Romans 13

[m50092]

What is the Catholic position on the interpretation of Romans 13, that every government was founded by God? (considering cases like Nazi Germany)

Thanks

 

[jcrichton]

What is the Catholic position on the interpretation of Romans 13, that every government was founded by God? (considering cases like Nazi Germany)

Thanks

…in deed every government has been founded by God, just as every man was Created in the Image and Likeness of Yahweh God… when we want to reconcile man’s choice to do evil and wicked things we fall short since in God there is no evil and nothing wicked/sinful can exist in His Presence… but it is quite simple: we were Created with free will; it is our determination to “choose” to be rebellious that engenders the ills of the world (both personal and social); the eartly governments are just extentions of man’s stewardship–the wicked servants bring forth death and destruction (temporal and spiritual).

Consider the US government… our new chief decided to finance world-wide abortions (the mass destruction of millions of children in their mothers’ wombs) and consider too the new world order where those who do not align themselves with the culture of death (abortion on demand, euthanasia on demand for the old, sick and not perfect, etc.) will be left out in the cold with no financial and military support… are these God’s intended tenet of governance? No! Man has determined that certain people are sub-human and thus deserve to be removed from existence (remember that from somewhere?); the premise of woman’s health and over population are the myths behind the culture of death… compare God’s Command to “be fruifful and multiply!”

Maran atha!

Angel

 

[Spencerian]

What is the Catholic position on the interpretation of Romans 13, that every government was founded by God? (considering cases like Nazi Germany)

Thanks

This older thread may have the answers you need.

God is the creator of all things. But He is not the creator of evil from all things. Humankind is renowned for taking something of God’s more immediate design and turning it to evil means. Governments are such things.

Please note: The Catholic Church doesn’t have a “position” or “policy” on everything under the sun–it isn’t, at its core, a political body where it takes a stance on this matter or that. Nor does the Church have a definitive teaching on every single matter of Scripture, despite the fact that they were the ones who codified the Biblical canon.

When a clear, inerrant understanding of a teaching in Scripture is needed, however, it is the job of the Magisterium to help there, although more local priests and theologians are often helpful in understanding passages, as long as what we or they read do not contradict the core teachings (doctrine or dogma) of the Church.

 

[m50092]

Okay, that clears it up. Couldn’t find anything when I did a search. Thank

 

[thistle]

What is the Catholic position on the interpretation of Romans 13, that every government was founded by God? (considering cases like Nazi Germany)

Thanks

haydock1859.tripod.com/id157.html

 

[COPLAND_3]

Here is a quote from the Aquinas Study Bible

13:1-2 By higher powers are meant person vested with political power for governing and ruling others, whether kings, princes, magistrates, etc. (Bishop John McEvilly) They have no power in spiritual matters, so that they do not receive the key of the heavenly kingdom. Their power is confined to temporal matters, and this too can only come to them from God, (Sum Theo 3.19.3.r2) But their laws may be unjust in two ways: first, by being contrary to human good—either in respect of the end, as when an authority imposes on his subjects burdensome laws, conducive, not to the common good, but rather to his own cupidity or vainglory—or in respect of the author, as when a man makes a law that goes beyond the power committed to him—or in respect of the form, as when burdens are imposed unequally on the community, although with a view to the common good. The like are acts of violence rather than laws; because, as Augustine says (De Lib. Arb. i, 5), “a law that is not just, seems to be no law at all.” Wherefore such laws do not bind in conscience, except perhaps in order to avoid scandal or disturbance, for which cause a man should even yield his right, according to Mat. 5:40,41: “If a man . . . take away thy coat, let go thy cloak also unto him; and whosoever will force thee one mile, go with him other two.” Secondly, laws may be unjust through being opposed to the Divine good: such are the laws of tyrants inducing to idolatry, or to anything else contrary to the Divine law: and laws of this kind must nowise be observed, because, as stated in Acts 5:29, “we ought to obey God rather than man.” (St. Thomas Aquinas Sum Theo 2.96.4.a)