Sarah Mitchell
The Catholic Church's views and teachings have evolved over its history and have at times been significant political influences within nations. Catholics are instructed to participate in the political process, be informed voters, and encourage elected officials to act on behalf of the common good. The Church engages in issue-related activities, such as abortion bans, but avoids partisan political candidate activities. Catholics who bring their moral convictions into public life enrich democracy and the nation. Political Catholicism, as a movement, promotes the ideas and principles described in Catholic social teaching, which includes the Church's rejection of both capitalism and communism. Pope Francis has emphasized the importance of praying for political leaders and seeking divine peace, justice, and love in politics. Catholics are encouraged to engage in respectful dialogue, even with those they disagree with, and to focus on making a difference in their communities and advocating for social justice.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Participate in the political process | Voting |
| Be informed voters | Legislative advocacy |
| Encourage elected officials to act on behalf of the common good | Social justice |
| Avoid partisan political candidate activities | Abortion ban |
| Engage in issue-related activities | Anti-abortion |
| Bring their moral convictions into public life | Enrich democracy and pluralism |
| Pray for political leaders | Divine peace, justice, and love |
| Be open and willing to have conversations | Respect and love |
| Engage in local communities | Promote the common good |
| Avoid despair | Family, community, and Church |
| Advance justice | Reflect God's love |
| Avoid unproductive conversations | Seek respectful dialogue |
| Be guided by the Church's teachings | Human life and dignity, marriage and family, war and peace, the needs of the poor and the demands of justice |
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What You'll Learn
Voting and political involvement
Catholics are instructed to be informed voters and to encourage elected officials to act on behalf of the common good. While the Church avoids partisan political candidate activities, it engages in issue-related activities, such as the abortion ban amendment proposed in Kansas City in 2022. Catholics are encouraged to be politically active and engage in conversations with others, even those with differing views, to promote understanding and mutual respect.
Resources such as the USCCB's "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship" guide Catholics in their political involvement and voting decisions, ensuring these are aligned with Catholic teachings. Catholics are also encouraged to pray for their political leaders and seek guidance in their political endeavours.
In addition to voting, Catholics can get involved in student government, local charities, or community organisations to promote the common good and care for their surroundings. They can also participate in legislative advocacy and contact their elected leaders to share their concerns and encourage action on issues affecting the common good.
By engaging in political involvement and voting, Catholics can enrich democracy and act on their values, fulfilling their duty as citizens to contribute to a just society.
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Abortion and the Church
Abortion has been a contentious issue within the Catholic Church for centuries. The Church's official stance is that abortion is a grave moral evil, with the Catechism of the Catholic Church stating: "Since the first century, the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable." The Church holds that abortion is the deliberate killing of an innocent human being and is always intrinsically evil and unjustifiable. This belief is based on the Church's interpretation of natural law and the written Word of God.
The Church's teaching on abortion has evolved over time, with early Christians sharply distinguishing themselves from surrounding pagan cultures by rejecting abortion and infanticide. Notable figures in Church history, such as Augustine of Hippo, condemned abortion as a crime but accepted the distinction between "formed" and "unformed" fetuses. He, along with other early Church thinkers, believed that the soul was infused into the body after a certain period following conception, and so the abortion of an "unformed" fetus was not classified as murder.
However, the Church has consistently maintained that abortion is gravely wrong at every stage. This conviction is based on the belief that abortion attacks a being with a human destiny, prepared by God to receive an immortal soul. The Church also recognizes as morally legitimate certain acts that indirectly result in the death of the fetus, such as the removal of a cancerous womb.
The Church actively opposes the legality of abortion and encourages Catholics to engage in political action to support this stance. The Church's social doctrine includes teachings on a range of issues, including abortion, war, capital punishment, euthanasia, healthcare, poverty, and immigration. While the Church avoids partisan political candidate activities, it engages in issue-related activities, such as the proposed amendment for an abortion ban in Kansas City in 2022, which received significant financial support from the Archdiocese of Kansas City and the Catholic Diocese of Wichita.
The Church's teaching on abortion is not universally accepted by Catholics, and there is a correlation between Mass attendance and agreement with the Church's official position. Frequent Mass-goers are more likely to be anti-abortion, while those who attend less often are more likely to support abortion rights under certain circumstances. Despite this, the Church maintains its unwavering opposition to abortion and encourages Catholics to bring their moral convictions into public life, enriching democracy and the nation.
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Political Catholicism
The Catholic Church encourages its members to participate in politics and to be informed voters. Catholics are expected to encourage elected officials to act on behalf of the common good and social justice. While the Church avoids partisan political candidate activities, it engages in issue-related activities, such as the 2022 proposed amendment for an abortion ban in Kansas City.
