Texas bishop encourages voters to pray, seek justice as they prepare to vote

The bishop of a Texas diocese has urged his flock to vote in the 2026 elections, encouraging them to approach the midterms with prayer and a sincere desire to seek what is right and just. 

Brownsville Bishop Daniel Flores wrote in an Oct. 19 letter to the faithful in the Rio Grande Valley that he wants the faithful to be prepared to vote prudently, ideally before Election Day on Nov. 3.

“For Catholics especially, voting is an occasion to reflect seriously on how our faith informs our judgments about how best to promote what is just and good in the community,” he wrote. “Because the Gospel of Christ says a great deal about our love for and responsibilities to our neighbor, our faith cannot be separated from our voting decisions.”

Bishop Flores said that voting according to a well-formed conscience means striving to “promote the good of the whole community.”

“A well-formed conscience does not simply follow personal preferences or political loyalties,” he wrote. “It seeks to recognize what is true and good and pursue its advancement out of loyalty to God first.”

The Church, Bishop Flores wrote, does not demand support for particular candidates.

“Rather, she offers the moral principles that guide our consideration of the issues and candidates before us. In light of the Gospel, when we vote we keep in mind especially those whom God does not forget,” he wrote. “Thus, we recognize the importance of protecting human life from conception to natural death, of respecting the dignity of every human person, of protecting the unity of families, of the just treatment of workers, of caring for the poor, the vulnerable, and the voiceless; and of seeking justice and peace in the world.”

Voters should also be concerned about how to best address local issues, according to the bishop.

“With this in view, I ask everyone to approach the coming elections with prayer, with a sincere desire to seek what is right and just, and with a willingness to do our part for the good of the whole community,” he concluded. “May the Holy Spirit guide our consciences and grant us the wisdom to cast our votes wisely, as we work together for a country increasingly characterized by justice, compassion and peace.”

The diocese’s website also features an elections page with resources, including links to prayers, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops articles on voting, Ballotpedia pages regarding county elections, and a video of the bishop’s homily for the 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time.

“We have the responsibility to remember those whom God does not forget, even if the world does,” he said. “The Scriptures are full of descriptions of those whom God does not forget. God does not forget the poor. God does not forget the vulnerable. God does not forget those who have no voice. The Church will never tell you who to vote for. We trust all of us, we pray, we make a good decision. You do the best you can.”

As Zeale News previously reported, Fort Worth, Texas, Bishop Michael Olson has also spoken out regarding protecting the right to life in advance of the election.