THEOLOGY 4
STATE
M1-L1: INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL
EDUCATION
AIMS OF POLITICAL EDUCATION
1. The acquisition of the ability to identify, describe, and
understand the nature of political life and involvement in
political or civic affairs in our society.
 Involvement is not only in partisan politics but
also on getting actively and responsibly
involved in the multi-faceted affairs of the
society.
 Political life is anchored on the interconnection
of social realities like culture and economy.
2. The acquisition of knowledge that fosters the ability to
participate actively and responsibly in various political
pursuits or involvements.
 Includes the formation of personal
dispositions or virtues that enable one to
contribute to or take part in community building.
 This necessarily assumes the existence of
environments or organization support for
individuals who take part in community building
efforts.
AIMS OF POLITICAL EDUCATION
 Involvement in political life, which is active
participation in community affairs, is the
most effective approach to political
education.
 It entails a gradual, sustained involvement in
any form of civic activities, projects or
programs aimed at improving the
communities and flourishing of human life
of persons in community.
 One way of involvement in community
affairs is through the Church.
 Although Jesus did not get involved in
partisan politics, His message and ministry
have so much to do with political life –
taken in the broad sense as participation
and involvement in community affairs
towards the promotion of total human
development.
POLITICAL EDUCATION aims to
understand and describe the nature of
political life same as to inculcate active
involvement in one’s political life which
involves the FAMILY as a member of the
STATE (good father of the national family;
promotion of care and welfare of sick, poor and
confined people) and also as a member of the
CHURCH (“Church of the poor”; community
of disciples which helps the more disadvantaged
poor and oppressed-citizen. LEADERSHIP like
Jesus Christ to create a
COMPASSIONATE/GENEROUS leadership
LESSON 1: THE CHURCH AND THE
 The Church and the state relations have
been constantly evolving with various
forms of government, some of them
even controversial in retrospect
 The Church history shows that she had
to deal with various concepts and
systems of governance – from the
Roman Empire to the medieval divine
right of kings, from the 19th and 20th
century concepts of democracy and
pluralism to the appearance of left-wing
and right-wing dictatorial regimes.
 The turbulent times in the past with
regard to Church and state relations led
to the convening of Ecumenical or
General Councils, the latest of which is
Vatican II
 The council of Vatican II presented 16
Documents; to wit:
1. The Sacred Constitution on the
Sacred Liturgy (Sacrosanctum
Concilium)
2. Decree on the Means of Social
Communication (Inter Mirifica)
3. Dogmatic Constitution of the
Church (Lumen Gentium)
4. Decree on the Catholic Eastern
Churches (Orientalium Ecclesiarum)
5. Decree on Ecumenism (Unitatis
Redintegratio)
6. Decree on the Pastoral Office of
Bishops in the Church (Christus
Dominus)
7. Decree on the Up to date Renewal
of Religious Life (Perfectae Caritatis)
8. Decree on the Training of Priests
(Optatam Totius)
9. Declaration on Christian Education
(Gravissimum Educationis)
10. Declaration on the Relation of the
Church to Non-Christian Religions
(Nostra Aetate)
11. Dogmatic Constitution on Divine
Revelation (Del Verbum)
12. Decree on the Apostolate of the
Laity/Lay People (Apostolicam
Actuositatem)
13. Declaration on Religious
Liberty/Freedom (Dignitatis Humanae)
14. Decree on the Missionary Activity
of the Church (Ad Gentes)
15. Decree on the Ministry and Life of
Priests (Presbyterorum Ordinis)
16. Pastoral Constitution on the
Church in the Modern World
(Gaudium et Spes)
 The Church’s decree Dignitatis
Humanae, emphasized that people
must not be coerced in matters of
religion.
According to DH, “leaves untouched
traditional Catholic doctrine on the
moral duty of men and societies toward
the true religion and toward the one
Church of Christ”
It maintains that in an ideal society, the
Catholic Church would be recognized as
the official religion of the state.
