Church and Politics

The word politics and the word church both relate to people. Politics comes from a Greek word meaning “of, for, or relating to citizens” and is applied to running a government and state business. Church, according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, is “the liturgical assembly,” including “the whole universal community of believers.”  Should the two be mixed? 

As Americans, we respect the First Amendment of the Constitution which says that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…"  The difficulty for followers of Christ has to do with dual citizenship.  We are simultaneously citizens of heaven as well as citizens of an earthly nation.  This also means dual allegiance. We must be loyal to God but also have a duty to the State.  How do we balance that?  To whom do we owe obedience?  What happens when God and the State are not in agreement?  How do we, as Christians, follow the law of the land and remain true to our Christian convictions?

Even the temple leaders in the first century struggled with this dilemma.  This is evident in the trap the Pharisees set for Jesus regarding his stand on payment of the census tax.  The question they pose is intended to force Jesus to take either a position contrary to that held by the majority of the people, especially those not even considered Roman citizens, or one that will bring him into conflict with the Roman authorities.  Jesus shows in his response that he is not concerned with the popular vote nor Roman law.  His response is "Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God."  In other words, those living in country or empire should support the good work of the government but a larger concern is God’s expectation that we follow the Greatest Commandment and love our neighbor by acting for the common good.

But how do we distinguish what belongs to Caesar – the government – and what belongs to God’s realm?  The answer is found through education, formation, reflection and especially through forming our consciences with the light of the gospel.  The Catechism says that, “When he listens to his conscience, the prudent man can hear God speaking.”  It also says that “The education of the conscience is a lifelong task.”  This involves faith and prayer and opening ourselves to the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the witness or advice of others, and the authoritative teaching of the Church.  As election time approaches, more information will come to you via the bulletin, newsletters, and the 3-Minute Catechesis to help all of us make informed decisions, based on our Catholic values, which promote the common good.