CATHOLICISM AND DEMOCRACY: PAST AND PRESENT
Keywords:
Catholicism, Christian Democracy, Democracy, Forms of Government, Papacy, Political Liberties, Religious FreedomAbstract
This essay examines the record of the Church’s teaching on political democracy from the 19th to 21st centuries. There will be a focus on the Vatican, the papacy, and Italian politics for constructing the narrative since the Church’s direct investment in temporal politics and institutional self-interest is clear in the story of Italian democracy. There will also be an overview of the modern papacy’s evolution in its assessment of political democracy to the point where opposition has become active support and commendation.
References
Andrea Riccardi, “The Vatican of Pius XII and the Catholic Party,” in Baum and Coleman, The Church and Christian Democracy, 37-51 at 46-47.
Benedict XVI, “General Audience on Topic of Apostolic Journey to Croatia,” 2011, Rome: St. Peter’s Square, http://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/audiences/2011/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20110608.html
Benedict XVI, “Meeting with Representatives of British Society.”
Bokenkotter, Church and Revolution, 240.
Chadwick, History of the Popes 1830-1914, 132-160.
David Hollenbach, SJ, “Human Dignity in Catholic Thought,” Marcus Düwell, Jens Braavig, Roger Brownsword, Dietmar Mieth, ed., Cambridge Handbook on Human Dignity, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2014, 250-259 at 256.
Francis, Fratelli Tutti, n. 169, quoting himself, “Address to Participants in the World Meeting of Popular Movements,” 5 November 2016, L’Osservatore Romano, November 7-8, 2016, 4-5.
Gregory Baum and John Coleman, “Editorial,” in Baum and Coleman, The Church and Christian Democracy, xvii-xxiv at xx.
John Paul II, Centesimus Annus, n. 46.
John Paul II, Redemptor Hominis, 1979, n. 10, http://www.vatican.va/ content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_04031979_redemptor-hominis.html
John Pollard, The Papacy in the Age of Totalitarianism 1914-1958, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014, 231.
John XXIII, Pacem in Terris, 1963, n. 14, http://www.vatican.va/content/john-xxiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_j-xxiii_enc_11041963_pacem.html
Karl-Egon Lönne, “The Origins of Christian Democratic Parties in Germany, Italy and France after 1943-45,” in Gregory Baum and John Coleman, ed., The Church and Christian Democracy, Concilium 193, Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1987, 3-13 at 4.
Leo XIII, Quod Apostolici Muneris, 1878, n. 6, http://w2.vatican.va/content/leo-xiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_28121878_quod-apostolici-muneris.html
Leslie Griffin, “Commentary on Dignitatis humanae,” in Himes, Modern Catholic Social Teaching, 252-274, esp. 254-260.
Martin Conway, Catholic Politics in Europe 1918-1945, London: Routledge, 1997, 5.
Marvin Mich, “Commentary on Mater et magistra” in Kenneth R. Himes, ed., Modern Catholic Social Teaching: Commentaries and Interpretations, 2nd ed., Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 2018, 199-225 at 203.
Mich, “Commentary on Mater et magistra,” 203.
Owen Chadwick, A History of the Popes 1830-1914, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998, 60.
Paul VI, Octogesima Adveniens, 1971, n. 22, http://www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/apost_letters/documents/hf_p-vi_apl_19710514_octogesima-adveniens.html
Pius XII, “Democracy and Peace,” Christmas Address, 1944, n. 12.
Pollard, Papacy in the Age of Totalitarianism, 137. I rely on Pollard’s excellent volume for the entire paragraph. The Gasparri quote that Pollard cites is from the second volume of the Cardinal’s memoirs.
Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, Washington, D.C.: United States Catholic Conference, 2004.
Riccardi, “Pius XII and the Catholic Party,” 40.
Samuel Huntington, The Third Wave: Democratization in the Late Twentieth Century, London: University of Oklahoma Press, 1993.
