Pope John XXIII forbade Catholics to support Communism

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I have been reading Pacepa’s book ‘Disinformation’. Pacepa was the top ranked Soviet intelligence officer to defect to the west and a substantial part of his book details the framing of Pope Pius XII as ‘Hitler’s Pope’.

On page 114 Pacepa says that it was Pope Pius XII’s opposition to the Soviet Socialists that precipitated the dirty tricks campaign against the pope. Pacepa writes that Pius XII was the first pope to ex-communicate communists but that Pope John then strengthened this stand and forbade Catholics to vote for communists or even to sanction them in any way.

Does anyone have any extra information regarding this?
Are Catholics still forbidden from sanctioning communists in any way and what would this practically mean?

Thanks.
 
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Yes, Catholics are still forbidden to promote communism (and socialism) and to vote on communist/socialist politicians and parties.

There are many teachings regarding this subject from many popes. Here is a small list

Pope Pius IX: Qui Pluribus
Pope Leo XIII: Quod Apostolici Muneris and Rerum Novarum
Pope Pius XI: Divinis Redemptoris
Pope Piis XII: Humani Generis
Pope Benedict XVI: Deus Caritas Est

Popes in between, such as Piux X and John Paul II, also wrote many times about the errors of these revolutionary movements. I don’t recall any by Pope Francis regarding this subject, but I will look for it.
 
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Aulef said:
Yes, Catholics are still forbidden to promote communism (and socialism) and to vote on communist/socialist politicians and parties.
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So it would be a mortal sin to vote for a socialist such as for example, Bernie Sanders?
 
Yes, it is a mortal sin because it is materialistic and it promotes individual moral irresponsability. These are heretical features.
 
We are being specific here. Talking about socialism as a political movement.
 
Socialism and communism strip human beings of their individuality and reduce them to a number and how they benefit or cost the state. That’s why socialists and communists are so in favor of abortion and euthanasia.
 
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AlNg said:
So it would be a mortal sin to vote for a socialist such as for example, Bernie Sanders?
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Socialism/Communism aside, no Christian could support such a pro-abortion politician.
 
In England, many Catholics support Labour. Same in Europe, Latin America with Social Democratic parties, etc etc. THIS IS NOT COMMUNISM in the Marxist-Leninist/Bolshevik sense at all. They are Center-Left parties that support advanced social welfare systems and oppose the globalist amoral capitalism that is also been denounced by many Popes, including John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis. Democratic Socialism is not at all like Totalitarian Marxism. I think that is a judgment matter. Many Catholics in other parts of the world would wonder how a Catholic can be a Republican in America in good conscience, particularly with this current administration.

Many Catholics (Latin America, Europe, the Islands, etc) all over the world support Democratic Socialist politicians and/or policies. They are not at all like the brutal Soviet Communism. And I don’t believe Social Democratic Party voters face excommunication. Communist (Marxist-Maoist) Parties were specifically anti-theistic and very hostile to Catholicism. There is a vast difference between “Communist” and “Social Democrat”.
 
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I looked it up. The 1949 decree by Pius XII specified COMMUNIST (Marxist-Leninist) parties that were anti-theistic and anti-Catholic. These were usually organizations affiliated with the Soviet government. Also, the Church believes that private property cannot be abolished, but there is no prohibition on parties that advocate for stronger social welfare programs or oppose the abuses of modern capitalism (Social Democrats or Labor parties). In fact Pope Francis is quite outspoken in his objections to capitalistic excess, as were previous Popes.
 
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AlNg said:
  1. Could a Christian support Hillary?
  2. Or is it better for a Christian to vote for a man who cheats on his wife with strippers and then denies it?
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The answers should go without saying:
  1. Of course not, if less pro-abort candidates are available.
  2. We are all sinners. A political candidate’s past sins do not necessarily preclude voting for that candidate.
 
This is the 1949 ban on support for Communism, put out by Pope Pius XII. The main reason is that Marxist-Leninist parties explicitly rejected and denounced religion in general and the Catholic Church (and other churches) in particular. It was mainly enacted because of the active suppression of Churches in Communist countries or attempts by Communist agents to infiltrate the Church post WWII and seizures of Church properties, persecution of the faithful and the many crimes against humanity that were happening. It was published in the form of a Q and A.
Code: 
Q1: Is it licit to join ("give name to") communist parties or tender favor to them?

A1: No, because Communism is materialist and antiChristian; the leaders of communists, even though they sometimes profess not to oppress religion, the same people nevertheless, whether by doctrine or by action, eventually make clear that they are bitterly hostile [infensos] to both God and the truths of religion and the Church of Christ.

