San José – The mission of the Church is “to form consciences, illuminate with the Gospel, and reawaken the civic commitment of the faithful.” This is the message from the bishops of Costa Rica in view of the general elections scheduled for February 1.
In a joint statement, the country’s bishops addressed the population, particularly young people, emphasizing the importance of voting. They encouraged them to participate “responsibly and consciously” as a means of combating abstention and to consider the electoral process a key moment for the country’s democratic life. The bishops expressed concern about “the high level of abstention recorded in previous elections.” According to data from the 2022 presidential elections, in which the current president, Rodrigo Alberto de Jesús Chaves Robles, was elected, 1,418,062 Costa Ricans eligible to vote did not cast their ballots, registering the highest abstention rate in the country’s history: 40%.
“You are the present of Costa Rica; vote with awareness, with memory, and with critical hope. Inform yourselves, engage in dialogue, compare the proposals, and think about those most in need,” reads the statement released by the Permanent Commission of the Episcopal Conference of Costa Rica . “As your pastors, we tell you: Costa Rica needs your perspective, your energy, your creative dissent, and your commitment. Dear young people, your pastors ask the Lord of life and history to intercede for you, so that you may not inherit weariness or disillusionment, but rather the desire to participate, to care for what we share, and to believe that democracy can and must be renewed and strengthened.”
In the message from the Costa Rican Episcopal Conference , the prelates also addressed the priests, emphasizing that “the exercise of the vote is a concrete expression of civic responsibility, a legitimate means to seek the common good, and an expression of a solid and edifying democracy. We urge you to encourage the People of God to inform themselves, discern, and participate actively at the polls, remembering that the future of Costa Rica is built on the commitment of today.”
On February 1, the President—who must obtain 40% of the votes in the first round in order to avoid a runoff—and the members of Parliament will be elected. There are 20 presidential candidates, including five women.
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