The Catholic Church, Catholicism and Global Politics
Abstract
Before the contemporary (secular) international state system emerged in the seventeenth century, religion was a dominant ideology that often-ignited political conflict between social groupings. But with the 1648 Peace of Westphalia and the following expansion of centralized governments, first in Western Europe and then, through European invasion, to most of the rest of the world, both locally and globally, the political relevance of religion declined considerably. But in the early 21st century, religion makes a comeback, usually in political forms. This trend has been more noticeable since the late 1980s, or the post-cold war era, particularly within the so-called "world religions" (Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism). The first section of this paper reviews the theological and historical background of Catholic involvement in politics, with a focus on the development of Catholic social doctrine. Next, it looks at Vatican diplomacy, focusing particularly on Benedict XVI and John Paul II's pontificates. After that, a discussion of Catholic politics across the globe is covered. In examining concerns that are far in the future, this paper comes to a close. Thus, investigating Catholicism will offer a glimpse into the more expansive and always shifting link between politics and religion in the modern world.
Keywords
ReligionChurchCatholicismCatholicGlobal PoliticsVatican Diplomacy
References
Adamson, J.O. (2022). Accountability and Christian Education. London: Routledge. Allen, Jr., J.L. (2018). All the Pope’s Men: The Inside Story of How the Vatican Really Thinks, New York: Doubleday. Allen, Jr., J.L. (2017). ‘A Challenge, not a Crusade’, The New York Times, 19 September. ‘Annual Message to Diplomatic Corps’ (1996) Pope John Paul II. Barrett, D., Kurian, G. and Johnson, T. (eds.) (2023). World Christian Encyclopedia, New York: Oxford University Press. Bottum, J. (2020). ‘Benedict meets Batholomew: The Real Reason for the Pope’s Visit to Turkey’, The Weekly Standard, 11 December, pp. 14–15. Byrnes, T.A. (2018). Catholic Bishops in American Politics, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Cameron, N.M. (2023). ‘Evangelicals and Bioethics: An Extraordinary Failure’, in Cromartie, M. (ed.), A Public Faith: Evangelicals and Civic Engagement, Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. Casanova, J. (2014). Public Religions in the Modern World, Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Centesimus Annus (1991) Encyclical letter of Pope John Paul II. Christiansen, D. (2016). ‘Catholic Peacemaking, 1991–2005: The Legacy of Pope John Paul II’, Review of Faith and International Affairs, 12(2), pp. 21–28. Cleary, E.L. & Hertzke, A.D. (2022). Representing God at the Statehouse: Religion and Politics in the American States, Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. Coleman, J.S. & Hoffer, T. (2017). Public and Private High Schools: The Impact of Communities, New York: Basic Books. Cowell, A. (2019). ‘How Vatican views Cairo’, The New York Times, 18 September. Crossette, B. (2022). ‘Vatican Holds Up Abortion Debate at Talks in Cairo’, The New York Times, 7 September. ‘Democracy and a Lasting Peace’ (1944) Christmas Message of Pope Pius XII, 25 December. ‘Dignitatis Humanae’ (1965) Vatican Council II, Flannery, A. (ed.), Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press. Elenga, Y.C. (2016). The Congolese Church: Ecclesial Community with the Political Community, Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press. Ferrari, L.L. (2020). The Vatican as a Transnational Actor, Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press. ‘Fides et Ratio’ (2008) Encyclical Letter of Pope John Paul II. Filteau, J. (2019) ‘Pope Made Important Overtures to Non-Christian Religions,’ Catholic News Service, www.catholicnewscom/jpii/stories/ story04htm. Fisher, I. and Tavernise, S. (2021). In Reversal, Pope Backs Turkey’s Bid to join European Union, New York: Times Press. ‘Gaudium et Spes’ (1965). Vatican Council II, Flannery, A. (ed.), Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press. Gill, A.J. (2020). Rendering unto Caesar: The Catholic Church and the State in Latin America, Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Gutierrez, G. (2013). A Theology of Liberation: History, Politics, and Salvation, Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books. Havel,V. et al. (2019). The Power of the Powerless: Citizens against the state in Central-Eastern Europe, Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe. P-ISSN 2695-219X Hertzke, A.D. (2022) Freeing God’s Children: The Unlikely Alliance for Global Human Rights, Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. Hertzke, A.D. (2020) ‘Roman Catholicism and the Faith-Based Movement for Global Human Rights’, Review of Faith and International Affairs, 43(3), pp. 19–24 Heywood, L. (2022). The Angolan Church: The Prophetic Tradition, Politics, and the State, Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press. Huntington, S. (1991). The