ROLE OF THE GOVERNMENT

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” (Ps 33:12). What is the relationship between politics and the Catholic religion? Politics is just the caboose; the engine is objective truth which is based on the Catholic religion. They cannot be separated.

To imagine that religion should, or even possibly can, be removed from politics is utterly laughable. It’s a position derived directly from the notion that “the State must be separated from the Church,” a thesis that St. Pius X called, “absolutely false, a most pernicious error.”[i]

What happens when the Government rejects the supernatural authority of the Catholic Church? It starts becoming disordered. Edward R. Murrow (American broadcast journalist and war correspondent) says, "A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves."[ii]

Quoting George Orwell: "All tyrannies rule through fraud and force, but once the fraud is exposed, they must rely exclusively on force."[iii] 

As Ronald Reagan is remembered for saying, “the nine most terrifying words ever spoken are I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” [iv] 

No doubt Big Tech would silence Reagan in today’s world.

So, what is the function of the government according to divine revelation? God has ordained a structure; we are called to submit to government and honor our leaders (Rom 13:1-4; Titus 3:1; 1 Pet 2:13-17; John 19:7-11). It doesn’t mean that every person is God-ordained; we vote for the individuals or sometimes rogue corrupt governments select our leaders. We are mandated to pray for those government leaders who are over us (1Tim 2:1-2).

The government is meant to punish evil doers and reward those who do right (1 Pet 2:14Matt 22:17-21. The goal of Catholicism is to establish the social reign of Christ the King so that men may govern the world in holiness, justice, and integrity (cf. Wis 9:3) under the Kingship of Christ. Why? So that Jesus Christ may be Lord and King of every individual human heart and every nation. 

James Madison (4th president) said: "If men were angels, no government would be necessary," (Federalist No. 51). 

Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen warned us about our present crisis: “Politics – the conflict of the future will be between a God religion and a state religion, between Christ and Antichrist, but in political disguise.”[v] 

This is where we were at with Joe Biden the 46th President.

[vi]The goal of a politician is to be a servant leader like the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is a part of the Church's mission "to pass moral judgments even in matters related to politics, whenever the fundamental rights of man or the salvation of souls requires it. The means, the only means the Church may use, are those which are in accord with the Gospel and the welfare of all men according to the diversity of times and circumstances," Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) paragrach 2246.

Every institution is inspired, at least implicitly, by a vision of man and his destiny, from which it derives the point of reference for its judgment, its hierarchy of values, its line of conduct. Most societies have formed their institutions in the recognition of a certain preeminence of man over things. Only the divinely revealed religion has clearly recognized man's origin and destiny in God, the creator and redeemer. The Church invites political authorities to measure their judgments and decisions against this inspired truth about God and man. CCC 2244 “Societies not recognizing this vision or rejecting it in the name of their independence from God are brought to seek their criteria and goal in themselves or to borrow them from some ideology. Since they do not admit that one can defend an objective criterion of good and evil, they arrogate to themselves an explicit or implicit totalitarian power over man and his destiny, as history shows.”

Thomas Jefferson wrote: “A well-informed electorate is a prerequisite for democracy.” Is it any wonder our once great democracy is now failing? What happens when ignorance pervades the electorate? Aristotle said this is what happens: “Republics decline into democracies and democracies degenerate into despotism.” Thomas Jefferson once said: "An educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people."[vii] 

Proverbs 29:2 describes having been governed by President Trump and once being governed by President Biden. “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when a wicked man rules, the people groan.”

United States of America (USA)is a constitutional republic and a representative democracy

1.     Constitutional Republic: This means that the country is governed by elected representatives and an elected leader (the president) under a system that is bound by the Constitution. The Constitution outlines the framework of government, the rule of law, and protects individual rights against the powers of the government.

2.     Representative Democracy: This term emphasizes the role of elected officials representing the citizens. In the U.S., citizens vote for their representatives in Congress, state governments, and local governments, which makes it a democratically elected government.

In summary, while it is accurate to describe the USA primarily, as a constitutional republic, it is also a representative democracy since the government derives its power from the people through their elected representatives. Thus, it is accurate to say that the USA is a constitutional republic first, which incorporates democratic principles through its representative processes.

James Madison (4th president) said: "If men were angels, no government would be necessary," (Federalist No. 51, published in 1788). This quote reflects Madison's belief in the need for a government to regulate human behavior, acknowledging that people are not perfect, we are all sinners.

The Federalist Papers, is a collection of 85 articles and essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. These writings were published between 1787 and 1788 to promote the ratification of the United States Constitution.

The main intent of The Federalist was to persuade state legislatures to ratify the Constitution. The authors aimed to explain the new government's framework and address concerns about its potential impacts.

3 Key Themes found in the Federalist Papers:

• Checks and Balances: The need for a system to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.
• Separation of Powers: The distribution of government powers among executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
• Federalism: The relationship between the national and state governments. 

 

[i] “Vehementer Nos (February 11, 1906).” Vatican.Va, 11 Feb. 1906, https://www.vatican.va/content/pius-x/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-x_en....

[ii] Murrow, Edward R. “TOP 25 QUOTES BY EDWARD R. Murrow (of 77).” A-Z Quotes, https://www.azquotes.com/author/10605-Edward_R_Murrow. Accessed 11 Jan. 2024.

[iii] Orwell, —. George. “‘All Tyrannies Rule through Fraud and Force, but Once the Fraud Is Exposed, They Must Rely Exclusively on Force.’” Quotefancy.com, https://quotefancy.com/quote/814767/George-Orwell-All-tyrannies-rule-thr.... Accessed 11 Jan. 2024.

[iv] “News Conference - I’m Here to Help.” Reaganfoundation.org, https://www.raganfoundation.org/ronald-reagan/reagan-quotes-speeches/new.... Accessed 11 Jan. 2024.

[v] Sheen, Fulton. The Quotable Fulton Sheen. Image Books, 1989.

[vi] “The Witness of St. Joan of Arc.” Kofc.org, https://www.kofc.org/en/news-room/columbia/2020/may/witness-st-joan-of-a.... Accessed 11 Jan. 2024.

[vii] “An Educated Citizenry Is a Vital Requisite for Our Survival as a Free People (Spurious Quotation).” Monticello, https://www.monticello.org/research-education/thomas-jefferson-encyclope.... Accessed 11 Jan. 2024.