Free Republic

Buenos Aires, Argentina – When torrential rains and flooding hit Argentina, leaving thousands homeless, the “Solidarity Network” founded by a social entrepreneur and Catholic layman named Juan Carr sprang into action. They positioned a large red truck in downtown Buenos Aires outside the Cathedral of Buenos Aires to collect food, clothes and other supplies for the flood victims, with a hand-painted banner reading: “You are not alone … the entire country embraces you!” This reflects the fact that the former occupant of the cathedral, now known to the world as Pope Francis, was a major supporter of Carr's concern for...

On November 6, the citizens of the United States re-elected perhaps the most anti-Catholic president in its history to a second term.Even sadder, according to exit polls a majority of Catholics voted in his favor, even after they theoretically had imbibed the bishops’ message, conveyed from the pulpit and in various other media, that no Catholic should vote for a candidate who favors abortion rights and single sex marriage and does not support religious liberty.What is going on here? Clearly, to borrow a line from the film “Cool Hand Luke,” “What we have here is a failure to communicate.”Simply put,...

Some on the political "right" promote a version of libertarianism which is anti-government and places the individual at the foundation of an understanding of freedom. This is at odds with the insights summarized in the Catechism. Often they paraphrase the American founders to imply that the existence of government itself is the problem. ...If you listen to some on the political "left", they seem to want to federalize everything. They think that our obligation in solidarity always means establishing more federal government programs. They are wrong. They have forgotten the role of mediating institutions and their vital role in governing...

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...

EXCERPTS: ...Is it Moral? Does it recognize the existence of the higher law, the Natural Law which is a participation in God's Law? Does it affirm that there are self evident truths? Does it recognize the fundamental human rights with which we are all endowed and acknowledge that these rights are not given to us by civil government but by God? Does it affirm the nature and dignity of the human person as created in the Image of God? ... recognize the primacy of true marriage and the family and society founded upon it and serve the true common good?...

Families from rich countries could sponsor families from poor ones, Pope Benedict XVI suggested Saturday at a gathering of around 350,000 people at a park just north of Milan. The pope was speaking at the latest event in a three-day visit to Milan, part of the Church-sponsored World Meeting of Families, a relaxed and festive setting that has been a welcome distraction from recent crises at the Vatican. Speaking without notes before an enthusiastic crowd at the Bresso park, the pope proposed a new twist to the system under which cities in different countries "twin" with each other. His suggestion...

I met my neighbor Rus Walton in 1974 before a financial disaster moved us from our lovely country home near Sacramento. We also enjoyed some of Governor Ronald Reagan’s staff. Rus gave me a copy of his new book, “One Nation Under God.” Rus ran The Plymouth Rock Foundation for many years and was a noted Christian speaker and prolific writer. People of faith have understood the principle of subsidiarity for a long, long time. It just means taking personal responsibility. When needed, the hierarchy of assistance offered or given begins with the family; then the community; the state; the...

Private Charity Versus Government Welfare Rev. C. J. McCloskey III Less than three years has passed since the publication of Pope Benedict XVI’s third encyclical, Charity in Truth. As some readers may remember, the encyclical caused quite a stir both in secular and religious circles — as have many of the past papal encyclicals dealing with economic questions, going back to Pope Leo XIII’s groundbreaking 1891 exposition of social justice, Rerum Novarum.It appears that the redaction and publication of the current encyclical was speeded up to address the ongoing global economic crisis — and that it does. This article, however,...

A Catholic Governor Embraces Subsidiarity by Deal W. Hudson    7/11/10 The new governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, is distinguishing himself in two ways as a Catholic politician. Not only he is pro-life, but he is also aggressively pursuing a set of policies grounded in the principle of subsidiarity. At a time when most prominent Catholic politicians -- Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden, and John Kerry -- have advocated federal government solutions to problems like health care, Gov. Christie is pushing in the opposite direction by releasing a New Jersey Privatization Task Force Report. In the 57-page report, the...

On May 21, 2010, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops released a media statement which sought to identify the way forward for Catholic engagement in the healthcare debate in light of the passage of healthcare legislation. The USCCB stresses that at the core of the bishops’ advocacy throughout the debate was a concern for three principles: (1) the protection of innocent life from the use of lethal force from cradle to natural death; (2) the maintenance of conscience protections; and (3) the realization of universal access to healthcare for all, especially the poor and migrants. These, the USCCB...

