Whether the Church has the duty and the right to Criticize Governments?

Objection 1.

It seems that the Church has no duty to criticize governments for it is said: “Pay Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and God what belongs to God”. (Mt 22, 21) Likewise, there is also a political and legal doctrine that government and religious institutions are to be kept separate and independent from each other in the so-called Separation of Church and State.


Objection 2.

Further, it seems that the Church has no right to criticize unjust governments because the Church has also its own weaknesses and frailties. Before the Church criticizes governments, it should first ‘wash its own dirty linens.’ Scripture says: “Why do you observe the splinter in your brother’s eye, and never notice the great log in your own?” (Mt 7, 3) To do so would make the Church hypocritical and self-righteous.


Objection 3.

Further, when the Church shakes the status quo of unjust governments, governments hit back at the Church, with black propagandas detrimental to the latter’s apostolate. Government propagandas against the church cause confusion and even scandal to the lay faithful. Thus, doing more harm to the Church.


Objection 4.

Further, to change government systems, it seems that the best approach is to ‘befriend’ politicians rather than antagonize them. The more their powers are threatened, the more they close their minds and reject the gospel of Christ.


On the contrary, Scripture says: “Keep sober and alert, because your enemy the devil is on the prowl like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” (Pet 5, 8)


We answer that, as social beings, we have the duty to love and take care, not only of the Church but also, of the society, our so-called common house. The society is essential to the fulfillment of the human vocation. (CCC 1886) Citizens must exercise their civic duties to promote common good. To vote for the right leaders is only one of those civic duties.


Citizens must take an active part in public life. (CCC 1915) It is the duty of every citizen to be critically and morally vigilant of the state. Governments derive their authority from the people. When left unguarded, when citizens fail to actively participate, governments “pervert to tyranny”.


Oligarchy is tyranny, not democracy. Unjust structures such as oligarchy obstruct integral human development. In such structures, humans are treated as means towards the ends of the powerful few. Patronage politics insult human nature itself. Oligarchs are the “roaring lion” referred to in the Scriptures. People empowerment does not belong to their agenda. But God does not want human beings to live under subhuman conditions. Everyone must have a fair share of God’s creation. Thus, the Church condemns oligarchy.


As baptized Catholics, it is a moral imperative to exercise their prophetic roles. Every lay faithful must, as a member of the Mystical Body of Christ, take an active role in introducing just and humane structures. In its exercise, the lay faithful must begin with an experience of personal conversion. This personal conversion becomes his source of passion in building of God’s kingdom. This is the starting point to develop the personal virtue called social justice.


By virtue of their ordination, the clergy are called to respond more intensely to the prophetic vocation compared to that of the lay faithful. Their philosophical and theological trainings equip them better than those of the lay faithful. They are not only expected to be worship leaders but to be leaders of social change for justice and human rights.


As pastors of the Church, it is their duty to shepherd their flock, so that like the Good Shepherd, the pastors can also say: “The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice; I know them and they know me.” (Jn 10, 27) It is their duty to constantly nourish their flock with the Word of God and the Bread of Life. Shepherding is not selective, but inclusive. (Jn 10, 16) Like Bishop Oscar Romero, Maximilian Kolbe, and many other clergymen in history, the pastor must be willing to “lay down my life for my sheep.” (Jn 10, 15)


Reply to Objection 1.

This is the wrong application of the gospel passage. In fact, the passage reveals our two-fold citizenship: the Earthly City and the Eternal City . And we have duties to both. Also, when Thomas Jefferson mentioned “the wall of separation between the Church and the State”, he referred to the wall that protects the Church from State intervention, and not vice versa. (From Thomas Jefferson’s Letter to Danbury Baptists, January 1, 1802).


Pope Benedict XVI in Deus Caritas Est (28) writes: “The Church cannot and must not take upon herself the political battle to bring about the most just society possible. She cannot and must not replace the State. Yet at the same time she cannot and must not remain on the sidelines in the fight for justice. She has to play her part through rational argument and she has to awaken the spiritual energy without which justice, which always demands sacrifice, cannot prevail and prosper.”


Reply Objection 2.

