prepare for the upcoming presidential election and bring civility back to public discourse. So uh this is a a co-sponsored event, uh, us and my uh my counterpart at the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference. So for those who don't know, m most states have a Catholic conference that represents the bishops and the church within their state houses. Uh so Pennsylvania has one, New Jersey, New York, and then there's the USCCB, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops that represent the Catholic Church at the federal level. So we're gonna work with Pennsylvania Catholic Conference. We have a representative from USCCB coming on, and we're gonna talk about faithful citizenship. A lot of these concepts we're talking about uh in terms of solidarity, uh, you know, do good, avoid evil, how do you properly form your conscience, how do you prepare for the election, but then we're gonna focus on um how do you move past the election day. You know, I think we can all agree, given the tone of our current uh presidential election, uh there's gonna be people that are unhappy on November 6th, but we still have to work with them. We still have to come together as a as a country, as a community, and uh we're hoping that the information we can provide Catholics who attend the webinar will help them, uh help guide them during those days and you know into the future as we move forward.

SPEAKER_01 36:17

And you believe this might be the first such collaboration?

SPEAKER_02 36:20

Yes. From what we understand, we And it's open to everyone? Open to everyone. Uh if you go to njcatholic.org, which is our website, uh you'll find the uh registration link right there. It's free. You know. And the date again? October 9th, uh next Wednesday. Right. Right. Uh. And at 6 30 at night.

SPEAKER_00 36:37

And you don't have to leave your home, your car, if you're uh And if somebody can watch it that night, will it be available afterwards?

SPEAKER_02 36:42

Yes, we're gonna record it and uh we're gonna uh distribute it so people can watch it on on demand.

SPEAKER_00 36:48

As I share with you, we have uh um Bishop Caggiano, um the Bishop of Bridgeport, Connecticut, originally from Brooklyn, but uh he's been working at the USCCB level on another important topic, which is uh uh faith formation and catechesis, and uh we're grateful that he's gonna be with us um at St. Elizabeth's University uh to speak to our catechetical leaders, Catholic school teachers, Father Joanator Garcia, our director of the Office of Faith Formation, um, has um extended the invitation uh to those catechetical leaders and and and Catholic school teachers and and catechists as well and many of our priests. So um there's an afternoon session. So uh if those who watch the afternoon session, what time does the webinar go? 6 30. Okay, you can probably get home just in time if you go to the afternoon. If you're at the evening session, which starts at 7, we won't be able to uh be both but we could come to the catechetical session and and see the webinar afterwards, right? Watch the webinar the next day. Right, right.

SPEAKER_01 37:42

So there's a lot going on, a lot of good stuff, and we're gonna have links in the show notes for everything we're talking about, but it's njcatholic.org and then um the USCCB uh Faithful Citizenship document. I'll put a link to in the show notes for that. And then we're gonna have on our own website some resources that point to there and some videos that you we produced with you, Bishop, um, about the election and also collaborated with NJCC on. Um That's the other thing I would like to say on our website for the election.

SPEAKER_02 38:13

You know, people can go there and find uh resources to help prepare them for Right.

SPEAKER_00 38:19

And not means interrupt, but you we I did a video for with your help. And uh how many um uh uh seats are open in the Congress from New Jersey?

SPEAKER_02 38:28

This all uh uh well you you have all 12 congressional seats on the House side and you have Senate seat. In one Senate seat, yes. And then um in the state um there are uh there's the state isn't an off year, so when the federal election is taking place, the state so next year we'll have the race for governor and uh State Assembly. And that's that that that's it. But it's just as important too to get to, you know, uh uh school board, local municipal elections. Um I mean we don't uh it's uh we just don't have the staff to track all of those elections, so but we encourage everyone to follow.

SPEAKER_00 39:05

But people can find out information about who represents them at the MJCC website.

SPEAKER_02 39:10

At the state and federal level, definitely. Uh we don't, I mean, there's over 500 municipalities here in the state of New Jersey, so we just don't have the uh resources to put all that information there. But you know, I think the resources we do have help guide people who are looking for that information. So we have uh links and uh resources from the state uh New Jersey, New Jersey Department of State, which oversees their election, so you have the important dates for registering to vote. There's uh early vote early in-person voting, mail-in voting. So you know, New Jersey over the last couple of years has modified their election laws, so it's important for people to know that. You just don't have to show up on the I got my ballot in the mail the other day.

SPEAKER_00 39:48

So registering to vote is important as well, right? Yes. And the there's information there for those who are want to register?

SPEAKER_02 39:55

Yes, yes. And there's even talk in the state now about same-day registration and uh lowering the uh voting age. So there's always there's a lot going on in terms of the public debate about how to encourage more people to participate. I know I believe the governor was in Hoboken yesterday talking about lowering the voting age for local school board elections. To foster some engagement. Now, that's not something the conference would necessarily take a position on, um, but you know, it's is fascinating, and we obviously monitor that because we have to ensure people get that information. You know, uh we tell you know, the school board elections I think often get overlooked.

