How some conservatives view the Curia

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twf said:
I don’t understand those (mostly Americans) Catholics who are militantly opposed to all forms of socialism to the point that they claim it is fundamentally contrary to Catholicism. Clearly Popes disagree. Not all socialism is Marxism. Traditionally, according to the mind of the Church prior to very modern times, what was the ideal form of government? Christian monarchy. St. Thomas Aquinas is one authority who taught such. Would not a Christian Prince be obligated to provide for his people? Didn’t pious Catholic lords, throughout history, invite their poor subjects to the manor to enjoy a fine meal on feast days? The Church lauded such generosity… how is that not a form of proto-socialism? The lord takes his portion of the bounty of the land and shares some back…
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Actually, a Christian Monarchy would be much preferable to just about anything going in the world today. But obviously, we will just have to await the Kings return for that one.
 
Both unfettered capitalism and Socialism were condemned by Leo XIII in the 1800 and a true Christian system would be somewhere in between the two extremes. In the United States we are seeing people who are extremist on both side of the equation blocking the system from doing any good. We need to say no to the disciples of both Ayn Rand and Karl Marx.
 
Pulvis said:
Actually, a Christian Monarchy would be much preferable to just about anything going in the world today. But obviously, we will just have to await the Kings return for that one.
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A monarchy is one of the most unstable forms of Government. Just imagine you have the perfect Christian king who is to say that his sons or daughters will follow in his footsteps or will they become a new Nero/Caligula.
 
lewevanhoop said:
Both unfettered capitalism and Socialism were condemned by Leo XIII in the 1800 and a true Christian system would be somewhere in between the two extremes. In the United States we are seeing people who are extremist on both side of the equation blocking the system from doing any good. We need to say no to the disciples of both Ayn Rand and Karl Marx.
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Amen.
 
lewevanhoop said:
A monarchy is one of the most unstable forms of Government. Just imagine you have the perfect Christian king who is to say that his sons or daughters will follow in his footsteps or will they become a new Nero/Caligula.
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The ideal Christianity monarchy isn’t hereditary. St. Thomas Aquinas described the ideal Catholic government as an elected monarchy in which the King is elected for life by a college of the most virtuous men in the realm. This is the model the Vatican uses…its Monarch is elected by the Cardinals for life.

Medieval kings also weren’t absolute monarchs. The balance of power was a delicate web between monarchs, local princes / lords, and bishops. Medieval Kings of France often had little real power outside of Paris. The idea of true absolute monarchs reigning over Christian countries was more of an early modern thing. Protestantism also sought to magnify the power of princes / kings over and above the episcopate.
 
twf said:
Medieval kings also weren’t absolute monarchs. The balance of power was a delicate web between monarchs, local princes / lords, and bishops.
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I think America could stand to remember that. We could do with a little less executive-order fiat.
 
Read “Centesimus Annus” the encyclical on free market economics by Pope St. John Paul II.
 
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