Pope Francis is known to believers and to non-believers alike as a man who is willing to speak his mind on issues regarding morals and ethics regardless of the backlash. From his righteous condemnation of Israeli war crimes in Gaza to calling for a negotiated end to the conflict in Ukraine, His Holiness has been thoroughly consistent on issues of war and peace and has received backlash from establishment liberals and conservatives in the process. Pope Francis has also been consistent in his support for the unborn, rebuking both the Democrats and Republicans for being “against life”. This ethical consistency has marked Pope Francis as a voice of reason in a polarized world and has made him popular with America’s Catholics who look to him for spiritual guidance. Unfortunately, the Pope has fallen for one of the greatest misconceptions of American democracy: the two party system.
On September 14th, 2024, Pope Francis encouraged American Catholics to vote for the “lesser of the two evils”. Francis did not specifically anoint the “lesser evil” stating, “That lady, or that gentleman? I don’t know. Everyone, in conscience, (has to) think and do this.” This statement echoes the sentiments of the millions of disaffected voters hesitant to choose between Kamala Harris or Donald Trump, whom they both see as wholly unworthy of their vote. Nevertheless, many of these voters have been unknowingly forced to make this choice through alarmist rhetoric. By calling Trump a “fascist” or Harris a “Marxist”, both sides use fear to mobilize disaffected voters who would otherwise choose to abstain or vote third-party. These voters are called “naive”, with phrases such as “a vote for (insert third-party candidate) is a vote for (insert scary Republican or Democrat)” becoming popular on both sides of the aisle. But is voting third-party merely a tactical error, or is it the only way to escape the two-party duopoly?
Unlike Trump or Harris, who both support unjust wars, fracking, and anti-immigration policies, positions which Pope Francis views as irreconcilable with Catholic doctrine, one candidate who aligns with the Pope on a majority of issues–except for abortion–is Jill Stein of the Green Party. Jill Stein, who previously ran for President in 2012 and 2016, is one of the most notable third-party candidates in the 2024 election. Unsurprisingly, she has been criticized by Democrats including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who stated on X “Nobody needs talking points to know Jill Stein hasn’t won so much as a bingo game in the last decade and if you actually give a damn about people, you organize, build power and infrastructure, and win.” This is very ironic coming from AOC, whose strategy of “bending the knee” to Democratic Party elites has made her the most ineffective lawmakers in Congress. AOC has not been able to force the Democratic Party to adopt policies on health care and the environment which she credits her Catholic faith for, but Jill Stein and other third-party candidates do have a chance to truly move the needle of American politics.
Pope Francis has been noted for his attempts to push for unity among all Christians. Similarly, 2024 independent candidate for President, Cornel West, a Baptist, has voiced his admiration for the Catholic Workers Movement and its founder, Dorothy Day, who has been declared a Servant of God by the Catholic Church. West’s politics are motivated by his commitment to Jesus Christ, which is unique in the godless sphere of American politics. West, who also supports progressive economic policies, is very much in alignment with the economics of Catholic social teaching. West has also been attacked in liberal publications like The New Republic with remarks like, “The independent candidate for president doesn’t care that he might spoil Biden’s reelection—because all he cares about is himself”. Critiques like these have become very tired and played-out.
Historically, Christians and the third-party movement have been intertwined. Instead of strictly working within the confines of the two-party system, William Jennings Bryan, a prominent Christian populist, used the pressure of the third-party movement to force the Democratic Party to change. Remembered for his Christian faith and his captivating speeches, Bryan first rose to national prominence as a leader in the People’s Party in the 19th century. An advocate for the common man, Bryan pushed for progressive reforms to help the marginalized, which were unpopular with the conservative Democratic Party establishment at the time. Much like Pope Francis, Bryan supported labor rights and anti-imperialism. By the time Bryan ran for president in 1896 as a Democrat and a People’s Party candidate, his influence had already caused an ideological shift within the party. Bryan’s influence paved the way for future Democratic reformers, and showed that it was possible for third-party populists to reshape mainstream politics.
Instead of calling for voters to vote for the “lesser evil”, Pope Francis should encourage people to vote for whoever their conscience determines is the best choice, which includes Cornel West and Jill Stein. By avoiding moral compromise and emphasizing long-term change over short-term wins, Pope Francis could use his platform as the Bishop of Rome to endorse the third-party movement. Pope Francis has consistently taken bold stances on the issues facing our world regardless of if it ruffles the feathers of the Democrats and Republicans, and should do so again.
J.D. Hester is an American writer born and raised in Arizona. He has previously written for Antiwar.com, Front Porch Republic, and CounterCurrents.org. You can find him on his Substack, Hester Unfiltered, send him an email at [email protected], and follow him on X at @JDH3ster.
Originally published in Znet