Third Wave: Democratization in the Late Twentieth Century, Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press. Jelen, T.G. (2019). The American Church: Of Being Catholic and American, Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press. Kahn, G. & Meichtry, S. (2020). ‘A Tumultuous World Tests a Rigid Pope’, The New York Times, 25 November. Kalyvas, S.N. (2020). The Rise of Christian Democracy in Europe, Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. Katzenstein, P.J. & Byrnes, T.A. (2022). ‘Transnational Religion in an Expanding Europe’, Perspectives on Politics, 44(4), pp. 679–94. Lyon, A.J. (2018). The East Timorese Church: From Oppression to Liberation, Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press. Madsen, P. (2019). The Economic Costs and Benefits of International Catholic Students. Oxford: Higher Education Policy Institute. Maritain, J. (1943) The Rights of Man and Natural Law, New York: Scribner’s Sons. Maritain, J. (1947) The Person and the Common Good, Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press. Mitchell, T. (2020). ‘Angry Beijing Acts against Zen Approach to Freedom’, The Financial Times, 8 May. Neuhaus, R. J. (2019). The Catholic Moment: The Paradox of the Church in the Postmodern World, New York: Collins Press. ‘New Ordination Does Not Mean Better China– Vatican Ties’ (2010) Agence France Presse, 8 May. Nouaille, M. (2022) ‘Pope Courts Intellectuals in Defense of Europe’s Christian Values’, Agence France Presse, 19 October. Papini, R. (2017). The Christian Democrat International, translated by Robert Royal, Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. Philpott, D. (2021). ‘The Catholic Wave’, in Diamond, L., Plattner, M.F., and Costopoulos, P.J. (eds.), World Religions and Democracy, Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. ‘Pope Rejects Condoms for Africa’ (2015). BBC News, 10 June. ‘Pope Shares Pain of Palestinian People over Arafat’ (2004). Agence France Presse, 11 November. Ratzinger, C.J. (2012). ‘Culture and Truth: Reflections on Fides et Ratio’, Origins, 45(6), 25 February. Reardon, L.C. (2020). The Chinese Catholic Church: Obstacles to Reconciliation, Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press. Reel, M. (2015). ‘An Abiding Faith in Liberation Theology’, Washington Post, 2 May. Rerum Novarum (1891). Encyclical letter of Pope Leo XIII. Rother, L. (2018). Pope Benedict XVI and Developing Nations, New York: Time Publications. Rutagambwa, E. (2022). The Rwandan Church: The Challenge of Reconciliation, Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press. P-ISSN 2695-219X Schwarz, J.C. (2018). Global Population from a Catholic Perspective, Mystic, CT: Twenty-third Publications. Steinfels, M.O. (ed.) (2023). American Catholics and Civic Engagement: A Distinctive Voice, Lanham, MD: Point Press. Shed, W. & Steinfels, P. (2020). A People Adrift: The Crisis of the Roman Catholic Church in America, New York: Simon & Schuster. Stepan, A. (2020). ‘Religion, Democracy, and The “Twin Tolerations” ’, in L., Diamond, Plattner, M.F., & Costopoulos, P.J. (eds.), World Religions and Democracy, Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. Tagliabue, J. (2016). ‘Vatican Seeks Islamic Allies in UN Population Dispute’, The New York Times, 18 August. UN General Assembly Highlights: International Conference on Population and Development, Cairo, Egypt, 5-13 September 2014. ‘Vatican Asks Muslims to Help Defeat Terrorism’ (2010). Daily Mail, London, 21 October. Weigel, G. (2019). Witness to Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II, New York: Collins Publications. Weigel, G. (2015). The Cube and the Cathedral: Europe, America, and Politics without God, New York: Basic Books. Wills, G. (2022). Why I Am a Catholic, New York: Harper Perennial. Wooster, H. (2017). ‘Faith at the Ramparts: The Philippine Catholic Church and the 1986 Revolution’, in Johnston, D. & Sampson, C. (eds.), Religion, the Missing Dimension of Statecraft, New York: Oxford University Press. Yamane, D. (2021). The Catholic Church in State Politics: Negotiating Prophetic Demands and Political Realities, Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
More Articles from INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL PRACTICE
Vocal Health Awareness and Hygiene Practices in Church Choral Singing: Implications for Contextual Voice Pedagogy
Author: Yeside Odiase PhD
Pastoral Care Strategy for Guiding Christians Experiencing Doctrinal Confusion
Author: Esther Viyon Odunlami, PhD
An Ethical Enquiry into Youth Development from the Biblical Perspective in the Context of Nigerian Society, 2000–2023: A Case Study of Abia State
Author: Umejiaku Ucheakolam Elizabeth
Attitudes of Christian Religious Studies Students Toward Artificial Intelligence–Supported Instruction at The Federal College of Education, Kontagora
Author: Ubandoma Munagkur Charity, Umeh, Chinwe Blessing, Ph.D., Yohanna, Hananiah Kajang
Pastoral Care Perspectives on Female Genital Mutilation: A Feminist Approach
Author: Oyebola Adewumi Adejumo, Ochenia Faith Opade, PhD