(CSDC 377-427)
The eighth chapter, “The Political Community,” describes the sphere of political community. The compendium again begins with the Bible. Originally the people of Israel have no king but Yahweh. God intervenes through various charismatic individuals to lead his people. Eventually the Israelites do get a king and David becomes the prototype. Although the ideal kingship continues, historically kingship is a failure for ancient Israel. Jesus, however, is seen as the fulfillment of the Old Testament ideal of kingship. Jesus refuses to wield oppressive and despotic power, but validates the idea of temporal power. The early Christians respect and honor legitimate authority as being established by God, but oppose human authority that sets itself up as a deity. Christ reveals authentic human authority as service, and provides wisdom and inspiration to those who govern human communities. “The human person is the foundation and purpose of political life” (CSDC 384). The conscience reveals the order which God has imprinted in all his creatures. The political community finds its authentic expression in reference to “a people.” “The primary characteristic of a people is the sharing of life and values, which is the source of communion on the spiritual and moral level” (CSDC 386).
Defending and promoting human rights is the first duty of political community. Social life is based not on a list of rights but on civil friendship and fraternity, freedom and equality. Community should tend towards the integral promotion of the person and of the common good, and mature towards a civilization of love. The gospel precept of charity enlightens Christians as to the deepest meaning of political life. Political authority is a necessary component of political life which guarantees order without inappropriately limiting freedom. Authority is a moral force which must be guided by moral law. Essential human and moral values must be recognized, respected and supported by authority and must enact just laws which correspond to the dignity of the human person. The right to conscientious objection is upheld if the civil authorities make precepts contrary to the demands of the moral law. Citizens also have the right to resist (using set criteria) an authority if it violates in serious and repeated manner the essential principles of natural law (CSDC 400-401). Civil authorities have the right to inflict punishments to protect the common good. Rights of a juridical nature must be meticulously observed. The growing opposition to the death penalty is seen by the Church as a sign of hope. The authentic traits of genuine democracy are outlined in John Paul II’s, Centisimus Annus.
An authentic democracy is not merely the result of a formal observation of a set of rules but is the fruit of a convinced acceptance of the values that inspire democratic procedures: the dignity of every human person, the respect of human rights, commitment to the common good as the purpose and guiding criterion for political life (CSDC 407).
The church sees ethical relativism as on of the greatest modern threats to democracy. The division of power within the state is recognized and political authority should be accountable to the people. Elected officials should strive to create a system which will guide the overall course of civil life. The moral dimension of political representation includes those virtues which put power into practice as service (patience, modesty, moderation, charity, and efforts to share) on the contrary the most serious deformity of the democratic system is political corruption. Among the principle instruments of political participation are political parties, and referendums. The media is another important instrument of participation, and it should be used to build up and sustain the economic, political, cultural, educational and religious sectors of society. Difficulties of communication are often exacerbated by “ . . . ideology, the desire for profit, political control, rivalry, conflicts between groups and other social evils (CSDC 416). On the value of civil society, it is noted that political community originates from civil society and is established to serve it. “Civil society is the sum of relationships and resources, cultural and associative, that are relatively independent for the political sphere and the economic sector” (CSDC 417). Civil society has priority over the political because it is in civil society that the political finds its justification. The political community must regulate its relationships with civil society according to the principle of subsidiarity. It is the activity of civil society as opposed to the state and the market which are the most appropriate to develop the social dimension of the person. The Vatican II declaration, Dignitatis Humanae, committed the Catholic Church to religious freedom. The right to religious freedom must be recognized as a civil right and just limits of this freedom determined prudently. The Church affirms the mutual autonomy of the Church and the political community but that does not mean there can be no cooperation. The Church has the right to legal recognition and freedom of expression, and freedom to conduct its education, worship, and various ministries without hindrance.
© Office of Human Rights, and Bishop Helmsing Institute, Diocese of Kansas City~St. Joseph, 2009
