You Mean Meddling in Politics?

Many friends and relatives have called my attention about my current posts on Facebook which I admit myself as to be political in Nature. Some are on point, some are far not. Last September 21, 2018, the Philippines have commemorated the 46th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law by the late Dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr about which I am outspoken. I received at least a dozen of messages both supporting and dissenting on my opinions on posts which I in turn shared from another’s Facebook Page. And this weekend, I gave it a time to reflect upon the question should the Catholic Church meddle in the state affairs of the Philippine Government? Should a seminarian like me be outspoken in matters of politics?

Let me begin by clarifying terms. If by “meddling” you mean intruding or encroaching into the state affairs and the processes of governance, then the answer is NO. If by “meddling” you mean reminding fraternally, and poking at the consciences of state officials in the light of the Gospel, then YES.

It seems that people are at loss of words in defining the actions being taken by the Church that they pathetically simplify it as meddling. But it’s more complicated than that.

It is also equally important for us to identify to which realm the Church is “meddling” into. Is it in politics per se? Or in our collective response to Social Issues?

What is the difference between society and politics? Let me put it simply. A Society is a body of individuals living as members of a community sharing a number of common interests, values and attitudes. Politics on the other hand is the play of power to govern this body of individuals. This Society may have its own crises and issues within itself like economy, culture, religion, morality or way of life, or even outside of itself like security issues; but are altogether to be considered its social issues or concerns. Politics on the other hand being the governing body of the society enacts laws to address social issues. I hope that is very clear to all of us.

So is the Church really meddling with politics? Or just inspiring our collective response to social issues in the light of the Gospel? What do you think?

This is what I think. We, Catholic religious, priests, Bishops, nuns, lay people and seminarians seek to pattern our lives to Jesus Christ, according to the Gospels. We read, pray, meditate and contemplate on the Scriptures in our quest to be configured to Jesus Christ. And yes, we study the Scriptures in order to understand more our faith and our Christian vocation.

As we read the Scriptures, especially the Gospels, we cannot but take notice that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has social dimensions. The very life and message of Jesus Christ, fully human and fully divine that he is, is characterised by love of God and love of neighbour. His proclamation in relation to this is about the coming of the Kingdom of God, as a Kingdom of truth, justice, peace, unity, forgiveness and love. The Kingdom of God is our model of a perfect society as Jesus says in Mark 9:1 "Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power."

However as Jesus says in Matthew 11:12: “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force,” the Kingdom is not yet in its final completion. Read the Gospels and you will find many. Even the context upon which Jesus spoke his messages are based on several contexts on social issues of his time. The Pharisees, the Law, the disregard of the sick and the poor, the possessions of Demons, and many other more.

It is the Social Issues of his time that Jesus tried to “meddle” into and not with the politics behind. His famous words in Matthew 22:21 “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God’s” draws the line between our civic duties and ecclesial duties, and he also points the need to respect government leaders as represented by the mention of Caesar. The underlying point in relation to what we are saying is that even the Taxation for Rome is a social issue for the Jews of which Jesus is well aware of.

With that rough using of Scriptural sources, let me lead to the conclusion that Jesus confronted social issues of his time as they were presented to Him. His messages, his proclamation, the Gospel itself, and His very self in the greater understanding of the context on which God’s revelation has taken place in the Incarnation has social dimension.

That being the case, the Church has no right to engage in politics, but has the duty to inspire our response to social issues. The Church has her own set of Social Doctrines. She has something to say and teach about social issues and how they are supposed to be addressed in the light of the Gospel. Let me summarise them through the underlying principles of these social teachings:

1. The Dignity of the Human Person: Man is made in the image and likeness of God. (Gen. 1:27) Gaudium et Spes 63 emphasizes that “man is the source, the center, and the purpose of all economic and social life”

2. The Common Good. There should be dignity, unity, and equality of all people. The political authority must operate “within the limits of the moral order…directed toward the common good” (Gaudium et Spes 74).