Catholics are instructed to bring their moral convictions into public life, enriching democracy and pluralism. They are to be guided by their faith and conscience, with the understanding that the Church's teachings on issues such as abortion are non-negotiable. The Church's tradition supports the idea that government and laws are derived from the people and justified by their consent.
Catholics are encouraged to engage in political discourse, especially with those they disagree with, and to advocate for the vulnerable and marginalized in society. This includes getting involved in student governments, local charities, and community organizations. Prayer is also emphasized as an important aspect of political engagement, with Catholics being called to pray for their leaders and for guidance in building a just and peaceful society.
Overall, Political Catholicism seeks to promote the social teachings of the Catholic Church through government action and the active participation of Catholics in political life.
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The Church's stance on democracy
The Catholic Church's views on democracy and politics have evolved over time, and it has had a significant influence on political systems within nations. Medieval Catholic scholars pioneered ideas of democracy, with John of Salisbury proposing a conceptual democracy based on Christian corporatism. He likened societal organisation to the human body, with each social class having a role and the democratic right to participate in politics. The Church taught that government and laws should originate from the people and be justified by their consent.
Catholic thinkers believed that government authority should be limited by natural and customary laws and independent institutions like the Church. Even the Pope's power should be balanced by the secular nobility. The Church's commitment to a communitarian and Christian type of democracy was officially established by Pope Leo XIII, who endorsed democracy as the most Catholic form of governance. However, he stipulated that it must benefit the lower classes, work for the common good, and reject individualism in favour of communitarianism.
The Church encourages political participation to bring about positive societal change and social justice. Catholics are instructed to engage in the political process, be informed voters, and encourage elected officials to act for the common good. However, the Church avoids partisan political candidate activities to maintain its tax-exempt status. While the Church engages in issue-related activities, individuals or groups are free to act without representing the official Church position.
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Political conversations
Politics is a good thing and Catholics are encouraged to participate in the political process. The Catholic Church argues that voting is a human right that should be accessible to all nations. Catholics are instructed to be informed voters and to encourage elected officials to act on behalf of the common good.
The Church's tradition taught that government and laws emerged from the people and were justified by their consent. Catholic thinkers believed that government authority should be limited by natural and customary laws, as well as independent institutions such as the Church. Medieval Catholic thinkers also pioneered ideas of democracy, with John of Salisbury speaking of a conceptual democracy based on the ideals of Christian corporatism, where each social class had the democratic right to participate in politics.
Catholics are encouraged to engage in political conversations, especially with friends or people with whom they disagree. These conversations can be life-changing and informative, and can help people grow in mutual respect and love. It is important to focus on what can be controlled and where a difference can be made. Catholics should seek out spaces where meaningful and respectful dialogue can occur, even when topics are challenging.
The Church has a commitment to a communitarian and Christian type of democracy, which benefits the lower classes of society, works for the common good, and rejects individualism. Pope Francis has emphasised the importance of praying for political leaders and for guidance, so that politics may reflect divine peace, justice, and love.
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Frequently asked questions
The Catholic Church's views and teachings on politics have evolved over time. Medieval Catholic thinkers such as John of Salisbury pioneered ideas of democracy, comparing the organisation of society to the structure of the human body, with each social class having a democratic right to participate in politics. The Church traditionally taught that government authority should be limited by natural and customary laws, as well as independent institutions like the Church. In the 13th century, Saint Augustine influenced the Church with his theory of minimal involvement in politics, and the Church followed a policy of strict neutrality. Today, the Church encourages political participation to bring about positive change and social justice, while avoiding partisan political candidate activities to maintain its tax-exempt status.
Catholics are instructed to participate in the political process and be informed voters to shape their destiny and ensure justice and the common good. Pope Francis emphasised that politics is about making decisions on how to structure communities and live well together. Catholics are encouraged to engage in conversations with others, including those with differing views, to promote respectful dialogue and advance their principles and faith.
Catholics can engage in politics by voting, contacting elected officials, and joining political movements. They can also get involved in local communities, student governments, charities, and other social groups to care for and improve their surroundings. Additionally, Catholics are advised to pray for political leaders and seek guidance from God to build a politics reflecting divine peace, justice, and love.
While Catholics are encouraged to engage in politics, they must be mindful of the limits of their political activity. The Church avoids partisan political candidate activities to maintain its tax-exempt status. Catholics should also avoid unproductive conversations designed to provoke anger or fear and instead focus on meaningful change within their communities.
Catholic political engagement can vary depending on cultural and historical contexts. In some cultures, Catholic movements have actively opposed secular social concepts and worked to preserve moral principles. For example, in Spain, the Catholic Church played a crucial role in the anti-Francoist movement, with churches serving as shelters for illegal trade unions and anti-Francoist parties.