Q2: Is it licit to publish, spread, or read books, journals, or leaflets which defend the actions of communism, or to write for them?

A2: No, because it is forbidden by the very law. [Presumably this refers to the Code of Canon Law of 1917.]

Q3. Can Christians who freely and knowingly do the things mentioned in #1 and #2 be admitted to the sacraments?

A3. No. It follows from the ordinary principles of the sacraments that those who are not properly disposed must be denied.

Q4. Do Christians, who profess the materialist and anti-Christian doctrine of the communists -- primarily, those who defend and propagate that doctrine -- by that very fact, do they incur excommunication reserved to the Holy See, as if apostates from the Catholic Faith?

Q4. Yes.
 
AlNg said:
So it would be a mortal sin to vote for a socialist such as for example, Bernie Sanders?
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Bernie wasn’t running as a socialist. He was running for the Democratic party nomination.

Also, “socialist” in the sense of people like Bernie Sanders in USA is extremely different from “communist” in the sense of the ones during the 20th century and perhaps even today who want to destroy the Church.

You need to use your common sense when looking at names of political parties or what people in the news media call a particular candidate.
 
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Just thought I’d point out:

“34. Pope Pius XI further emphasized the fundamental opposition between Communism and Christianity, and made it clear that no Catholic could subscribe even to moderate Socialism. The reason is that Socialism is founded on a doctrine of human society which is bounded by time and takes no account of any objective other than that of material well-being. Since, therefore, it proposes a form of social organization which aims solely at production, it places too severe a restraint on human liberty, at the same time flouting the true notion of social authority.”
http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-xxiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_j-xxiii_enc_15051961_mater.html
 
That is exactly correct. Social Democratic parties are common in much of the world and are not at all like the Soviet style communist parties that persecuted the faithful, seized Church property and outlawed worship. Many Catholics vote for Labor rights parties and that is the norm for much of the world. As a nation, the US is far to the right politically and economically than most other countries. We do not have universal health insurance, we are one of only four countries in the whole UN not to have mandated paid maternal leave policies—we are a huge outlier in many social welfare regards compared to most other advanced economic powers. Our system is very stingy and ineffective.
 
Well, if you use only that very limited definition of socialism then it would be wrong. But other Encyclicals strongly condemn global capitalism as well.

Any system that focuses on materialism over morality, ethics and spirituality is objectively wrong. Full stop.

Any system that ONLY takes regard for production and materialism is wrong. THAT IS THE WHOLE POINT. God is supposed to be the center of our society, not material goods or money or production. If that condemnation of “moderate” socialism is so, American capitalism is strongly immoral too.
 
abucs said:
I have been reading Pacepa’s book ‘Disinformation’. Pacepa was the top ranked Soviet intelligence officer to defect to the west and a substantial part of his book details the framing of Pope Pius XII as ‘Hitler’s Pope’.

On page 114 Pacepa says that it was Pope Pius XII’s opposition to the Soviet Socialists that precipitated the dirty tricks campaign against the pope. Pacepa writes that Pius XII was the first pope to ex-communicate communists but that Pope John then strengthened this stand and forbade Catholics to vote for communists or even to sanction them in any way.

Does anyone have any extra information regarding this?
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It might be the encyclical “Mater et magistra” (Mater et Magistra (May 15, 1961) | John XXIII), saying “Pope Pius XI further emphasized the fundamental opposition between Communism and Christianity, and made it clear that no Catholic could subscribe even to moderate Socialism.”. It, in turn cites “Quadragesimo anno” by Pius XI (Quadragesimo Anno (May 15, 1931) | PIUS XI), giving more details.
abucs said:
Are Catholics still forbidden from sanctioning communists in any way and what would this practically mean?
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Yes, supporting Communists (for example, voting for them, agitating for them, being a member of their party) is obviously still incompatible with Catholicism.
 
Catholics voting left parties is terrible and wrong. These are not my words. These are popes words. Moreover,voting leftist parties is no excuse to fight amoral capitalism either. This is beyond discussion honestly. And catholics voting socialism/communism does not make these systems right. On the contrary, these catholics become sinners by doing so…

You mentioned Latin America and socialism. If you think socialist parties here are not as brutal as european communists, then take a look at Venezuela (not to mention other countries already taken by this ledtist mindset) and think again. I live in Latin America. Socialism is a plague here. Even the Catholic Church has been struggling with it for decades now, especially with something called liberation theology, which is marxism infiltrated in the Church.
 
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