It is because Freedom of Religion and
the Principle of Equality play important
roles, especially when answering
questions about the meaning of religion
in a state.
o These changes and development show
the secularization of the state and
constitutional theory.
o During the Middle Ages in Europe, The
Christian religion determined the
position of the state as well as the
position of the Church.
o Religion gave state authorities and state
power their legitimacy, where the
government was the protector of the
Christian faith
 Nowadays, religion is no longer
that fundamental; the starting
points now are democracy and
the rule of law.
o Pope Leo XIII, late in the 19th century,
summed it up this way: “the Almighty
has appointed the charge of the human
race between two powers, the
ecclesiastical and the civil, the one
being set over divine, the other over
human things”
o He said: “Church and state are like soul
and body and both must be united in
order to live and function rightly”
o The 20th Century may have seen the idea
come into being that, as a result of
modernization and rationalization,
religion’s role would fade away or
would, at least, be limited to the private
sphere
o Today’s reality, however, presents quite
a different picture;
1. The secularization of society never
has been a “global” phenomenon
2. The decrease in the number of
members of religious communities need
not correspond to a similar decrease in
the number of believers
3. Religion remains an important factor
in the social, cultural, and political
domains. It cannot be reduced to a
personal conviction, which has no
meaning outside the private sphere.
o In Europe, one of the most important
reasons for the renewed interest in the
relationship between state and religion
has been the large increase in the
number of Muslims, whose religion
sometimes appears to put a stamp on
their entire life and whose religious
commitments seem to play an important
social and cultural role.
o Simultaneously, there may exist a
reinforced interest in the position of
strict Christian groups.
o Another separate reason for this
renewed interest is the emergence of
religiously inspired terrorism.
o Even if that is not considered an
overture to a clash of civilizations, the
question has to be answered regarding
what a government’s position should be
facing radical religious groups.
WHAT IS “SEPARATION OF
CHURCH (POWERS) AND STATE
(POWERS)?”
 That the society is comprised of human
beings
 That each human being is an embodied
spirit
 That there can be no human affairs
which concerns only the body
 The Church and the state have their own
domain and the separation is to their
powers only, that is, in the exercise of
their respective domain
 Both the Church and the state are
concerned with the good of every
human being, who is an embodied spirit
 Neither of them can give what every and
all human being need
 They must be working together for the
sake of common good
LESSON 2: AMORIS LAETITIA
(ROLE OF LOVE IN CITIZENSHIP)
 On Citizenship
 Citizenship can be seen as
both a status and an ideal
 A status, because it brings to
mind one’s relation to the
state, specifically one’s
privileges, rights and identity
 Likewise, it highlights one’s
bond to the other members of
the state, as in sharing a
common identity or ethnic
characteristics
 An ideal, because it raises
the issues of obligation and
 responsibilities; thus,
implicating one to the
political participation and
involvement in the affairs
of the state;
 Also, it puts every
individual standards of
behavior by w/c one may
be educated and formed
or punished for having
strayed from the
standards of citizenship
 Citizenship is also a
bond that extends beyond
basic family ties to unite
people of different
generic backgrounds
 It makes a variety of
members into a whole
that is aware of its
identity beyond the
clan/kinship network
 Citizenship, thereby,
relates to many aspects of
society such as the
family, military service,
individual rights,
autonomy and religion,
standards of right and
wrong, and customary
practices for how a
person should behave in
society
 Citizenship is conferred
upon persons and this
identifies him/her as
belonging to a certain
nation, complete with
rights, privileges, and
obligations as well
 It makes them bear some
cultural marks, like
customary roles/positions
that have been handed
down from one
generation to the next
 These cultural
inscriptions would confer
on every individual’s
specific social status and
obligations to fellow
members of the society
 To wit: head of a family,
caregiver, peacemaker, a
prophet, the leader
 Such roles are important
for one’s place and
participation in the
political spectrum
“Love is everything, it is patient, it is kind. It does not
envy nor boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor
others, neither self-seeking nor easily-angered. It
never keeps the wrong, it does not rejoice with evil
but with the truth. It always protects, trusts, hopes,
and perseveres. Love never fails. In the end, only
three remains… Faith, Hope, and Love. The greatest of
these is Love.”
- 1 Cor. 1-13
 On Amoris Laetitia
 Taking to mind the essence
of social participation of
every citizen, we bring in the
ideal of Love emanating
from each family as
fundamentally essential
 Ideal love should animate
every citizen as his/her role
could only find fulfillment
through it (F. Dagmang)
 The ideal love is contained in
the Apostolic Exhortation of
Pope Francis entitled
“Amoris Laetitia”, which
translates in English as The
Joy of Loving
 Through this Apostolic
Exhortation, Pope Francis is
calling for the Roman
Catholic Church to be more
welcoming and less
judgmental
 The Pope seemingly signaled
a pastoral path for divorced
and remarried Catholics to
receive Holy Communion
 The 256 page document
calls for priests to welcome
single parents, gay people &
unmarried straight couples
who are living together
 He wrote, “A pastor cannot
feel that it is enough to
simply apply moral laws to
those living in irregular
situations, as if they were
stones to throw at people’s
lives”
 He is firm though on the
Church’s moral stand as he
once again closed the door on
same sex marriage, saying
that it cannot be seen as the
equivalent of heterosexual
unions that matrimony is
essentially about.