This is a fallacy called tu quoque (“ika man ngani”), an attempt to discredit a particular position of the opponent for its failure to act consistently on that position. In other words, the position is invalid if the person or institution who brought up the position failed to act on it. This leaves no room to correct evil, for no one is created perfect. The Church is both a divine and a human institution. As divine, it is holy. As human, it has its imperfections. As long as it is human, it will always be imperfect. The authority of the Church to teach [that includes denouncing the evils in society] comes from God and is never diminished or abrogated by the Church’s imperfections as a human institution. Therefore, in spite of her imperfections, it is the Church’s duty to perform her prophetic function and criticize unjust structures and evil governments.


The gospel passage on “splinter” and “great log” refer to human persons, not to issues of public concerns. When governments are criticized, it is the office and its laws and policies that are being attacked, not the individual persons. Even so, elected public officials, who present themselves to the public as the best “persons” to be trusted with authority, must be ready for public scrutiny – for public men are public properties.


Reply Objection 3.
The Church trusts in the power that comes from God and is never interested in the images created by men. To criticize unjust structures and evil governments are part of efficient evangelization. Scripture says: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword.” (Mat 10:32) Confusion and scandal among the lay faithful is failure on the part of the clergy who are supposed to enlighten their flock and inspire them to also do their share. In the battle between good and evil, the Church must make a stand, for scripture says: “So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” (Rev 3:16) Indeed, Jesus’ ministry “rocked” Jewish institutions; early Christian missionaries “rocked” the Roman empire ; through the centuries, the Church “rocks” the world – and suffered so much in the process. Yet, she’s alive and still rocking the world!


Reply Objection 4.
The Church condemns the sin, not the sinner. It criticizes positions, not individuals. To evangelize means to confront people about the truth. One cannot be charitable to a sinner unless he tells him the truth about his sins. Evangelization is different from negotiation. Prophets never negotiate the truth in the name of evangelization. Scripture says: “For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in- law against her mother-in-law; and one’s enemies will be those of his household.” (Matt 10:35-36) To believe that Hitler could have been converted had the Church ‘befriended’ him would be the epitome of naiveté.


Lastly, the proper use of the idiom on dirty linens is: “do not wash your dirty linens in public” which means, private matters ought not to be discussed in public.

2/17/10

Whether the Church has the duty and the right to Criticize Governments?

Posted by New PARADIGM! at 12:05 AM

Objection 1.

It seems that the Church has no duty to criticize governments for it is said: “Pay Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and God what belongs to God”. (Mt 22, 21) Likewise, there is also a political and legal doctrine that government and religious institutions are to be kept separate and independent from each other in the so-called Separation of Church and State.


Objection 2.

Further, it seems that the Church has no right to criticize unjust governments because the Church has also its own weaknesses and frailties. Before the Church criticizes governments, it should first ‘wash its own dirty linens.’ Scripture says: “Why do you observe the splinter in your brother’s eye, and never notice the great log in your own?” (Mt 7, 3) To do so would make the Church hypocritical and self-righteous.


Objection 3.

Further, when the Church shakes the status quo of unjust governments, governments hit back at the Church, with black propagandas detrimental to the latter’s apostolate. Government propagandas against the church cause confusion and even scandal to the lay faithful. Thus, doing more harm to the Church.


Objection 4.

Further, to change government systems, it seems that the best approach is to ‘befriend’ politicians rather than antagonize them. The more their powers are threatened, the more they close their minds and reject the gospel of Christ.


On the contrary, Scripture says: “Keep sober and alert, because your enemy the devil is on the prowl like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” (Pet 5, 8)


We answer that, as social beings, we have the duty to love and take care, not only of the Church but also, of the society, our so-called common house. The society is essential to the fulfillment of the human vocation. (CCC 1886) Citizens must exercise their civic duties to promote common good. To vote for the right leaders is only one of those civic duties.


Citizens must take an active part in public life. (CCC 1915) It is the duty of every citizen to be critically and morally vigilant of the state. Governments derive their authority from the people. When left unguarded, when citizens fail to actively participate, governments “pervert to tyranny”.


Oligarchy is tyranny, not democracy. Unjust structures such as oligarchy obstruct integral human development. In such structures, humans are treated as means towards the ends of the powerful few. Patronage politics insult human nature itself. Oligarchs are the “roaring lion” referred to in the Scriptures. People empowerment does not belong to their agenda. But God does not want human beings to live under subhuman conditions. Everyone must have a fair share of God’s creation. Thus, the Church condemns oligarchy.


