French Catholic Church voter guidance initiative for 2027 presidential election, Digi Mart USA News (Lourdes, France): Messages from Pope Leo XIV, delivered during his papal visit to France at the end of September, carry particular weight as the 2027 presidential election approaches. The French bishops, gathered in Lourdes until the end of the week for their traditional autumn plenary assembly, are fully aware of this.
“The Holy Father encouraged us to take our part in society,” said Archbishop Vincent Jordy of Tours, vice president of the Conference of Bishops of France (CEF). “Our aim, in view of the presidential election, is therefore to offer a reflection to all Catholic faithful and to all who wish it, so that they can discern in conscience what they want to choose for the good of our country.”
The Church has previously weighed in on political debate. Before the 2022 presidential election, it called on citizens to consider certain issues in light of convictions rooted in Christian tradition.
More recently, the bishops spoke out on the end-of-life bill adopted this summer. The approach is not new, but the planned process for 2027 appears unprecedented.
“We have decided to propose a path for the coming months until the vote, in order to genuinely help the faithful make their choice,” Jordy continued. “The Church wishes to make its contribution without issuing any voting instruction.
Our concern is truly to contribute to the public debate and to be present for this major electoral event.”
The CEF has identified several themes, including security, the ecological transition, immigration, Europe, health and purchasing power, on which it will publish its reflection in the coming weeks, informed by the social doctrine of the Church. The bishops plan to draw on initiatives across France involving both clergy and laypeople.
These statements, meetings and visits with people working in the field will be compiled in a web dossier titled “Presidential Election 2027: The Discernment of the Catholic Church,” available on the CEF website.
“We are not candidates in the election, but we want to be engaged with the concrete major social issues of the country and take part in public debate,” said Bishop Bruno Valentin of Carcassonne and Narbonne. “This is truly an approach to help the faithful make their decision at the time of voting.”
Although the bishops say they are not entering the electoral campaign because they are not issuing voting instructions, they are naturally considered stakeholders through this initiative. Asked whether they would soon meet the declared candidates at the Élysée, Valentin said: “That is not our intention, but it may be later.
For now, our concern is truly to shed light on major social debates without entering partisan competition.”
“As bishops, it is our responsibility to protect the Christian message from any instrumentalization,” he added. “If candidates claim to speak of the Gospel while taking pieces out of the Gospel, then we will be there to respond.”