President Obama’s crusade to enact health-care reform legislation is nearing its climactic battle in the US Senate. How should Catholic Americans look upon this legislative struggle? The US bishops have consistently voiced their support for health-care reform, while insisting that the legislation must include some language ensuring against public support for abortion. In the House of Representatives their lobbying had its desired effect, and the “Stupak Amendment” gave the bishops a bill they could support. In the Senate a pro-life amendment was rejected. Still the US bishops’ conference has clung to the bare hope that some acceptable language might be...

What is the Catholic social justice principal known as “subsidiarity”?If you’re an American and you’re unfamiliar with subsidiarity in this day and age in which the federal government is about the only segment of the economy that’s growing; you better find out in a hurry.In a nutshell, the principal of subsidiarity states that matters impacting the human person should be addressed by the smallest, least centralized, most localized, competent personal authority possible. The opposite situation is realized when personal affairs are managed by larger; more centralized and detached public authorities.At the heart of the matter lies a concern for the...

USCCB staffer's remarks are in (black, italics) and mine in (red). “Subsidiarity is a fine thing. That is the principle that has been at work since we first started talking about the need for health care reform, during the Truman administration. Subsidiarity has had over 50 years to work since then...” I do not agree that "subsidiarity" is "the principle that has been at work for the past 50 years"; nor do think that many of the critics of Pelosi-Reid are supporters of the status quo. A strong case can be made that it was not "subsidiarity," but poorly-crafted public...

USCCB staffer's remarks are in (black, italics) and mine in (red). “Subsidiarity is a fine thing. That is the principle that has been at work since we first started talking about the need for health care reform, during the Truman administration. Subsidiarity has had over 50 years to work since then...” I do not agree that "subsidiarity" is "the principle that has been at work for the past 50 years"; nor do think that many of the critics of Pelosi-Reid are supporters of the status quo. A strong case can be made that it was not "subsidiarity," but poorly-crafted public...

1) Make it easier for individuals and families to buy their own policies and even to pool their own resources in ways that makes sense to them. The Knights of Columbus started as a life insurance association; we could have many more associations like that based on faith or geography or interest where people could pool their recourses in a way that makes sense to them. This has to be made easier. Groups must be able to sell insurance across state lines. 2) Give people incentives to spend their money wisely. The way it works right now, the employer provides...

As Catholics, we are proud of the Church’s healthcare contribution to the world. Indeed, the hospital was originally an innovation of the Catholic faithful responding to our Lord’s call to care for the sick, “For I was…ill and you cared for me.” (Matthew 25, v. 35-36). This tradition continues today in America, where currently one in four hospitals is run by a Catholic agency. We have listened to current debate with great attention and write now to contribute our part to ensure that this reform be an authentic reform taking full consideration of the dignity of the human person. Some...

What You Need to Know: Subsidiarity The social teaching of the Church is based on the human person as the principle, subject and object of every social organization. Subsidiarity is one of the core principles of this teaching. This principle holds that human affairs are best handled at the lowest possible level, closest to the affected pesons. It is easiest to begin with the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which enunciates the prinicple of subsidiarity in the context of man's social nature. When the principle of subsidiarity is ignored, governments often overstep their bounds in managing matters best handled on...

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: Today I want to discuss something that's very dear to my heart both as a practicing Catholic and a patriotic American. It's the principle of Subsidiarity, found in the 'Catechism of the Catholic Church,' which should be of particular interest to all Catholic Americans. Why? Because in this principle we find the central point where our Catholic faith and American citizenship intersect. Our American government was founded on three basic principles. Yet most Americans today are only familiar with one. The first principle, and most commonly understood, is the principle of "no taxation without representation." In other...

<p>It is an extraordinary time to write about the current events that dominate our news.</p> <p>For instance, our executive, a handmaiden of powerful special interests, is nearing war with two hostile and irrational dictatorships. And that is merely Gov. Gary Locke fielding criticism for his budget from the Washington Education Association and Washington State Labor Council, to say nothing about national news.</p>