Church promotes its faithful to take up civil leadership

For the greater glory of God, Church promotes its faithful to take up civil leadership

Many Politicians blame the Church for interfering politics. The relationship between Church and politics or Church’s interference in the politics is always a matter of discussion. Most of the time, involvement of the Church is often misunderstood.

On 26-01-2017, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops released a statement stating President Trump’s orders. My Trump ordered to construct a wall at United States/ Mexico border. Earlier, Pope Francis said, at his general audience, societies should build bridges not walls to encourage good relations among people. On 18-2-2016, Pope Francis said that any one who wants to build a border wall is not a Christian. Trump reacted saying, “for a religious leader to question a person’s faith is disgraceful.” This is one of the examples where Church and the state underwent a conflict.

In this article, Church means the people of God and the state is constituted of the people. Every citizen has a right to express his/her opinions and he/she has the right to involve in politics. Therefore, the church has the right to guide its faithful towards better governance.

There are people who are against of guidance of Church. They hold that state and its politics are based on natural laws and secular ethics; whereas, Church is based on divine laws and faith. Quoting John 15:19, they say, followers of Jesus should not be the part of the world. In John 18:36, Jesus says, “My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom was of this world, my disciples would have made a good fight to keep me out of the hands of the Jews: but my kingdom is not here.”

Therefore, the purpose of the separation of church and state was to safeguard that individuals could practice their spiritual or religious beliefs without fear of revenge.

The Church sanctifies the politics. Jesus said that we are the salt and light in the world. We are called to sanctify the politics. In England, William Wilberforce abolished slavery because of his strong Christian conviction. In Bible proverbs 11:14 states, “When there is no helping suggestion the people will have a fall, but with a number of wise guides they will be safe.”

It is the freedom of each citizen to express his/her opinions. He/she has the right to involve in politics. The church guides the Christians faithful to follow the footsteps of Christ, like helping the poor, doing justice to all.

The church has also a moral obligation to be the voice of the voiceless. Looking back to the history, Archbishop Oscar Romero and many Jesuit priests involved in politics, to raise the voice of the voiceless. 

Pastor Martin Niemöller opposed the nazification of German Protestant Churches. During the World War II, Pope Pius XII spoke against the Nazi’s euthanasia program. As a result, many politicians fought against Nazi’s euthanasia.

The word of God says that God is the creator of life and no one has the right to destroy it. When a government goes against word of God, Church has to interfere.

When the civil law goes against divine law, The Bible says to disobey the civil law and civil disobedience.

In Europe, there are a lot of Priests and religious. There are a lot of Catholics. In some occasions, the local civil authorities or higher civil authorities do not do the will of the people, Church or priests have to speak out the decisions of the faithful. Or the local Church should support the faithful for a just reasons.

When we pray the prayer “Our Father”, we say “thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” To bring God’s kingdom on earth, Church should interfere into the politics.

Therefore, the church can interfere in the themes of politics to raise the voice of the voiceless. Church also guides the politicians to work for the betterment of the society. At the same time, the leaders of the Church, should not misuse the pulpit to favor one political party.

Church and Holy Eucharist...

Church is more promoting rather than discriminating the faithful to receive the Holy Eucharist

Jesus Christ instituted the sacrament of Holy Eucharist on the Holy Thursday. He instituted it with the intention of being with the people throughout the ages. Therefore, we celebrate the Holy Eucharist as the commemoration of the last supper. At the same time, the code of canon law (c.915) states that Catholics are not to be allowed to receive Holy Communion if they are in grave sin. Therefore, can we conclude that forbidding the Eucharist to some is a discriminatory gesture!

          We know that Jesus instituted the Eucharist to remember his death and resurrection for the forgiveness of our sins. The Church encourages its faithful to receive the Eucharist frequently. At the same time, the Church guides its faithful to hold the blessed Eucharist in the highest honor. Because Jesus said, “this is my body and this is my blood.”

When the bread and wine is consecrated at the mass, the bread becomes body of Christ and wine becomes blood of Christ. Therefore, Church sets out specific guidelines regarding how the faithful should prepare themselves to receive the Lord’s body and blood.

The faithful should receive the sacrament with great devotion (C.898). Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches (1385) “anyone conscious of a grave sin must receive the sacrament of reconciliation before coming to the Eucharist.”

Jesus is merciful and forgiving; at the same time, we should make ourselves worthy to receive his mercy. Jesus said to the adulterous woman, “woman, yours sins are forgiven, do not sin any more.” The Church, the bride of Christ is concerned with three interrelated points:

1.     Personal and spiritual well being of a Catholic: It is a part of formation to promote a person spiritually with deep faith in Jesus and practice his teachings. It transforms a person more dedicated to the paths of Jesus Christ.

2.     The need to maintain reverence toward the most Holy Eucharist: The Eucharist is the very channel of eternal life. To receive the Eucharist in a worthy manner, a person must receive sacrament of confession through perfect contrition.

3.     The need to avoid public scandal.

But question remains: for example, one catholic spouse is divorces by the other spouse, without the will of first. Can he/she receive Eucharist? The spouse is the innocent victim of a divorce, decreed by civil law of other spouse. This spouse therefore has not contravened the moral law. We have to make it clear distinction that there is a reasonable difference between a spouse who has sincerely tried to be faithful to the sacrament of marriage and on the contrary, one who through his own grave fault destroys a canonically valid marriage (CCC 2386). Such person can’t be excluded from the sacraments simply because their spouse chose to divorce him/her.

There are also other situations; like a battered wife who seeks to protect her children from an abusive situation; or if one spouse is bankrupting the family with compulsive gambling, the other spouse obtains a civil divorce in order to safeguard the financial well-being of the rest of the family; but both the cases, they are not married again.

When we take these particular cases, the church does not teach that Catholics are forbidden to receive Holy Communion if they are divorced. But, it teaches that a Catholic who has been divorces and remarried, without having first obtained an annulment of the first marriage, is not permitted to receive the Eucharist.

The Catholic Church holds, in fidelity to the words of Jesus Christ, “whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” If the divorces are remarried civilly, they cannot receive Eucharistic communion as long as this situation persists (1650).

If a divorced and remarried Catholic wishes to receive Holy Communion, what can he do? Church condemns the reception of the Eucharist by a Catholic who persists in an adulterous union. He/ She must first repent of his adultery, and receive sacramental absolution. But in order to be truly sorry for his sins, a Catholic must have the resolution to avoid them in future. Thus the adultery has to end.

If the civilly remarried catholic repented and lives as brother and sister (not as husband and wife) for the well-being of minor children, it may lead to public scandal. In this situation, the parish priest, in consolation with the bishop and the spouses, can make an effort to ensure that these parishioners can receive the Eucharist in a more discreet way.

Most of the time, the Catholic Church tries her best to balance different situations and takes a decision on these background: reverence toward the most Blessed Sacrament, respecting the right of Catholics and avoiding public scandals.

We can finally conclude that Church is a mother who always concerns towards its children. As a mother, it promotes its children to receive the sacrament of Eucharist. At the same time, as a mother, it also guides its children to receive sacrament of divine gift in a worthy manner. The mother knows what is the best for each child: an adult or a child; handicapped or healthy; prodigal or obedient child.