 Amoris Laetitia offers no
new rules or marching
orders, and from the outset
makes plain and clear that no
topdown edicts* (as far as
the Church moral stand is
concerned) are coming
o Edicts – a decree or
announcement of a
law issues by
authority
 Both synods were
contentious and, the
participants said afterward,
ultimately enlightening
 The battle lines were expressed concern that Pope
basically drawn over Francis could destabilize the
what it means for the church and undermine
church to be pastoral and doctrine, were far less
merciful in its approach impressed”
to people who are not  R.R. Reno, a Catholic
living according to the theologian and editor of
Christian ideal of the First Things which is a
intact, nuclear family conservative journal of
 How far should the religion and public life,
church bend to respond lamented what he called a
to modern life or to “muddy document that
bring people back to substitutes the Church’s
good and full standing in rules, laws and requirements
the church? with talk about ideals and
 Both synods concluded values”
with final reports written  Cardinal Schönborn noted
by participating bishops, that Pope Francis’
and Pope Francis has “pervasive principle of
drawn extensively on inclusion clearly troubles
those reports in his some people,”
exhortation  The Cardinal alluded to
 Pope Francis adopts the conservative Catholic critics
solution introduced by as “those who are concerned
the German speaking that the Pope favors a
bishops at the second mentality of anything goes”
synod: inviting divorced  The Cardinal argued that the
and remarried Catholics Pope is not changing Church
who have not had their doctrine on the family but is
first marriages annulled deepening the understanding
to seek the counsel of a outlined by Pope John Paul
priest II in his own document on
 The priest, then, in the family, Familiaris
private and personal Consortio*
conversations known as  Familiaris Consortio is the
the internal forum, Apostolic Exhortation of
could help them to Pope John Paul II on “The
examine their conscience Role of the Christian family
and determine their in the Modern World” (The
future participation in Fellowship of the Family)
church life  “It is a classic example of
 Amoris Laetitia is a the organic development of
quietly revolutionary the doctrine; there is
document according to innovation and continuity,”
Rev. James Martin, a said Cardinal Schönborn
Jesuit who is editor at  Homosexually was another
large for America hot button issue, and Francis
Magazine took his cues from the
 He said, “It restores the majority view in the synods
role of personal  During the 1st synod, an
conscience and reminds interim report written by a
pastors to meet people committee of bishops used
where they are. It will be language that was strikingly
a great encouragement, welcoming to gay people,
especially to divorced but it received so much
and remarried Catholics, criticism from other bishops
and anyone who feels at the synod that it was gone
they have been by the final report
unwelcome in the  It says: ‘Every person,
Church” regardless of sexual
 According to R.R. orientation’, should be
Reno, the message is: treated with respect and
“Welcome!” consideration, while ‘every
Conservative Catholics, sign of unjust discrimination
who have already is to be carefully avoided,
 particularly any form of
aggression and violence’
 In the next section,
however, the Pope states
categorically that the
church cannot
countenance same sex
marriages or unions,
citing the 2nd synod’s
report that “there are
absolutely no grounds
for considering
homosexual unions to be
in any way similar;
remotely analogous to
God’s plan for marriage
and family”
 This was considered to
be a rare harsh passage
in what is otherwise a
fatherly letter to the
church, especially as the Amoris Laetitia on Moral Issues
release coincided with
what the Pope himself
declared to be Extra-
ordinary Jubilee (Year)
of Mercy – Dec. 8, 2015
– Nov.20, 2016
 Pope Francis, at every
opportunity, has been
reminding Catholics that
forgiveness and mercy
are the heart of the faith
 He says: “No one can be
condemned forever,
because that is not the
logic of the Gospel!”
