Church and State

  1. Introduction

    1. The Church's experience with the political state varies depending on where, when, etc. 

    2. We still have areas where the Church is experiencing direct persecution and martyrdome (ex. Father Samuel Lamb was imprisoned and forced to work in coal mines after fighting against the totalitarian government OR indifference in Japan. 

    3. Areas where the Church has been around longer: Per pope benedict XVI, these areas of the world became “tired of its own culture” and religion. He also observed that “there is no longer evidence of the need of God.” (at the meeting with the clergy of Rome) → different history, different circumstances (not a rupture from tradition but finding renewed ways of living out the same tradition)

  2. Confessional State (official religion) vs Separation 

    1. The medieval church (the “christendom”) is finished, but the memory and experiences of the corruption and wrongdoing of the Church strongly remain in people’s hearts. 

    2. The separation of the Church and state, just like the question of religious freedom, seems “basic” and “obvious” to the contemporary people

    3. But Pius IX on his syllabus of errors, spoke against many changes of the modernity including the newly developed belief that “it is no longer expedient that the Catholic religion should be held as the only religion of the state, to the exclusion of all others” 

    4. Does the Church today still endorse and support the confessional Catholic State as a matter of doctrine? NO. (again, not a rupture from the past: church will always seek out ways to live out and enact gospel values)

  3. Quas Primas ( “In the First” by Pius XI, 1925)

    1. Pope Pius XI promulgated this encyclical in 1925 and declared that “this kingdom is spiritual and is concerned with spiritual things” 

    2. The Holy Father points out that Jesus refused to be identified as the king of Israel or a rebel against the Roman Empire

    3. Before the Roman governor, Jesus proclaimed that his kingdom “is not of this world”

    4. Who is Jesus then? He is Christ the King of the Universe and Prince of Peace (Ruler of even greater things than principalities on earth)

    5. The Church only witnesses to this kingship of Christ and therefore the Church is not to be confused with the political community. The Magisterium consistently made it clear throughout recent history that the Church is not supportive of any political system or ideology. The Church views itself as “pilgrim on earth” who only belongs to the kingdom of heaven. 

  4. But this is not so simple 

    1. It is good that the Church believes in the separation of the Church and state, but this does not mean that the members of the Church are in any way free from, and independent of, the society in which they live, work, and function every day 

    2. Many questions arise for Catholics and other Christians 

    3. For example, the Church teaches us not to kill. What if the country where you live requires or is in need of your military service. There could be countless other situations in which a Catholic may feel conflicted because of their religious identity 

  5. Spe Salvi (“Saved in Hope” by Pope Benedict XVI, 2007)

    1. “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Exegesis of this text from Hebrew 11: 1)

    2. However, Pope Benedict does not find this translation  accurate. He wants to look at the ancient Greek language in which this text was originally written. 

    3. In ancient Greek,  Hebrew 11: 1 uses the word “hypostasis” instead of assurance 

    4. Hypostasis means substance in English. In short, the Holy Father is trying to tell us that there is already present in us the thing that we hoped for. 

    5. An easier example of us might be proplesis, a literary or rhetorical device of anticipation (ex. “He was a dead man when he walked into the room.”

    6. Early Christian community such as the one to which St. Paul is writing in his Letter to the Hebrews: They gave up all their properties and possessions to support their community and those who are in need (Be sure to remember: Eschathology (study of Heaven, hell, purgatory) and Parousia(Jesus, Second coming)

    7. They were living the realities they were anticipating and hoping for 

    8. Catholics always are shaped and influenced by what they believe in and what they hope for

  6. From Spe Salvi to more Specifics

    1. In summary, Pope Benedict offered us general guidelines 

      1. Our communion with Jesus draws us necessarily into concern for the good of others and the right ordering of our lives together 

      2. The eschatological faith and hope convey a certain character of the Church (community of disciples). It gives us characteristics of being a “Public Church,” interacting with others and inspiring them to be better 

      3. This is where Benedict stops but other theologians and scholars of the Church presented multiple theories and arguments on how the Church should interact with the secular world 

  7. The “Green Card” Theory (Gaudeum et Spes, 1965)

    1. “Joy and Hope” promulgated by Pope Paul VI 

    2. Catholics are “green card holders”

    3. Catholic church is a public church composed of resident aliens 

    4. Resident alien: a foreigner who is a resident of a country but does not have citizenship (our citizenship is only in the Kingdom of Heaven)

    5. We do not know when and how, but our eschatological hope believes in Parousia which will bring this universe to true consumption and fulfillment 

    6. Until then, our attitude toward this world and our society is neither hostile nor indifferent 

    7. We are always in touch with reality and aware of our surroundings 

    8. We recognize that it is our responsibility and calling from God to be the good stewards of everything in this world. 

    9. We also have an obligation to respect and honor the dignity of all human persons and allow and empower them to flourish (innate dignity, right to work, right to sustenance, etc.)

  8. Views neither supported nor criticized the Church 

    1. The reverend Monsignor David Bohr: Roman Catholic priest  in the Diocese of Scranton and Author of Catholic Moral tradition 

      1. He thinks that there are multiple valid expressions of living the Catholic faith the right way 

      2. Around the world, we all have different types of government and different societal situations. Therefore, our interaction with the world differs depending on where and when 

      3. Personally, Msgr. Bohr thinks that the Rooseveltian liberal tradition was one valid way of doing this (Since he was American)

      4. What about? If prudently and selectively applied, this tradition fosters the proper “role of government in providing programs for health, education, and welfare” (NOT the only way but one valid way to live out our faith)

    2. Dr. George Wiegel: An American theologian and political analyst

      1. Catholic faith and Chrisitanity in general can cooperate and work together very well with the society faith 

      2. One example he gives: Democracy is made stronger by those who have Christian faith. Because Christians look forward to heaven, they do not consider anything on earth to have the final say 

      3. There with be no “dictator” because only God is omnipotent and omniscient 

      4. Christians also believe in the dignity of all: God first, then individuals, family, and society last. 

      5. “Democracy is impossible when politics are absolutized. Thus Christian eschatology helps to make democracy and the politics of persuasion possible,” -Wiegel.