3. The Goods of the earth must be distributed universally. But “it is the right of public authority to prevent anyone from abusing his private property to the detriment of the common good” (Gaudum Et Spes 71).

4. The Poor must be prioritised at all times, we must have preferential option for the marginalised. This means exercising Christian Charity.

5. Communities must be heard and be given freedom and guidance to thrive on their own. The social fabric must be strengthened by a network of relationships.

6. Everyone must contribute, rich and poor, strong and weak alike.

7. There should be solidarity among the people of God who are all aspiring for the same destination, the Kingdom. Everyone must be ready to help at all times.

8. The Ecology must be taken cared of as we take care of ourselves. We belong to one creation. When one is endangered, everything is affected.

With all these convictions and social doctrines of the Church in relation to the civil realm, I don’t think the Church should be silent in these given circumstances especially when the dignity of the human person, the image of God is being disregarded. These principles make up not just the stand of the Church, but her teachings of the importance of the human person as having dignity and therefore must be treated sacred. The human person, even if he or she is a drug addict must be respected because he or she is wholly child of God. We all share in the same dignity of the Altar.

Gone is the time when prayer and sermons are the only tasks of the priest. Today, he has to be a man of the people, and thus must listen to the people and their needs, both spiritual and temporal. He preaches Jesus Christ on the cross, but he also sees the crucifixion of his flock every time there is injustice. To keep silent, sit conveniently in the office and do nothing is a tempting option for priests, but being faithful to this vocation means speaking the truth, for Jesus is the truth the way and the life. (John 14:6)

The human person is central in the Social Teaching of the Church. The person, weather sinner or saint, rich or poor, woman or man, is made in the image and likeness of God. When that principle and creed is threatened, the Church will insist and will fight for it.

Yes, if your freedom is disrespected, the church will fight for you.

If your economic status is further demonised by unjust structure and apathy, the church will fight for you.

If your Human Rights are violated, the church will fight for you.

If your life is threatened, the church will fight for you.

Fight not with the sword but with the Word of God which is alive and striking the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

Who will pose treat to human way of life? Dictators. Tyrants. Despots. Warlords.

The Church understands well the symptoms and beginnings of tyrannies. She knows when a despot is on the rise or falling because she has dealt with many of them in the past 2000 years. She has traversed the last two centuries with wounds and injuries and deaths of great men and women who stood by their Catholic identity and faith. She herself was persecuted many times and is continuously being persecuted.

She had tried to be silent in many times, not because of fear but because of reflection and prayer. In countries where the Catholic Church is silent on Social issues, must is demanded by the society from the Church. I cannot find more fitting example than that of El Salvador where the Church closed its lips to atrocities at first until came the soon-to-be-saint Bishop Oscar Romero who spoke fearlessly for his flock, and in turn cost his life.

The Church's response always comes from her groom, Christ. She does it with utmost discernment and keen understanding of situations. It is a requirement that her sons, the Pope, the Cardinals, the Bishops, Priests, nuns and Seminarians and the Lay are eloquently equipped with intellectual and spiritual capacity for this. They should be! But at the top of it all, it is a primordial requirement to be configurations of Jesus Christ.

So should the Church meddle in Social Issues?

Let me ask: Is the Marcos Issue a Political Issue or a Social Issue?

If you say it’s a Political Issue, then you must have failed to find yourself in the greater picture of the problem.

If you say it’s a Social Issue, then what should you do?

If you say you hate the Church and her Priests and Bishops and Seminarians, then you have not understood the Church and your place in it.

But let me ask of you, Pray for the Church even when you don’t see her point. Pray for the Church and her leaders for enlightenment.

The Church is imperfect. All the more her sons and daughters. It is a Church of sinners and hypocrites waiting and needing to be saved by the mercy of God. But this age-old community has outlasted the paws Satan has gipped her with. Despite the lashings and the beheadings, she has stood majestically in the presence of her spouse Jesus Christ.

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SOURCES:

-Catechism of the Catholic Church

-Vatican II, Lumen Gentium.