Essay on the Role of the Catholic Institution in Politics and Its Consequences

Christians have been involved in politics for the past two thousand years. A writer from the Early Church recommended that Christians should play their part as citizens. Many Catholic saints served God by committing to their governments and politics. For instance, Saint Thomas More was declared the Patron of Statesmen and Politicians. Through his life and death, it was known that man could not be detached from God, and politics cannot be separated from morality. Therefore, with todays democracy, there is freedom, implying that people should participate liberally in politics. The Second Vatican Council advocated for the participation of Christians in public life including social, economic, cultural, and administrative areas (Curran, 2014). The Catholic Institution today has many political roles with a lot of consequences, for example, promotion of public peace and order, respect for the life of human beings, enhancing equality and freedom, and upholding solidarity and justice.

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The Catholic Institution has the political role of promoting public peace and order. In chapter eleven of the Anthology of the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church, the matter of peace and war is titled The Promotion of Peace. It stresses that Christians should be peacemakers. In Mathew 5:8, Jesus said, Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. Since the Church is the ambassador of Christ, it strives to reunite with each individual and God by bringing peace. The Church endeavors to promote a culture of peace in the political society. Additionally, it inspires to create institutions for the exercise of nonaggression in public life. The Catholic theology concentrates on solving the reasons for conflict and establishing an environment for long-lasting peace. The components include the protection and promotion of human rights, progressing essential human improvement, backing up international organizations and law, and building harmony between nations and people (Yamane, 2013). The church has been influential in fighting for human rights in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Agencies like Caritas network and Caritas Internationalis offer relief, expansion, refugee support and post-conflict renovation for societies in conflict. Consequently, todays society has seen peace through the effort of the Catholic Institution.

The Catholic Institution has the political role of enhancing respect for the life of human beings. It asserts that human life is sacred and having a dignified person is the basis of creating morality in society. Currently, human life is under the threat of euthanasia, abortion, embryonic stem cell research, cloning, and the application of death penalty. Moreover, the Church is against the deliberate attack on civilians during war and terrorist attacks. Catholic philosophy calls upon governments to strive to avoid war. The nations should safeguard life by coming up with ways to avoid and resolve conflicts peacefully (Curran, 2014). The institution perceives each individual as valuable, and people are significant than things. Consequently, this advocacy to respect human life helps the society to have respect for fellow human beings and avoiding vices like abortion, death penalties and conducting euthanasia.

The Catholic Institution has the role of enhancing equality and freedom among its political goals. The society is required to guarantee the existence of social justice to enhance relationships for people to get what belongs to them. It presumes respect for the essential rights, which flow from the self-worth of a person. The church also holds that dissimilarities among individuals are the plan of God who knows that people depend on each other. Hence, creating a chance for charity. The dignity of equality needs much effort to lower any forms of economic and social inequalities. Therefore, it makes it urgent to eradicate evil inequalities like unequal distribution of resources. Pertaining freedom, the church defines it as the authority to act or fail to act. Hence, it allows someone to do what they want. It views that freedom helps people gain flawlessness especially when the acts are God-oriented. In Galatians 5:1, the Bible says, For freedom Christ has set us free. Hence, with freedom, people become responsible for their acts (Yamane, 2013). Consequently, equality and freedom make people enjoy their lives by being free and become more responsible.

The Catholic Institution has the political role of upholding solidarity and justice. Solidarity is embracing forgiveness, gratuity, and reconciliation. It acknowledges that people are responsible and should respect each other on racial, national, cultural, ideological, and economic differences. Through solidarity, peoples political rights are respected and promoted by fairly distributing goods and promoting equality. The distressed, vulnerable, and marginalized get material assistance through solidarity. Lack of solidarity yields poverty, inequality, and injustice in society. Concerning justice, the Catholic Institution teaches that the laws of a country should promote mercy and justice. The laws which expose asylum seekers to immigration confinement and banishing them from finding security are immoral (Curran, 2014). Seeking refuge is not illegal because it involves many survivors of torture, crimes, and trauma. Detaining such people worsens their situations by stressing them and affecting their physical and mental well-being. The Catholic Institution supports the execution of just and fast procedures to decide each individuals claim for protection. Consequently, many refugees receive protection by fleeing to safer places without victimization.

Conclusively, the Catholic Institution has many political roles which yield a lot of consequences in todays society. It is involved in the promotion of public peace and order, which has helped the society to live peacefully. It enhances respect for a human life helping reduce cases of abortion, death penalties, and euthanasia. Additionally, the Catholic Institution has the political role of enhancing equality and freedom. Through this, people enjoy life and become responsible for their actions. Lastly, the Catholic Institution is involved in enhancing solidarity and justice which guarantees the asylum protection.

References

Curran, C. (2014). The Catholic Church, morality and politics (6th Ed.). New York: Paulist Press.

Yamane, D. (2013). The Catholic Church in state politics (8th Ed.). Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.