Pastoral Letters for Presidential Election 2011-The Church and politics |07 May 2011
To begin with, the main mission of the Church is to bear testimony to God, revealed in Jesus Christ. The Church and Christians should show that for us, the Creator, is not an unknown God, an anonymous and distant power, He is ‘Our Father.’
The Church, and therefore Christians, also has a mission to announce that in Jesus Christ, Son of God, salvation is offered to everyone as a gift of God’s mercy. This salvation begins here on earth and will come to fruition in the life to come.
The mission of the Church is therefore essentially a religious and spiritual one. Nevertheless, the salvation that the Church promises, although it will come true in ‘eternal life’, addresses itself even now to men and women in their day to day life on earth, at the core of their personal and social life.’
2. The Church has also an important role to play in society
In the Christian vision of the world, the Church has, therefore, an important role to play in society. In fact, the person to whom she announces salvation is the same who grapples with social, cultural, economic and political issues. We cannot proclaim the Gospel without searching to bring about real human advancement. Evangelisation is not only ‘for eternal life’; it also concerns our life today in the real world. The testimony of Christ and the Church is not credible if the Kingdom of God does not begin by the testimony of a life where, from now on, on earth and in our society, justice and mercy, respect and solidarity have their rightful place.
The Church, whose primary role is to announce salvation in Jesus Christ, cannot therefore remain aloof or disinterest herself from conditions of our present life, in our country and elsewhere. In Jesus Christ, the cause of man is the cause of God and the cause of God is the cause of man. In actual fact, how can we proclaim the Good News of loving our neighbour without engaging ourselves with all our energy to fight poverty, hunger, chronic illnesses, the harmful effects of substance abuse, and injustices in human relations!
From its origin, the Church has had the role of promoting and defending human rights. Here in Seychelles, from the beginning of its presence, the Church has accomplished this humanitarian task by her engagement in education and health. Since Independence, the State, conscious of its duties and responsibilities, has taken over in these domains as well as in other social domains. On her side, the Church continues her humanitarian work by being attentive to the needs of men and women, victims of the scourges of our time, such as drugs and alcoholism, as well as the poor, prisoners, slow-learners at school etc.
3. The Church and the State, the Church and Politics
What are the relations between the Church and the State? What is the role of the Church in politics, if any?
It is the State that has the primary and general responsibility of government. The Church respects this autonomy. She does not want to take the place of the government. If sometimes the Church talks about social, economic and even political issues, it is because this forms part of her mission to announce justice and charity, and not at all to take the place of the State.
The well known answer of Jesus to Pilate, indicates the clear-cut separation between the specific roles of the Church and the State, ‘Mine is not a kingdom of this world;’ says Jesus, ‘if my kingdom were of this world, my men would have fought to prevent my being surrendered to the Jews.’(Jn 18, 36). Jesus, therefore, is not in competition with the legitimate sovereignty of the State. ‘Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.’ (Mt 22, 21)
Therefore, the Church cannot and does not want to engage in politics, for example by participating in government or associating herself to a political party. So as not to betray its mission, the Church cannot affiliate herself to any political party or officially and openly support one party rather than the other. This is what the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) has to say on this subject:
No. 2245 “- The Church, because of her commission and competence, is not to be confused in any way with the political community.
- The Church is both the sign and the safeguard of the transcendent character of the human person.
- The Church respects and encourages the political freedom and responsibility of the citizen.”
No. 2246 “`It is part of the Church’s mission to pass moral judgments even in matters related to politics, whenever the fundamental rights of man or the salvation of souls requires it. The means, the only means, she may use are those which are in accord with the Gospel and the welfare of all men according to the diversity of times and circumstances.”
4. The Word of the Church can have an impact on politics
This said, it is important to emphasise that if the ecclesial community, as such, cannot engage in politics, the word of the Church can have an impact on politics.
Actually, the Church has a prophetic responsibility which demands that she behaves like the Prophets of the Old Testament and the Prophet par excellence: Jesus Christ. Courageously, even at the risk of persecution, she should strive to project the light of faith on public life. She should recall the principles and the values of the Gospel. She will intervene to denounce abuses and injustices.