SPEAKER_00 40:35

I know uh Well in recent years they've gotten a little bit more than curriculum. The school board has an impact on curriculum, right?

SPEAKER_02 40:43

Right, right. And that's where I was going with that is that you know, if you you know, we get calls about some of the things that are going on in terms of the curriculum or what schools are doing, and sometimes seeming an indoctrination of young students.

SPEAKER_00 40:57

Uh we believe parents are their first educators. Parents have the responsibility and for the state to be kind of imposing certain values or or beliefs um through a uh a curriculum in a public school, um, it's uh it's a it's a real concern, right?

SPEAKER_02 41:15

It is a concern. And uh what you find though in the legislation is often that curriculum is not only implemented but uh designed at the school board level. So, you know, if you want to really see that change, you know, become involved in your school board, show up of elections, like superintendents.

SPEAKER_01 41:34

Superintendents and business administrators also have a lot of power in public schools. I as a former reporter who's used to cover school boards like nuts and bolts, mayor council, school boards. I mean, there's yeah, there's a lot happening there, and not a lot of people really go out to those meetings, and they're you can learn about them. Just go to your school website, check out the dates for the school board meeting and show up, and there's an opportunity to speak and uh yeah, have a have a voice locally.

SPEAKER_02 41:58

I always say I always tell the story when it comes to school boards because you you consider the power a school board has in terms of some of these issues, these important issues we're talking about, um, but how little people sometimes pay attention to their elections. I know in my hometown this is about five five this is pre-COVID, you know, we say things pre-COVID now. I know in that town there was a school board election that year. Someone I know about three days beforehand said, I want to be on the school board. I'm gonna run for school board, and no money, no organized campaign structure, just got word out through social media that it was running for school board, he lost by three votes. Wow. My goodness.

SPEAKER_00 42:39

But you're talking about somebody Did he get was he on the ballot? Or did they write mine in? Right in. Whoa. Wow. And started asking people to write him in?

SPEAKER_02 42:47

Three days before uh three or four days, maybe it was like five days, but it was something like you know, if you if your only experience with elections is uh the national where so much money's poured into it and year-long process or years long, you know, to think that somebody could have just said a week out, I'm gonna be on the school board and you know, have that type of ability to come within that much that that close to being elected. It's a great story, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 43:11

You know, and it it's also what we could talk about the importance of just being involved in your school board or in um, you know, local uh community, right?

SPEAKER_02 43:20

Yeah, well giving back to the Yeah, not just school board, um, but I'm sorry. Yeah. Um but the uh you know knowing who your elected officials are. Local mayors. There's so many people that, you know, they call concerned about these issues that we're talking about, but they can't they don't know who their state assembly member representatives are, they're a state senator, um, they get confused about what's a federal bill, what's a state bill. You know, so there's a lot of um civics one-on-one that has to take place, and that's what we also try to do to help. I tell the story when I was working for our congressional office, um, I might have said this the last time I was on the podcast, but we had an issue uh going back and forth in the House of Representatives, and it was an energy bill. So there was the environmentalist and then there was the energy sector, and they were both on opposite ends, and they were spending a large amount of money to uh get people to call the congressional their members, their house members, to say vote yes or no. And I'll never forget uh I had one gentleman call me up one week and said, tell them to vote no. I don't want anything to happen to the environment. I said, Okay, I took his name. The next week the energy lobby ran their ad in the paper and on the on the internet, and he same guy called up and goes, Tell my congressman to vote yes on this bill. I'm not paying any more for. Same guy. And I recognized his voice and he gave me his name and I said, Mr. So-and-so, I talked to you last week on the same bill. You wanted him to vote yes. Now you want him to vote no. Because I have to put this information in, do you have a definitive answer? And he goes, It's the same bill? I said, Yeah, it's the same bill. He goes, Oh, this system's all screwed up, and he just hung up logging. So it's important to be educated and to do your homework.

SPEAKER_00 45:06

And to have patience and persevere. And not just get discouraged if, you know.

SPEAKER_01 45:13

Well, um, all right, good. So we're kind of want to wrap wrap this episode up. Uh Bishop, any any uh last questions for Jim or any uh thoughts or reflections on anything we talked about?

SPEAKER_00 45:25

No, just to thank Jim for the work that he's doing. And he says, as he does, represents the bishops at the state level, um, but he's representing all of the Catholic people of the state as well. So um we'll keep you in our prayers and we and we're very grateful. And um uh again, we hope that many will uh be part of the webinar um next Wednesday, October 9th, and go to um the website. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 45:49

And Jake, I forgot to mention I do have a uh a friendly wager going on with my counterpart from the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference. So just like two mayors uh make a bet when their teams are in the Super Bowl, uh Pennsylvania and New Jersey right now have a bet going on of who can have more attendees at the webinar, sign up for the webinar. So I think we're slightly ahead, but I would like to do that.

SPEAKER_00 46:09

I would like more breathing rooms, Cope. Right, right.

