Clergy for Political office?

[dominikus28]

Are Clergy allowed to run for political office? I assume the answer to that is no, because Fernando Lugo, a bishop who became president of Paraguay had to be laicized to be president. Is this a rule that evolved over time, like celibacy for priests? Is that why there were so many priest politicians hundreds of years ago, like Richelieu?
Thanks

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

Are Clergy allowed to run for political office? I assume the answer to that is no, because Fernando Lugo, a bishop who became president of Paraguay had to be laicized to be president. Is this a rule that evolved over time, like celibacy for priests? Is that why there were so many priest politicians hundreds of years ago, like Richelieu?
Thanks

It was not only hundreds of years ago but more recently that clergy could run for political office. Robert Drinan was both a priest and a member of Congress. Pope John Paul II did not allow him to run for re-election in 1980.

The current Code of Canon Law forbids it:

Can. 285 §1. Clerics are to refrain completely from all those things which are unbecoming to their state, according to the prescripts of particular law.

§2. Clerics are to avoid those things which, although not unbecoming, are nevertheless foreign to the clerical state.

**§3. Clerics are forbidden to assume public offices which entail a participation in the exercise of civil power.
**

 

[Dale_M]

The current Code of Canon Law forbids it:

Although, in rare cases dispensation to hold office is granted. For example, Fr. Raymond Gravel, who was a member of Canada’s Parliament from 2004 to 2008.

However, Fr. Gravel was ultimately ordered to either leave political office, or leave the priesthood, because of some of his political positions.
cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2008/09/03/mtl-raymondgravel0903.html

 

[rpp]

Although, in rare cases dispensation to hold office is granted. For example, Fr. Raymond Gravel, who was a member of Canada’s Parliament from 2004 to 2008.

However, Fr. Gravel was ultimately ordered to either leave political office, or leave the priesthood, because of some of his political positions.
cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2008/09/03/mtl-raymondgravel0903.html

Gravel was never granted a dispensation nor explicit permission. That permission can only come from the Holy See, not the local bishop. Gravel’s bishop never publicly granted person but, only after Gravel started his campaign, issued a note conceeding that Gravel was running, not that he could.

Gravel is a former male prostitute who supports gay marriage and abortion.

catholicculture.org/commentary/otr.cfm?id=3877&repos=6&subrepos=4&searchid=600902

catholicculture.org/commentary/otr.cfm?id=3933&repos=6&subrepos=4&searchid=600902

catholicculture.org/news/features/index.cfm?recnum=55366&repos=4&subrepos=1&searchid=600900

catholicculture.org/news/features/index.cfm?recnum=24151&repos=4&subrepos=1&searchid=600900

 

[Dale_M]

Gravel was never granted a dispensation nor explicit permission. That permission can only come from the Holy See, not the local bishop.

Okay, but the point holds that exceptions to the no priest-politician rule are made, if rarely.

 

[rpp]

Okay, but the point holds that exceptions to the no priest-politician rule are made, if rarely.

It is ver important to make clear that an exception was NOT made in his case. He simply thumbed is nose at canon law in the same way he thumbed his nose at authentic Catholic teachings.

It is not so different that Nancy Pelosi’s bishop giving that unrepentant baby killing socialist communion. The problem was with the bishop failing to properly react to manifest grave public sin.

 

[dominikus28]

What about Cardinal Richeleau in France during the 17th century? Was the rule that forbade clergy to hold political office made after this? Richeleau was Cardinal and Prime Minister of France. He also made alliances with Protestants, but thats a different story

 

[rpp]

What about Cardinal Richeleau in France during the 17th century? Was the rule that forbade clergy to hold political office made after this? Richeleau was Cardinal and Prime Minister of France. He also made alliances with Protestants, but thats a different story

I do not know the circumstances of that. It could be he was granted permission, or that the canon law was introduced afterwords (in response to? ) or perhaps he was like Father Gravel and just did what he felt like. Personally, I suspect it is one of the first two answers.

 

[choy]

Fr. Eddie Panlilio ran for governor of the Province of Pampanga in the Philippines

the bishops asked him to take a leave of absence during the campaign period and when he got elected, had his leave extended while he is in office. during the period for filing for the presidency, Fr. Panlilio expressed interest in running for the highest office in the Philippines. the bishops however told him that he would have to leave the priesthood permanently if he files for candidacy and starts a campaign

Fr. Panlilio however abandoned his ambition for the presidency when a candidate he deemed strong and morally upright filed for his candidacy for the presidential elections

since then, there was a re-count of the 2007 elections that elected Fr. Panlilio and he was declared a loser of the polls. in fact, according to the recount, he was third

 

[janeway529]

I know that then-Bishop Roger Mahony was appointed by California governor Jerry Brown as the first chair of the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board from 1975-1976, to help resolve issues between the farmworkers and the growers.

Fr. Robert Drinan, SJ of Massachusetts served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1971-1981. In 1980, Pope John Paul II unequivocally demanded that all priests withdraw from electoral politics. Fr. Drinan complied and did not seek re-election.