Editorial

After the election, let reconciliation and peace guide our country and its leaders

Are you ready to put the election season behind you?

As The Criterion went to press on Nov. 5, many were eagerly anticipating the results of the 2024 presidential election in the United States and awaiting voting tallies in other local, state and national races.

By the time you read this week’s Nov. 8 issue, we should know who the leaders are of these respective offices.

Or maybe not.

As we’ve witnessed in past presidential elections—both the 2000 and 2020 elections come to mind—razor-thin voting totals can take days—even weeks—to tabulate, retabulate and lead to court decisions before we learn who is officially declared the winner.

This year, most polls had the race between former president Donald J. Trump and vice president Kamala Harris as a dead heat, so there is a possibility as you read this that a winner may not yet have been declared to lead our country for the next four years. If that is the case, we pray chaos has not resulted and that cooler heads will prevail as we await the final results. No matter what happens, we pray for healing for the divisions in our country.

Much can be said about the months leading up to the presidential election—and in several other races for that matter—where heated rhetoric, vitrolic advertising and campaigns lacking Christian charity were sadly front and center for many running for office. Their surrogates also often lacked any boundaries when barnstorming for them. Does anyone believe Christ desires we live in a country where demonization and polarization have become hallmarks of our society?

That has become the norm in recent elections, where citizens must sift through the noise and distractions and form their consciences to the best of their ability.

Too many also continue to try and label individuals because of their party affiliation or political ideology, but as we’ve reminded our readers in the past, our faith must define us and guide us at the ballot box. We pray that was the case, and that it will continue to shape us and our nation and our troubled world. Let us be ministers of reconciliation and love. And we pray that our new president, whoever it may be, will be president of all the American people.

As we move forward living with the election results, let’s offer a prayer for our country that reconciliation and peace are indeed at the center of our hearts.

We offer the following “Prayer After an Election” posted on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website:

God of all nations,
Father of the human family,
we give you thanks for the freedom we exercise
and the many blessings of democracy we enjoy
in these United States of America.

We ask for your protection and guidance
for all who devote themselves to the common good,
working for justice and peace at home and around the world.

We lift up all our duly elected leaders and public servants,
those who will serve us as president, as legislators and judges,
those in the military and law enforcement.
Heal us from our differences and unite us, O Lord,
with a common purpose, dedication, and commitment to achieve liberty and justice
in the years ahead for all people,
and especially those who are most vulnerable in our midst.

Amen.

—Mike Krokos