In Mixed Matters

1n “mixed” matters, where both the State and Church have jurisdiction, the church is the higher authority; ‘such is the case for example in questions concerning marriage and education. Then the State’s decision must be subordinate to the decision of the Church, since the State works in the temporal order and the Church in the supernatural order. Temporal matters must be subordinated to spiritual matters.

When there is a need to defend spiritual matters and Christian morals among men, the Church has the obligation to stand firm. Pope Leo XIII writes: “God entrusted to the Church the duty to exert herself firmly if the State tries in any way to do harm to religion; the Church has been given the duty to strive to improve the impact of religion in all laws and commands ruling men. – (Sapientia Christiane, 16).

Duty of State

The State should also exert itself

(a)To defend and to protect the rights of individuals and of society, even the smaller communities.

(b)The state should do its best to make the country progress in temporal matters and establish order and peace, and good morals.

(c) The state must also leave the church free to fulfill her duties and even defend her against her enemies.

When you have meditated upon all these points, you will find that they clarify the situation and should be enough to bring to an end the difficulties you have had to face, difficulties sometimes brought by your own fellow-Catholics. I do not think that a Catholic could still remain blind and accept as before to be deceived. For your friends who are not of the same faith as you are, you will help them to know the truth so that they also will avoid being deceived as in the past.

III Political Parties

Before I conclude this letter, I with to give you some guidance on the coming elections which are causing you anxiety. Most present day governments are based on democracy, and therefore work on the political party system. There are two reasons which make democracy popular everywhere:

(a) Because firstly it gives an opportunity to every citizen who wishes to do so to choose his own representatives, who will be the bearers of his ideas in discussions on the duties to be carried out by the citizens, and on burdens which will be imposed on the citizens for the good of the country

(b) Secondly, all citizens take part in a democratic government and they are not reduced to find themselves unexpectedly burdened with impossible law. This sharing of government is done through, the representatives whom they choose for themselves. In such a government there is an opposition party as well as the ruling party, which won the elections.

If that opposition party understands its role properly, it will not fight just for the sake of fighting against every single issue proposed by the ruling party, but it will be there to watch over the welfare of the nation so that it will not be oppressed nor despoiled by the present government. Therefore, a political party should not merely be occupied in biting at or eating other parties up, but should strive for the progress of the country and its welfare.

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