Andrey Mark P. Cabuntocan Rev. Fr. Ricardo Capinpin Jr. Ph.L/ M.A.

III-A.B. Philosophy Dean of Studies

Power Relations in Church and State towards a meaningful Human Existence

(An inquiry in Niccolo Machiavelli and John Locke’s church-state concepts with an excerpt of
Paul Riceour’s Meaning of Human Existence in his socio-political writings)

The history of the world especially on the western countries where imperialism and
monarchial form of government that paved the way all throughout the people’s civilization owe
much from the Church-State powers; its culture, education, medicine, law, tradition, etc. The
Church-State power nourished man’s daily life and built his future. In the Philippines, knowing
the fact that we were clothed with the western culture from the time of our discovery by
Ferdinand Magellan in 333 years, the Church-State power shaped Filipinos’ lives and culture.
However, due to the influence of a new era of political ideas a ‘one power’ 1 ruling was divided
into two separated human institutions: the Church as a one, real and fundamental societal identity
and a representative of the Divine to men and the State as the legal, authentic and political body
of societal identity. Thus, in the Philippines it is written in its constitution on the separation of
the church and the state.2 This separation of the Church’s and the State’s power3 was not only an
abrupt decision but an intellectual option made by different political philosophers but this paper
as stated in the adjectival co-title of the paper limits its course with Niccolo Machiavelli and
John Locke’s church-state ‘power relations’4.

The power relation of the Church and the State according to Machiavelli he said that “…
ecclesiastical principalities are sustained by age-old religious institutions, which are so strong
and efficacious that the principalities will maintain their princes in power regardless of how they
live or what they do.”5 This idea is really true because the ‘Church’ 6 in the Philippines stood
from 1561 until today. The Church has established universities of high quality of education that
has provided the country the best scholars in the field of law, arts, music, and all other branches
of the academe. She has made the Philippines be something in the face of the world. The Church

1
The word intrinsically means the united power of Church and State.
2
Art. II sec. 6, Hector De leon, Philippine Constitution, 6th edition (Manila: Rex Publishing Company,
2010), 34.
3
This term was used by the writer in the context of Power as authority in the strictest sense.
4
Quotation for emphasis.
5
Niccolo Machiavelli, edited by Peter Constantine, The Essential Writings of Niccolo Machiavelli (New
York: Modern Library, 2007), 44. Cited as EWNM.
6
The word stands for the Catholic Church all throughout the paper.
also has put up hospitals that offered the best medical assistance the people would ever need. We
doctors who were not only conceptually and intellectually equipped but also accoutered with
human principles, morals and values. However, despite of the undesirable start of the Philippine
Church, through the reformation made by the Holy See, the Church has given the country a new
face of ecclesiastical ruling. The Ministers of the Church are no other than the ordained people
chosen by the God through the cooperation of the priests and the whole faithful eager to offer
God a servant who will stand in behalf of the people and at the same time who will stand in the
person of Christ in behalf of God. And these chosen men are endowed with such power and
authority to the people of God. Thus, this is supported by Machiavelli in saying “…these are the
only principalities that are secure and successful for they are exulted and maintained by God.” 7
The ministers hold power over the people assigned to their care i.e. to made standard way of
living, teach them values and morals in accordance with the Gospel in the teachings of the
Church (e.g. Apostolic exhortations, Encyclical Letters, Dogma, etc.) and this is true and
Machiavelli supports this in saying “religion(Church) is vital for civil order” 8 he said this in his
writing, The Discources9. This is true because with the help of the moral guidance of the
Ministers, they change people’s perspectives and mentality. This guidance teaches values to the
soul needed to keep the will and the ego or the ‘I’ of each person. We know for sure what had
happened on the administration of Marcos when he declared martial law. Many people died and
suffered, demeaned to their rights and privileges. But who rescued this societal crisis? - It was
the Church, the EDSA revolution. Thus again, Machiavelli would say in his discourse to Zanobi
Boudelamonti and Cosino Rucellai, he said “Religion brought good institutions; good institutions
brought good fortune and good fortune brought good successful enterprises”10. On the other
hand, the state also gives part to the society. Machiavelli said, “The primary foundation of all
states- new, old or mixed is good laws and good army.” 11 The State performs the human nature.
It administers the public in the humanistic level i.e. in the physical level- the body. It is in the
allocation of the material resources that sustain life and its progression. It provides parameter of
living in accordance with teachings of the Divine Law. It feeds the body and also limits the body.
However, there are actions which the state do against to what is in the Divine law by the which
7
EWNM., 44.
8
Ibid. 109
9
Italics for emphasis.
10
EWNM., 149.
11
Ibid., 47
the Church would always take good care of. Hence, brings moral privation to the people an
brings chaos. Thus Machiavelli would again say, “The rulers of a republic/ kingdom must
preserve the foundation of their religion.”12 Now we go at the account of John Locke.

John Locke said, “All authority comes from God but the choice who is to exercise the
power depends upon the nomination and designation of the people.” 13 Primarily and basically
this is philosophically and theologically correct. The Church chooses her own ministers by the
formation houses that were built called as seminaries, monasteries, etc. and the State announces
its leader through election or voting. We elect our authorities but the single power is not on us
but we participate to that power from God. On Locke’s 2 nd track on Government, he coined the
person who has overall responsibility for the welfare of the community, who has ultimate
authority over all individual subjects as the Magistrate.14 The Church as the magistrate and the
State has also the magistrate however, this doesn’t mean that there is autonomy of powers but
they are in different seat performing the same task which is to uplift man. Thus the nature all of
the two divided in identity but one in person.

As for my conclusion, I will present Paul Ricoeur’s meaning of human existence. The
state and the Chruch are part of the life of man. We need these two institutions for they help us to
unfold the potentialities of the material world and bring us to the actualities of the spiritual
world. Ricoeur said, “ the State and the Christian commitment to the civilization presents
themselves as the greatest chance for the unfolding of the values that are most treasured by
man.”15 Thus, this strongly defends my stand that the church and the state are to be considered as
ally in the attainment of people’s meaning of existence. We don’t exaggerate the state’s power
nor to that of which in the Church. We are one people, one race and one family. Let us not forget
that whatever, state and whatever Church we have now will certainly the harvest of our future
generation. If there will be no hand in hand cooperation of these two great sources of human
development, how could we ever get to a certitude that life is a gift that in this gift there are
things that which we ought to develop and nourish for our sake and for the greater glory of God.
12
Ibid., 152.
13
John Locke, by David Wotton, John Locke Political Writings (U.S.A.: Hackett Publishing Company,
2003), 169. Cited as JPW.
14
Ibid., 154.
15
Paul Riceour, in Leovino Ma. Garcia, “The Meaning of Human Existence in Riceour’s Social Political
Writings”, Budhi: A Journal of Ideas and Culture vol. II no. 3 (Manila: Ateneo De Manila University Press, 1998),
27.