"We focus on the common good, not our own personal interests. We ask, how can we make the world a better place, not how can I improve my own personal situation?"
While Deeley focused on the principles of voting for Catholics, some prominent Catholics have endorsed particular candidates in recent weeks.
Sr. Dede Byrne, a surgeon and retired army colonel, spoke at the Republican National Convention, where she called President Donald Trump "the most pro-life president this nation has ever had," in an endorsement of the president.
Also last week, two priests and two religious sisters were among several hundred religious leaders who signed the Faith 2020 endorsement of Biden's campaign. One of those priests was Fr. Greg Boyle, SJ, head of Homeboy Industries, a Los Angeles gang rehabilitation initiative. Another signatory, retired Washington priest Fr. Peter Daly, is a columnist at the National Catholic Reporter, as is signatory Sr. Christine Schenk, a National Catholic Reporter board member.
Canon law prohibits priests and members of religious orders from endorsing political candidates without the permission of their ecclesiastical superiors.
In his remarks Saturday, Archbishop Paglia spoke also about "gender ideology," which he called a "cultural setback."
Catholics must "tell the promoters of this doctrine that they are going backwards, that they are going even against the evolution of Darwin. There are millions of years in which evolution shapes man and woman in different ways. Diversity and richness, that's the theme. Unfortunately today, a secular culture cannot sustain the force of diversity."
Paglia also highlighted the importance of rediscovering "the alliance of man and woman," as well as their "diversity that permeates and generates life" in marriage and the family.
The archbishop called Catholics to "reflect on the contents of our faith and transmit it to the school, university, economy, politics, art, literature," and other aspects of culture.
"The Church is much more expert than the others in humanity. We have the gift of the Spirit to offer wise reflections beyond those of others. The problem is waking up from the dream and abandoning the interiority that makes us play defense. Today we need to be able to show the height, the depth and the beauty of the Christian mystery," Paglia added.
ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner, contributed to this report.
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