Sigmund, “Catholicism and Liberal Democracy,” 223-224.
Thomas Bokenkotter, Church and Revolution, New York: Image/Doubleday Books, 1998, 39.
Vatican II, Gaudium et Spes, n. 75.
Benedict XVI, “General Audience on Topic of Apostolic Journey to Croatia,” 2011, Rome: St. Peter’s Square, http://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/audiences/2011/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20110608.html
Benedict XVI, “Meeting with Representatives of British Society.”
Bokenkotter, Church and Revolution, 240.
Chadwick, History of the Popes 1830-1914, 132-160.
David Hollenbach, SJ, “Human Dignity in Catholic Thought,” Marcus Düwell, Jens Braavig, Roger Brownsword, Dietmar Mieth, ed., Cambridge Handbook on Human Dignity, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2014, 250-259 at 256.
Francis, Fratelli Tutti, n. 169, quoting himself, “Address to Participants in the World Meeting of Popular Movements,” 5 November 2016, L’Osservatore Romano, November 7-8, 2016, 4-5.
Gregory Baum and John Coleman, “Editorial,” in Baum and Coleman, The Church and Christian Democracy, xvii-xxiv at xx.
John Paul II, Centesimus Annus, n. 46.
John Paul II, Redemptor Hominis, 1979, n. 10, http://www.vatican.va/ content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_04031979_redemptor-hominis.html
John Pollard, The Papacy in the Age of Totalitarianism 1914-1958, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014, 231.
John XXIII, Pacem in Terris, 1963, n. 14, http://www.vatican.va/content/john-xxiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_j-xxiii_enc_11041963_pacem.html
Karl-Egon Lönne, “The Origins of Christian Democratic Parties in Germany, Italy and France after 1943-45,” in Gregory Baum and John Coleman, ed., The Church and Christian Democracy, Concilium 193, Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1987, 3-13 at 4.
Leo XIII, Quod Apostolici Muneris, 1878, n. 6, http://w2.vatican.va/content/leo-xiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_28121878_quod-apostolici-muneris.html
Leslie Griffin, “Commentary on Dignitatis humanae,” in Himes, Modern Catholic Social Teaching, 252-274, esp. 254-260.
Martin Conway, Catholic Politics in Europe 1918-1945, London: Routledge, 1997, 5.
Marvin Mich, “Commentary on Mater et magistra” in Kenneth R. Himes, ed., Modern Catholic Social Teaching: Commentaries and Interpretations, 2nd ed., Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 2018, 199-225 at 203.
Mich, “Commentary on Mater et magistra,” 203.
Owen Chadwick, A History of the Popes 1830-1914, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998, 60.
Paul VI, Octogesima Adveniens, 1971, n. 22, http://www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/apost_letters/documents/hf_p-vi_apl_19710514_octogesima-adveniens.html
Pius XII, “Democracy and Peace,” Christmas Address, 1944, n. 12.
Pollard, Papacy in the Age of Totalitarianism, 137. I rely on Pollard’s excellent volume for the entire paragraph. The Gasparri quote that Pollard cites is from the second volume of the Cardinal’s memoirs.
Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, Washington, D.C.: United States Catholic Conference, 2004.
Riccardi, “Pius XII and the Catholic Party,” 40.
Samuel Huntington, The Third Wave: Democratization in the Late Twentieth Century, London: University of Oklahoma Press, 1993.
Sigmund, “Catholicism and Liberal Democracy,” 223-224.
Thomas Bokenkotter, Church and Revolution, New York: Image/Doubleday Books, 1998, 39.
Vatican II, Gaudium et Spes, n. 75.
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Published
2020-12-01
How to Cite
Himes, K. R. . (2020). CATHOLICISM AND DEMOCRACY: PAST AND PRESENT. Asian Horizons, 14(4), 805–827. Retrieved from https://dvkjournals.in/index.php/ah/article/view/3619
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