Church and State

[Bran_Stark]

So what’s the deal with the Catholic Church and worldly governments? Does the Church want any “official” position? In a country where the Church is Established could a Catholic legitimately vote for a secular state?

Or take a country where some other religion is Established, like England. Could a Catholic vote to keep the C of E’s position if Parliament wants to Disestablish - or would that be unwarranted support of a “false” religion?

 

[Jermosh]

Hmm, I think I understand what you are asking. 2 parts really.

The Church does have an international observer role on the UN, the Vatican does have ambassadors, and even an army sort of.

The Church has no real issue or stance of who you vote for based on their creed either, meaning it would be of moral conscience to vote in a Pro-Life Wiccan with a track record, as compared to a pro-choice Catholic who supports abortion. Also those who take the sacrament of Holy Orders are not allowed to take a political seat, I believe this stems from the sacrament that they cannot engage in any violent acts or something, someone will most likely have the link to clarify…

 

[Ron_Conte]

See this article:
catholicplanet.com/TSM/Unam-Sanctam-commentary.htm

The Church has authority over nations and kingdoms, and over all earthly authorities, including all governments at every level, all businesses and marketplaces, all groups of human persons of any religion or no religion, and all individual human persons. (cf. Jeremiah 1:10ff.). However, distinction is to be made between that temporal authority assigned, or at least permitted, by the Church to secular government, and the temporal authority that the Church herself exercises over the faithful.

The Church permits secular governments to exercise temporal authority, but the Church also has the right and authority to judge whether that secular government has done well or poorly in its exercise of power.

So when temporal authority is exercised by secular governments, the possession of that power is still retained by the Church; it has been loaned and borrowed, not sold or given away. Therefore, the Church also retains the authority to judge the use of Her temporal authority by secular governments.

 

[Bran_Stark]

Not exactly answering my particular question. Would it be permissible for a Catholic voter or politician to support the status as the official national religion of a non-Catholic religion?

 

[Ron_Conte]

Not exactly answering my particular question. Would it be permissible for a Catholic voter or politician to support the status as the official national religion of a non-Catholic religion?

No, you could not vote for a non-Catholic religion as the national religion.

But you could vote for a nation to allow religious freedom.

Can. 747 §1. The Church, to which Christ the Lord has entrusted the deposit of faith so that with the assistance of the Holy Spirit it might protect the revealed truth reverently, examine it more closely, and proclaim and expound it faithfully, has the duty and innate right, independent of any human power whatsoever, to preach the gospel to all peoples, also using the means of social communication proper to it.

§2. It belongs to the Church always and everywhere to announce moral principles, even about the social order, and to render judgment concerning any human affairs insofar as the fundamental rights of the human person or the salvation of souls requires it.

Can. 748 §1. All persons are bound to seek the truth in those things which regard God and his Church and by virtue of divine law are bound by the obligation and possess the right of embracing and observing the truth which they have come to know.

§2. No one is ever permitted to coerce persons to embrace the Catholic faith against their conscience.

 

[Langdell]

Not exactly answering my particular question. Would it be permissible for a Catholic voter or politician to support the status as the official national religion of a non-Catholic religion?

Needless to say, in addition to what Ron said, you could abstain from voting on this issue.

.

 

[Bran_Stark]

So is this gentleman - blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/damianthompson/6025555/The_conservative_case_for_an_established_Church/ - a Catholic in favor of the C of E’s establishment - speaking heresy?