I’m not impressed that the pope is teaching subsidiarity very well, even though he name-drops it.
The Financial Times article quotes the catechism’s already shaky definition, but the Pope says this: “’It is the responsibility of the State to promote the common good of society.’ Based on principles of subsidiarity and solidarity, and full committed to political dialogue and consensus building, it plays a fundamental role, one which cannot be delegated, in working for the integral development of all.”
His use is almost the exact antithesis of subsidiarity. Subsidiarity DEMANDS that the responsibility BELONGS to the lower levels of organization and CANNOT be usurped by the state!
SUBSIDIARITY:1. a principle of social doctrine that all social bodies exist for the sake of the individual so that what individuals are able to do, society should not take over, and what small societies can do, larger societies should not take over; 2. the principle of devolving decisions to the lowest practical level.
The only way that is consistent with the claim that the state cannot delegate responsibility is that the state has no responsibility to delegate!
And he writes with an ambiguity which is even worse: “It is the responsibility of the State” is orthodox because one could interpret it as meaning, “One responsibility of the State is...” but who wouldn’t read that as saying that the responsibility is the State’s, as opposed to anyone else’s?
When he writes so tragically poorly, he welcomes criticism. And Catholic apologists are forced to abandon citing him as an appeal to an authority.