Does it make sense for a Catholic to be into national patriotism?

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Bemyguest

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I know that nationalism, patriotism or any ethnic pride is generally not well considered by Catholics, specially those who don’t wish to get involved in politics or confuse “pride” or the will to preserve one’s nation with an alleged “supremacism”, but in my opinion there’s nothing bad in adopting political positions that defend the moral integrity of the nation while fighting those who defend decadence, attack religion and everything which makes a nation, a society, stable. What do you think about it? Religio et Patria?
 
I really don’t see why not. I consider myself a practicing Catholic and an American nationalist. It has never conflicted for me.
 
Bemyguest said:
I know that nationalism, patriotism or any ethnic pride is generally not well considered by Catholics, specially those who don’t wish to get involved in politics or confuse “pride” or the will to preserve one’s nation with an alleged “supremacism”, but in my opinion there’s nothing bad in adopting political positions that defend the moral integrity of the nation while fighting those who defend decadence, attack religion and everything which makes a nation, a society, stable. What do you think about it? Religio et Patria?
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St. Thomas Aquinas sees one’s piety towards parents and towards one’s country in the same and positive light:

stjamescatholic.org/summa/SS/SS101.html
 
Thanks for the link, I have heard marvels about Thomas de Aquinas.

And by the way, are you Catalan? That’s the first that came to my mind when I saw your signature. 😉 Undoubtely you have many reasons for ethnic pride with ancestors like those who fought in the Terç de Requetes de la Mare de Dèu de Montserrat or the priests and nuns of Lleida who reached martyrdom in hands of communist and anarchist beasts. Pity they have been long forgotten by my people, as nowadays it’s hard to find any trace of religiosity in this decadent land, and I suppose like anywhere in Western Europe.
 
Bemyguest said:
Thanks for the link, I have heard marvels about Thomas de Aquinas.

And by the way, are you Catalan? That’s the first that came to my mind when I saw your signature. 😉 Undoubtely you have many reasons for ethnic pride with ancestors like those who fought in the Terç de Requetes de la Mare de Dèu de Montserrat or the priests and nuns of Lleida who reached martyrdom in hands of communist and anarchist beasts. Pity they have been long forgotten by my people, as nowadays it’s hard to find any trace of religiosity in this decadent land, and I suppose like anywhere in Western Europe.
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My maternal grandparents were from Catalunya; my grandmother from Barcelona and my grandfather from the countryside (his father was born in Vilanova de la Roca and his mother in Vilafranca de Panades). When my grandparents married the made the accustomed visit to Montserrat, and I have in my home a lovely replica of the statue of La Senyora de Montserrat that has been in the family for a few generations. You are reminding me that I must remember to pray for Catalunya. Gracies! 🙂
 
Some nationalities are heavily tied to the faith. For example, I can’t imagine a non-Catholic Polish patriot. I mean this is the same country where gay parades have been canceled and Mary is declared as the Queen of Poland. I can’t even imagine a non-Catholic Poland, it just doesn’t make sense. 👍
 
AdvanceAlways said:
I really don’t see why not. I consider myself a practicing Catholic and an American nationalist. It has never conflicted for me.
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Care to explain?
Pope John Paul II:
Code: 
 Patriotism is a love for everything to do with our native land: its history, its traditions, its language, its natural features. It is a love which extends also to the works of our compatriots and the fruits of their genius. Every danger that threatens the overall good of our native land becomes an occasion to demonstrate this love...I belive that the same could be said of every country and every nation in Europe and throughout the world. (Memory and Identity, 65-66)
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Pope John Paul II:
Code: 
 The cultural and historical identity of any society is preserved and nourished by all that is contained within this concept of nation. Clearly, one thing must be avoided at all costs: the risk of allowing the essential function of the nation to lead to an unhealthy nationalism. (Memory and Identity, 67)
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Pope John Paul II:
Code: 
Whereas nationalism involves recognizing and pursuing the good of one's own nation alone, without regard for the rights of others, patriotism, on the other hand, is a love for one's native land that accords rights to all other nations equal ot those claimed for one's own. Patriotism, in other words, leads to a properly ordered social love.(Memory and Identity, 67)
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Bemyguest said:
Religio et Patria?
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Both! You should love your nation so much that you want to help shape it according to the truth of your religion :)–in fact, as Catholics we are to evangelize our nations so that they show forth the Kingship of Christ 👍
 
From the Catechism:

**2105 **The duty of offering God genuine worship concerns man both individually and socially. This is "the traditional Catholic teaching on the moral duty of individuals and societies toward the true religion and the one Church of Christ."30 By constantly evangelizing men, the Church works toward enabling them "to infuse the Christian spirit into the mentality and mores, laws and structures of the communities in which [they] live."31 The social duty of Christians is to respect and awaken in each man the love of the true and the good. It requires them to make known the worship of the one true religion which subsists in the Catholic and apostolic Church.32 Christians are called to be the light of the world. Thus, the Church shows forth the kingship of Christ over all creation and in particular over human societies.33
 
Here’s a great statement from Pope Pius XI which answers the OP perfectly, I think:

Patriotism – the stimulus of so many virtues and of so many noble acts of heroism when kept within the bounds of the law of Christ – becomes merely an occasion, an added incentive to grave injustice when true love of country is debased to the condition of an extreme nationalism, when we forget that all men are our brothers and members of the same great human family, that other nations have an equal right with us both to life and to prosperity, that it is never lawful nor even wise, to dissociate morality from the affairs of practical life, that, in the last analysis, it is “justice which exalteth a nation: but sin maketh nations miserable.” (Proverbs xiv, 34)
 
Yep, nothing wrong with patriotism, it is simply love for one’s country. But like all love’s, except for the Love of God, it must remained properly ordered. It must be dedicated to the truth, even when that truth is painful. It must not preempt charity (i.e. sad as it is, I have seen some argue against giving to a particular charity because the people helped by the charity are not Americans), nor in any way lessen the recognition of all people, regardless of place of birth, as children of God.

In my opinion, a true patriot is less worried about the language that is spoken in their country than the words that are spoken in that language. Less worried about who is entering a country than what is leaving it. Is able to recognize that if their nation is blessed with abundance, that it is a blessing meant to be shared and not hoarded.

Oh well, those are my opinions.

–
Bill
 
Well i love my Polish heritage, but that doesn’t mean i would treat a Polish person above someone who wasn’t.

Everyone is made in Gods image.

But lets be honest, some countries are cursed, while others are blessed. Only God can decide which country is to be cursed or which country is to be blessed with His grace.
 
AdvanceAlways said:
I really don’t see why not. I consider myself a practicing Catholic and an American nationalist. It has never conflicted for me.
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We either. God has truly blessed our country and I am very grateful for that. I think we can be both just as most of us can talk and chew gum at the same time…🙂
 
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