Catholic Faith and Reflections

The Church’s sole and primary purpose in her social doctrine is helping mankind to achieve salvation.  The Church has the right to be a teacher of the truth of faith: the truth not only of dogma but also of morals whose source lies in human nature itself and the Gospel. The right of the Church is also her duty for to fail to exercise this right would be a denial of herself and her fidelity to Jesus Christ. Because of the public relevance of the Gospel and faith and because of the corruption of injustice in the public sphere, the Church cannot remain indifferent to social matters. The Church always then has the right and the duty to speak out about moral principles. even in the social order, and to render judgments on human affairs to the extent that they are required by the fundamental rights of the human person or to the salvation of souls.

For a thorough discussion of this topic, refer to the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, nos. 66-71.

Political authority is founded on the social nature of the human person. Implied in this is the reality that all political authority has God as its author.  Political authority is a necessary, positive and an irreplaceable component of civil life.  This authority must guarantee an ordered and upright community life that fosters the freedom of individuals and groups, disciplines and orients this freedom, and respects the independence of the individual in order to attain the common good.

Political authority must be guided by moral law. Without such guidance, it loses its dignity. God is the first source and the final end of political authority understood in this way. Cut off from God, political authority ultimately disintegrates for without him the collective moral conscience clouds and skepticism casts doubt on the basic moral law.

Citizens are not obligated in conscience to follow the prescriptions of civil authority if such prescriptions  are contrary to the demands of the moral order, to the fundamental rights of persons or to the teachings of the Gospel. It is a grave duty of conscience not to cooperate, not even formally, with civil legislation that is contrary to the Law of God. One also has the right to resist, both passively and actively, such legislation.

For a more detailed discussion of this topic, refer to the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, nos. 393-401.

Catholic social doctrine asserts that the human person is the foundation and purpose of politics. Humans naturally social and political, and thus social life is not something that is extra or added to us. Politics originates in the very nature of the human nature, and even more pointedly, in the very nature of conscience and its obedience to the moral order which orients humanity toward just solutions to problems between individuals, social groups, and between States.

Politics is inherent to human existence and exists to achieve the full growth of each of its members who are called to cooperate in the attainment of that common good under the influence of the dictates of conscience which directs us to that which is true and good.

We are joined to each other in a political community, which unites us as a people, and gives us a certain autonomy at the level of personal existence and goals. For every people, there is generally a corresponding nation; yet we know that within nations there exist minorities who may not share completely with the majority shared life and values. The Church maintains that such minorities retain rights and duties, most basically the right to exist, the right to culture and language, and the right to religious belief and worship.

For more discussion of this topic, refer to the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of  the Church, nos. 384-387.