SPEAKER_02 46:11

You know, uh the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference director, he called me up yesterday, he was doing some trash talking, saying we're gonna come out and force, so you know, help me win this bet.

SPEAKER_00 46:21

I would be open to a um uh replay of the 2009 World Series where the Yankees beat the Phillies. So uh um uh uh that um we'll have to see how that goes. But uh friendly rivalry is never a bad thing. No, not at all. Right, right, right. So it's all in good fun. Right, right, right. But let's win New Jersey, let's get it to the webinar. So what one more time, the website. njcatholic.org. njcatholic.org. Great. Go to the website, try to con and um attend the the webinar register, and uh we got a vote. Um uh as I mentioned that um this is Respect Life Month, it's month of the Holy Rosary, this month of October, leading us into November, and uh we're gonna have uh a respect our Darsen Respect Life convocation will take place Saturday, October 26th at St. Mary's in Denville. Um uh we'll have to uh there's information on our website, please go uh and consider attending um in this Respect Life Month um our Darcy Respect Life Convocation Saturday, October 26th, St. Mary's in Denville, with the theme, as it's we so close to the election, United in Prayer for uh Life, Family, and Country. United in Prayer for Life, Family and Country. That theme that doesn't, I think, get mentioned enough. We're all members of the United States, we're all uh fellow countrymen and women, uh so we can have these differences and someone's gonna win and someone's not gonna win. But we we're all part of the same uh nation, uh and uh and and we still are a beacon of hope for the world. Uh so that happens through the citizens who have made the country what it is over the years and our leaders. Um, and uh we have to keep that up, right? So and uh not not the only way, but an important way to do that is anyone who's eligible to vote that you register and you vote. Uh and and bring it to prayer and hopefully read form uh forming consciences for faithful citizenship to help you as you go into the booth.

SPEAKER_02 48:21

Our website even has uh links to all the candidates' websites so you can go and read about the candidate and what their their various positions are. So really is no excuse not to.

SPEAKER_00 48:31

También and español, polos que hablan and español. If there anybody's listening that could know someone who's a Spanish speaker, and the website um uh uh new jerseycatholic.org. NJcatholic.org. Uh N español también. So invite your uh Spanish-speaking brothers and sisters to find the information there in Spanish as well.

SPEAKER_02 48:49

The webinar next week will be uh simulcasted in Spanish as well.

SPEAKER_01 48:52

Awesome. All right, so a lot of opportunities. Umks again, Jim, for joining us.

SPEAKER_02 48:57

Bishop, Jay, thank you. It's always a pleasure to be on. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 49:01

Before we close out, uh I do want to ask you, um, you did share with share with us uh what you're reading currently. Any other recommendations on what you're maybe listening to or watching, any anything uh other than the Yankees and I've been a fan of um I think the first podcast I listened to was um Revision's History.

SPEAKER_00 49:22

I've mentioned that before. Malcolm Gladwell, this New Yorker, a writer for the New Yorker, and has written many books. Uh apparently his first book was which I remember listening to a long time ago, was The Tipping Point, which is was 25 years ago that came out, I guess, 1999. And he's written kind of a sequel, um, I forget something about the tipping point, uh, Revisited or Revenge of the Tipping Point, Tipping Point, you'll find it. But uh on his podcast, he's now has the second episode, which I started listening to this morning, of kind of introducing or encouraging people either to read, order and read his book or or listen to his book. It's very interesting commentary on um sociology and trends and uh uh revisionist history. He looks back at things that are misunderstood or or or were overlooked by history, and uh very I find them very interesting.

SPEAKER_01 50:09

So I was just listening to his podcast not too long ago. I listened to two back-to-back episodes on museums and the art history and collections. Yes, yes, yeah. He's awesome.

SPEAKER_02 50:18

I just over the summer read his book, Bomber Mafia. Oh, yeah, yeah. Yeah, that was a great book. Very something you never heard of before, right? I thought it was a uh great uh dive into the uh philosophy between the British and the American view on use of air power.

SPEAKER_00 50:36

But the other thing that he does, he brings the people involved, right? I mean, it's not just uh the these battles and this philosophy, but the people who um you know built the planes and flew the planes and uh Yeah, it talks about the Nordic bombsite or the Nord Bombs. Yeah, all right.

SPEAKER_02 50:52

Nord bombsite, yeah. That was technology that was essential.

SPEAKER_01 50:57

I'm from New Jersey, if I'm not mistaken. Okay. So uh we'll have to do it again next year, maybe.

SPEAKER_00 51:02

All right. If not sooner. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 51:03

Yeah. All right. Well, thank thanks for joining us. Thanks for joining us. Please subscribe, comment, and leave a positive rating. Get to know us better by following Beyond the Beacon on Facebook or Instagram. Email questions and podcast topic ideas to beyond at patterson diocese.org. Discover our other podcasts, Coffee with Kupke and the Paul Street Journal. See you next time.

SPEAKER_00 51:26

Thanks, everybody. God bless. Happy feast of St. Francis of CC tomorrow. Get those animals blessed.