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The Great Bi-Polar Catholicism
Real Clear Religion ^ | 8/21/12 | Father Robert Barron

Posted on 08/25/2012 6:41:26 AM PDT by marshmallow

For many on the left, Paul Ryan is a menace, the very embodiment of cold, indifferent Republicanism, and for many on the right, he is a knight in shining armor, a God-fearing advocate of a principled conservatism.

Mitt Romney's choice of Ryan as running mate has already triggered the worst kind of exaggerated hoo-hah on both sides of the political debate. What is most interesting, from my perspective, is that Ryan, a devout Catholic, has claimed the social doctrine of the Church as the principal inspiration for his policies. Whether you stand with First Things and affirm that such a claim is coherent or with Commonweal and affirm that it is absurd, Ryan's assertion prompts a healthy thinking-through of Catholic social teaching in the present economic and political context.

Ryan himself has correctly identified two principles as foundational for Catholic social thought, namely subsidiarity and solidarity. The first, implied throughout the whole of Catholic social theory but given clearest expression in Pope Pius XI's encyclical Quadragesimo Anno, is that in the adjudication of matters political and economic, a preferential option should be given to the more local level of authority.

For example, when seeking to solve a traffic-flow issue in a suburb, appeal should be made to the municipal authority and not to the governor, even less to the Congress or the President. Only when a satisfactory solution is not achieved by the local government should one move to the next highest level of authority, etc. This principle by no means calls into question the legitimacy of an over-arching federal power (something you sense in the more extreme advocates of the Tea Party), but it does indeed involve a prejudice in favor of the local. The principle of subsidiarity is implied in much of the "small is beautiful" movement as.........

(Excerpt) Read more at realclearreligion.org ...


TOPICS: Catholic; Religion & Culture; Theology
KEYWORDS: catholic; paulryan; quadragesimoanno; robertbarron; subsidiarity
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1 posted on 08/25/2012 6:41:30 AM PDT by marshmallow
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To: marshmallow
I've never heard any politician, Catholic or otherwise talk about that:

namely subsidiarity

God Bless him, I hope it becomes part of the campaign. Up to Romney of course.

2 posted on 08/25/2012 6:45:50 AM PDT by DManA
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To: marshmallow

Commonweal has not been a *Catholic* publication for a LONG time.


3 posted on 08/25/2012 6:50:27 AM PDT by SumProVita
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To: marshmallow

Catholics and Mormons might not be real Christians, but that’s still 10x better than voting for a Muslim


4 posted on 08/25/2012 6:59:15 AM PDT by Derp Mountain (ship the liberals all back to Massachusetts and secede it from the union)
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To: marshmallow

why hasn’t Biden been excommicated by now? Republicans have 2 good men and Democrats have mafia man and a thug.


5 posted on 08/25/2012 7:07:36 AM PDT by dalebert
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To: Derp Mountain

Catholics are real Christians.

Mormons - not so much.

Thanks for allowing me to clear that up for ya.


6 posted on 08/25/2012 7:09:26 AM PDT by surroundedbyblue (Live the message of Fatima - pray & do penance!)
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To: Derp Mountain

Catholics and Mormons might not be real Christians

Yeah I guess when Jesus Said Peter upon this Rock I build my Church it will prevail until the end of time and the Gates of Hell... somehow some spinoff is truer than the Church Christ himself founded. hahaha You can Thank the Catholic Church for your Bible... why you Took 7 Books out I’ll never know!


7 posted on 08/25/2012 7:12:03 AM PDT by philly-d-kidder (AB-Sheen"The truth is the truth if nobody believes it,a lie is still a lie, everybody believes it")
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To: Derp Mountain

I see you’re new here.


8 posted on 08/25/2012 7:16:43 AM PDT by surroundedbyblue (Live the message of Fatima - pray & do penance!)
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To: Derp Mountain

The Catholic Church was founded by a man named Christ, so I guess it’s a Christian church.


9 posted on 08/25/2012 7:19:46 AM PDT by kitkat
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To: Derp Mountain

You poor ignorant student of Christianity, history and truth.

“Bless your heart.”


10 posted on 08/25/2012 7:24:20 AM PDT by RitaOK
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To: Derp Mountain

Catholics are the original Christians. We have the fullness of Truth whereas other Christian denominations only have some of the Truth.

Could you provide a source showing that Catholics are not Christians?

Peter is the Rock upon which Jesus founded His Church. Jesus says that even the powers of Hell will not prevail against His Church. Our Catholic Popes are his successors. It is in the Bible.


11 posted on 08/25/2012 7:26:20 AM PDT by impimp
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To: surroundedbyblue

I think *derpmountain* must has been locked in a gym locker at the local high school, too long.


12 posted on 08/25/2012 7:28:45 AM PDT by RitaOK
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To: surroundedbyblue; Derp Mountain

Oops. Failed to ping Derp.


13 posted on 08/25/2012 7:33:28 AM PDT by RitaOK
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To: RitaOK
"Derp Mountain"
Since Aug 21, 2012

PLEASE DO NOT FEED TROLLS

14 posted on 08/25/2012 7:48:11 AM PDT by ansel12 (Massachusetts Governors, where the GOP goes for it's "conservative" Presidential candidates.)
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To: Derp Mountain
The Catholic Church has been around nearly 2000 years, we are descended directly from Christ and the apostles, it is an unbroken line.

The first instance that historians have found of someone referring to the "Catholic Church" is in Ignatius of Antioch's Letter to the Smyrneans, where he writes, "Let no one do anything of concern to the Church without the bishop. Let that be considered a valid Eucharist which is celebrated by the bishop or by one whom he ordains [i.e., a presbyter]. Wherever the bishop appears, let the people be there; just as wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church."

This was written very early in the first century AD.

15 posted on 08/25/2012 7:57:33 AM PDT by pbear8 (the Lord is my light and my salvation)
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To: ansel12
PLEASE DO NOT FEED TROLLS

The irony being that you yourself are a troll.

16 posted on 08/25/2012 8:01:15 AM PDT by A.A. Cunningham (Barry Soetoro is a Kenyan communist)
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To: Derp Mountain

Shouldn’t you be flossing your tooth?


17 posted on 08/25/2012 8:02:29 AM PDT by A.A. Cunningham (Barry Soetoro is a Kenyan communist)
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QUADRAGESIMO ANNO
18 posted on 08/25/2012 8:05:36 AM PDT by A.A. Cunningham (Barry Soetoro is a Kenyan communist)
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To: pbear8
This was written very early in the first century AD.

Second century, ~107 AD.

19 posted on 08/25/2012 8:12:18 AM PDT by A.A. Cunningham (Barry Soetoro is a Kenyan communist)
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To: A.A. Cunningham

That was a bizarre thing to claim, the absurdity of if it is just amazing.


20 posted on 08/25/2012 8:32:25 AM PDT by ansel12 (Massachusetts Governors, where the GOP goes for it's "conservative" Presidential candidates.)
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