 He is speaking not only
for the divorced and
remarried, “but of
everyone, in whatever
situation they find
themselves”
 The Church in the U.S.,
together with the Church
throughout the world,
has found in Pope
Francis’ Post-Synodal
Apostolic Exhortation
Amoris Laetitia (The
Joy of Love), a wealth of
encouragement,
guidance, and wisdom
about the beautiful gift
and vocation of marriage
and family life
 At a national level, the
United States
Conference of Catholic
Bishops (USCCB) looks
forward to the
anticipated development
of a renewed,
comprehensive pastoral
plan for marriage and
family life ministry and
advocacy inspired by the
Pope’s encouragement
 This plan will be carefully
developed over the next few
years and will be a strategic
opportunity for the Church
here in this country to
incarnate the rich vision of
marriage and family life
found in Amoris Laetitia
 Pope Francis has given us a
tremendous gift in Amoris
Laetitia, may our
knowledge of it continue to
be an opportunity for the
whole Church in the
Philippines, to renew the
dedication to protect,
promote, and strengthen
marriages and families
 On Remarried Divorcees
Issue: Should divorcees and remarried
be allowed to take communion?
• On condition that 2nd civil
marriage are adulterous (unless
annulled by the church), liberal
Catholics claimed that this shuts
the door of the Church for many,
while conservative Catholics
maintain that divorce is morally
wrong.
• What Pope Francis says: “It is
important that the divorced who
have entered a new union should
be made to feel part of the
Church… Language or conduct
that might lead to them to feel
discriminated against should be
avoided, and they should be
encouraged to participate in the
life of the community”
• He adds that a conversation
between an individual and their
priest – known as the internal
forum “contributes to the
formation of a correct judgment
on what hinders the possibility of
a fuller participation in the life of
the church”. He also said:
“Divorce is an evil and the
increasing number of divorces is
very troubling”
• What does this mean: The church
should not turn its back on
remarried divorcees. Without
clearly stating that such
individuals can take Holy
Communion, Pope Francis is
clearly encouraging priests and
bishops to make their own
judgments. In practice, this
already happens in thousands of
local churches, but the document
 is likely to lead to further
liberalization on this issue
 On Same-sex Relationships
Issue: Should the church be more
inclusive to gay people, renounce its
view that homosexuality is an
“intrinsic moral disorder” and even
allow same-sex marriages?
• What Pope Francis says:
“Every person, regardless of
sexual orientation, ought to
be respected in his/her
dignity and treated with
consideration, while every
sign of unjust
discrimination is to be
carefully avoided,
particularly any form of
aggression and violence”
• He restates that “there are
absolutely no grounds for
considering homosexual
unions to be in any way
similar or even remotely
analogous to God’s plan for
marriage and family”
• Again, the Pope is adopting a
more tolerant, inclusive
language while not making
any doctrinal changes. It is
significant that the phrase
“intrinsic disorder” is absent
from the document. And his
reference to aggression and
violence signals that the
church should oppose the
criminalization and
persecution of LGBTQi…
people, which is a big issue
in countries like Uganda.
 On Abortion
Issue: Would the pope soften the
church’s uncompromising
opposition to abortion?
• What the Pope says: “So
great is the value of human
life, and so inalienable the
right to life of an innocent
child growing in the
mother’s womb, that no
alleged right to one’s own
body can justify a decision to
terminate that life”
• He restates: “Those that
work in healthcare facilities
are reminded of the moral
duty of conscientious
objection (to abortion)”
• What it means: No change,
and no hint of any future
change (in the church
uncompromising opposition
to abortion nor in the
doctrine of the church)
 On Sex Education
Issue: Would the Church’s position on
sex education be clarified?
• What Pope Francis says: “It is
not easy to approach the issue of
sex education in an age when
sexuality tends to be trivialized
and impoverished. It can only be
seen within the broader
framework of an education for
love, for mutual self-giving, in
such a way, the language of
sexuality would not be sadly
impoverished but illuminated
and enriched”
• “Sex education should provide
information… at a proper time
and in a way suited to
(children’s) age. It is not helpful
to overwhelm them with data
without also helping them to
develop a critical sense in
dealing with the onslaught of
new ideas and suggestions, the
flood of pornography and the
overload of stimuli that can
deform sexuality. Young
people… should be helped to
recognize and to seek out
positive influences, while
shunning the things that cripple
their capacity for love”
• What it means: This section of
the document is titled “The
Need for Sex Education”—an
implied endorsement. But, not
surprisingly, the Pope wants
children to be taught about sex in
a moral context, rather than in a
solely factual way.
