After a long hiatus, we return to our journey through the document Pacem in Terris by Pope St. John XXIII, written in 1963. Last we left off, we were looking at broad changes in society around the world and breaking open the Church’s teaching about government power and human rights. While the Church does not dictate any single governmental system to be the best, Pope John XIII does highlight the value of dividing powers within the government as well as the importance of civic participation by each citizen. All of this is rooted in that principle of the Common Good that we see pop up again and again in the teaching of the popes over the last 150 years. To refresh your memory, the common good means things that are enjoyed by communities rather than individuals; things like peace, a well laid out city, and the ability to socialize and belong to groups of people. The government is there to serve and protect these and other goods that, left to individuals, would likely never be achieved.
While still dealing with the concepts of power, rights, and responsibilities, the pope then addresses the idea that government leaders are somehow allowed to violate the natural law because of their greater responsibility. This can be anything from acting like leaders aren’t bound by morality to treating the leaders themselves as less than human. Obviously, this is false. Human leaders remain human and their personal qualities and needs remain real. They are to be commended for accomplishments and held accountable for wicked actions.
Contrary to the popular saying “you can’t legislate morality,” Pope John tells us that “a fundamental factor of the common good is acknowledgment of the moral order and exact observance of its commands.” The idea that morality and law are separate is flatly absurd. It’s based on the false assumption that morality is a matter of opinion. That’s relativism and even relativists don’t actually act like they believe it. No one thinks robbery and murder should be legal. Why? Because they are wrong. A good governmental order should only pass laws that line up with moral truths. This doesn’t mean you make every sin into a crime – there are limits to human power – but it does mean we can’t use law to change something evil into something good.
Zooming out from this, the pope looks at the relationships between nations, pointing again to the need to recognize truth if we are going to find peace. A key truth is that “all States are by nature equal in dignity” even if they are not equal in size, power, or wealth. By “state,” the pope means countries or nations, not the 50 U.S. States. The point is that a larger country can’t just take over a smaller one for no reason because that smaller country has a basic right to exist and to seek its own flourishing, so long as it does not violate the good of other countries. Being wealthier or more advanced actually gives a country more responsibility in looking out for the good of poorer, less developed regions. Again, this doesn’t mean a takeover or manipulation, but an obligation to be generous in helping others to improve themselves. This is the principle of Solidarity, which is the general obligation to care for each other. It’s also the reason that simply conquering or going to war is not the right way to settle disputes between nations.
Pope St. John XXIII then addresses the issue of minorities within nations. He quite directly condemns racism, but also offers important perspective on the issues raised by racial tensions within the same nation. Civic authorities ought to allow minorities to seek their own flourishing and protect and develop their own heritage. Attempts to limit their growth are unacceptable and governments should be conscious of the disadvantages imposed on them by past crimes and difficulties. At the same time, however, the pope notes that some groups can be “inclined to exalt beyond due measure anything proper to their own people, and to such a degree as to look down on things common to all mankind as if the welfare of the human family must yield to the good of their own ethnic group.” In other words, simply being a minority does not give a person or group the right to override the needs and identities of other groups or of the majority. A careful effort must be made in all groups to acknowledge the principles of justice and the common good rather than radical focus on special interests. Next week, we’ll pick up with the pope’s look at stockpiling weapons and other international issues.
Very informative. I like the reasoning behind the teaching. It also is an easy guide to wrong action and why it’s wrong. Wrong is without consideration of God, and nothing good can come from the absence of God.