(LifeSiteNews) — The Catholic Diocese of Stockholm has published an electoral guideline for Catholics, urging them to treat pro-life issues with the highest priority.

The Justice and Peace Commission of Sweden’s only diocese published a document urging Catholics and “all people of goodwill” to participate in the country’s upcoming elections, on September 13 this year.

The guideline encourages Catholics to be informed and consider the principles of Catholic social teaching when voting.

The document makes the crucial distinction between two categories: matters of “practical wisdom,” which include policies regarding the economy, crime, climate, and migration, are those in which practicing Catholics may disagree and make prudential decisions, applying principles such as solidarity, subsidiarity, and the care for the common good.

The diocese cautions against equating any particular political stance or party with the Catholic faith itself, saying that “two equally good Catholics, who have allowed their practical wisdom to be guided equally by faith, may and can therefore arrive at entirely different party-political conclusions in all fields of practical wisdom.”

On the other hand, the document identifies non-negotiable moral issues in which disagreement among faithful Catholics is not allowed. It states that “every human beingʼs right to life from conception to natural death” constitutes a foundational “absolute value.” Abortion and euthanasia fall under this category as they are “serious violations of human dignity.”

The timing of the guidelines is significant, as several political parties in Sweden have proposed a constitutional amendment that would guarantee access to abortion. Constitutional changes in Sweden require approval by two successive parliaments with a general election between them, meaning that the success of the pro-abortion amendment could depend on the upcoming election. The government is also planning other changes to the abortion law, like expanding access to chemical abortions.

The document acknowledges that all major parties in Sweden generally agree that abortion should be allowed, making it very difficult for Catholics to effect real positive change in this area. However, euthanasia is more politically contested, and Catholics should therefore pay close attention to the party’s position on the matter.

Swedish priest Father Thomas Idergard told EWTN News that in matters concerning life and death, like abortion and euthanasia, “faith binds the conscience,” while in matters of “practical wisdom” the “faith informs” while allowing room for personal and secular judgment.

Idergard said that euthanasia is the primary pro-life issue where voters have a realistic chance to make a difference in the next parliamentary term, as parties have different views on the matter.

On the other hand, “all are on the same line” when it comes to the pro-abortion stance, making change in the short term difficult to achieve.

Voting guides issued by Catholic authorities have become rare in recent decades, and some have therefore interpreted the decision by the Swedish diocese, headed by Cardinal Anders Arborelius, as a bold move in a highly secularized Swedish society.