As baptized Catholics, it is a moral imperative to exercise their prophetic roles. Every lay faithful must, as a member of the Mystical Body of Christ, take an active role in introducing just and humane structures. In its exercise, the lay faithful must begin with an experience of personal conversion. This personal conversion becomes his source of passion in building of God’s kingdom. This is the starting point to develop the personal virtue called social justice.


By virtue of their ordination, the clergy are called to respond more intensely to the prophetic vocation compared to that of the lay faithful. Their philosophical and theological trainings equip them better than those of the lay faithful. They are not only expected to be worship leaders but to be leaders of social change for justice and human rights.


As pastors of the Church, it is their duty to shepherd their flock, so that like the Good Shepherd, the pastors can also say: “The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice; I know them and they know me.” (Jn 10, 27) It is their duty to constantly nourish their flock with the Word of God and the Bread of Life. Shepherding is not selective, but inclusive. (Jn 10, 16) Like Bishop Oscar Romero, Maximilian Kolbe, and many other clergymen in history, the pastor must be willing to “lay down my life for my sheep.” (Jn 10, 15)


Reply to Objection 1.

This is the wrong application of the gospel passage. In fact, the passage reveals our two-fold citizenship: the Earthly City and the Eternal City . And we have duties to both. Also, when Thomas Jefferson mentioned “the wall of separation between the Church and the State”, he referred to the wall that protects the Church from State intervention, and not vice versa. (From Thomas Jefferson’s Letter to Danbury Baptists, January 1, 1802).


Pope Benedict XVI in Deus Caritas Est (28) writes: “The Church cannot and must not take upon herself the political battle to bring about the most just society possible. She cannot and must not replace the State. Yet at the same time she cannot and must not remain on the sidelines in the fight for justice. She has to play her part through rational argument and she has to awaken the spiritual energy without which justice, which always demands sacrifice, cannot prevail and prosper.”


Reply Objection 2.

This is a fallacy called tu quoque (“ika man ngani”), an attempt to discredit a particular position of the opponent for its failure to act consistently on that position. In other words, the position is invalid if the person or institution who brought up the position failed to act on it. This leaves no room to correct evil, for no one is created perfect. The Church is both a divine and a human institution. As divine, it is holy. As human, it has its imperfections. As long as it is human, it will always be imperfect. The authority of the Church to teach [that includes denouncing the evils in society] comes from God and is never diminished or abrogated by the Church’s imperfections as a human institution. Therefore, in spite of her imperfections, it is the Church’s duty to perform her prophetic function and criticize unjust structures and evil governments.


The gospel passage on “splinter” and “great log” refer to human persons, not to issues of public concerns. When governments are criticized, it is the office and its laws and policies that are being attacked, not the individual persons. Even so, elected public officials, who present themselves to the public as the best “persons” to be trusted with authority, must be ready for public scrutiny – for public men are public properties.


Reply Objection 3.
The Church trusts in the power that comes from God and is never interested in the images created by men. To criticize unjust structures and evil governments are part of efficient evangelization. Scripture says: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword.” (Mat 10:32) Confusion and scandal among the lay faithful is failure on the part of the clergy who are supposed to enlighten their flock and inspire them to also do their share. In the battle between good and evil, the Church must make a stand, for scripture says: “So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” (Rev 3:16) Indeed, Jesus’ ministry “rocked” Jewish institutions; early Christian missionaries “rocked” the Roman empire ; through the centuries, the Church “rocks” the world – and suffered so much in the process. Yet, she’s alive and still rocking the world!


Reply Objection 4.
The Church condemns the sin, not the sinner. It criticizes positions, not individuals. To evangelize means to confront people about the truth. One cannot be charitable to a sinner unless he tells him the truth about his sins. Evangelization is different from negotiation. Prophets never negotiate the truth in the name of evangelization. Scripture says: “For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in- law against her mother-in-law; and one’s enemies will be those of his household.” (Matt 10:35-36) To believe that Hitler could have been converted had the Church ‘befriended’ him would be the epitome of naiveté.


Lastly, the proper use of the idiom on dirty linens is: “do not wash your dirty linens in public” which means, private matters ought not to be discussed in public.