Catholic Church and politics

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Catholic Church and politics aims to cover subjects of where the Catholic Church and politics share common ground.



19th century[edit]

As a program and a movement, political Catholicism - a political and cultural conception which promotes the ideas and social teaching of the Catholic Church in public life through government action - was started by Prussian Catholics in the second half of the 19th century, as a response to secular social concepts. The main reason were the measures by Chancellor Otto von Bismarck to limit the influence of Catholic Church, first in Prussia, and then in united Germany. That struggle is known in history as the Kulturkampf.


Political changes in Spain during the second half of the nineteenth century led to the development of Catholic Integrism and Carlism struggling against a separation of church and state. The clearest expression of this struggle arose with the 1884 publication of the book Liberalism is a Sin. The book was rapidly referred to Rome, where it received a positive, albeit cautious welcome.[2]


Catholic movements in the 20th century[edit]



Some of the earliest important political parties were:



After World War II, more unions were formed, including:





Catholics are called to participate in the political process, be informed voters, and to encourage elected officials to act on behalf of the common good. There are limits to official Catholic Church political activity. The Church engages in issue-related activity, not partisan political candidate activities. This restriction does not apply to individuals or group provided they do not represent themselves as acting in an official Church capacity.[5]

Every two years the USCCB produces "Faithful Citizenship" guides, to provide guidelines and explanations of Catholic teaching to Catholic voters.[6]

See also[edit]


  2. ^ "Liberalism is a Sin". Liberalism is a Sin. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  4. ^ Douthat, Ross (October 8, 2016). Among the Post-Liberals. The New York Times. Retrieved July 17, 2017
  5. ^ "Guidelines for Parish and Church Organization Political Activity", Minnesota Catholic Conference, July 2018
  6. ^ "The Catholic Church in US Politics", Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs - Georgetown University

