tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6923995063430144879.post8232324819531804611..comments2023-03-31T11:10:18.032+03:00Comments on Deo Volente Ex Animo: In the Week of Prayer for Christian UnityThomas Gullicksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13640680485289909046noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6923995063430144879.post-66725756640406348292015-01-23T12:08:23.698+02:002015-01-23T12:08:23.698+02:00While every state theologically, spiritually and r...While every state theologically, spiritually and really is under the authority of Christ; not every state can be said to be united to the Church, since most reject such a union, and in many, Catholics are not even the majority. The first question is, then, why is it when Catholcis are the majority does the state fail to recognize the sovereignty of Christ and that such a soverignty has a political consequence? Part of the problem, only a part, is that the Apostolic See has not taken a lead on this issue since the Council, and no one can expect the sheep to take a lead when the shepherds are silent and knot not where they are going.<br /><br />At the same time, though the Church and State ought not be separated in nation with a Catholic majority, that does not mean that the State is the Church or the Church the State, or that the State subsumes the ends of the Church. The State being a creature of the natural order is incapable of itself to seek and promote supernatural ends, and even when assisted by the Church, it has not the organs of governance to effect such ends since such ends are supernatural; thus the State which recognizes the sovereignty of Christ and the proper role of the Church, thus, not being able to this extent, must make very limited efforts in these areas, and be content to promote the natural law and defend that law from the evil effects of false religious and superstitions or errors which militant against that Law and the rights of the Church and Her faithful. A moderated and reasonably proposed notion of the Catholic State therefore would go a long way in reconciling Catholics and non Catholics to the notion of a public recognition of Christ and the Church by the State. It would show that the Classical Roman notion from pagan times, of the unity of the State with the State Religion, as well as the theocracy of the Hebraic state during OT times, is not the notion of the Catholic state, and thus presents no threat to the authentic liberty of the human person, even of non Catholics in a Catholic state.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com