In extreme cases, for example, when a party extols anarchy or dictatorship, the Church has not only the right, but the duty to intervene so as to denounce such practices for the common good and the respect of the dignity and liberty of the human person.
In other respects, the Church also has a responsibility of service, a free and unselfish service to society, wherever the need is more pressing. It is in this way therefore, that the Christian community shall work to promote the human person and come to the aid of the underprivileged, the marginalised and the deprived. Following Christ who is Himself the Good Samaritan, Christians generously and voluntarily come to the aid of the ‘wounded’ person in society, whoever s/he may be.
5. The Church encourages Christians to engage themselves in politics
If it is true that Church officials and movements should not engage in politics, on the other hand, individual Christians have a duty to engage themselves, each at their level, in the political field. It is through them that in a new way the Gospel will be present in political life.
This engagement can take different forms: some by canvassing for a seat in parliament, others risk speaking out in public debates, yet others engage themselves simply but very clearly by becoming members of a political party. All exercise their right and their duty to vote at election time.
The Church encourages Christians to engage themselves in political life because this is also where they should live the values of the Gospel. Politics is a service of charity, hence its importance.
6. Politics is noble
The fundamental point of reference of all political acts is the country’s Constitution and the laws that ensue from the Constitution. Therefore politics concerns the functioning of society in all its aspects: economic, social, cultural, etc. It is the National Assembly, elected by the people, that has the responsibility to debate on and vote for laws that will be enforced by the government and which will affect all aspects of the daily life of all citizens.
Politics is, therefore, a serious matter; it is a service for society as a whole. Its purpose is to create conditions which permit the blossoming of each social group, each citizen and the development of the whole person. If politics is really a service to others, it is indeed there, following Jesus’ example, where the ‘washing of feet’ should be put into practice. John 13, 12-15
The exercise of authority in politics as in other areas, and at all levels should be lived as a service of justice and charity, in the constant search for the common good.
It is in this sense that we should understand the words of Pope Paul VI:
Politics is a privileged form of charity.
7. Weaknesses in Politics
However, when we pronounce the word ‘politics’, there are often negative reactions, mistrust, disillusion…
Politics has been disparaged, because instead of being considered as the service par excellence of all citizens in society, it is considered simply as a means that parties use to achieve power for partisan purposes, that is, to favour those who are elected and their supporters.
Those who engage themselves in this struggle become targets of personal attacks which are often false and without provocation. These attacks denigrate them, their character and sometimes even members of their families.
Therefore, a lot of people hesitate before venturing into the jungle of active politics, whereas it takes a lot of courage and determination for those who are already involved to continue their struggle.
This discrediting of political service is serious because the greatest form of charity loses its true worth.
8. Rehabilitating politics
Nevertheless, we do not have the right to distance ourselves from politics. Why is this so?
Since political decisions affect the economy, the social and even the family life of every citizen, we have no right to be disinterested in politics. If we do this, we would at the same time be taking no interest in our own conditions and those of our brothers and sisters. As citizens, it is our duty to ensure that political life is not debased and that the people for whom we vote are really at the service of all their brothers and sisters.
9. The Church and political parties
The political choice that a Christian makes is perhaps a good one but it is highly possible that other options are also legitimate. The Church has, therefore, a pluralist attitude, respecting the legitimate political choices of their members.
To link faith with one political option - socialism or capitalism or, in between the two, a centrist position - would be to restrict the Gospel and imprison its force and dynamism. For the Christian, faith in God is absolute. Only Jesus, true God and true man, can ask us to follow him unconditionally. The Gospel, source of our faith, transcends all particular political options.
For the Church, refusing to make a political choice is to serve and liberate politics by taking into account its independence; it also affirms that no party has the monopoly on the teaching of the Church, which comes from the Gospel.
By affirming pluralism as a political stance, the Church also affirms that there is a common basis as point of reference: it is the Gospel that should penetrate all human activity.
10. The engagement of priests, deacons and Church movements
By their ordination, priests and deacons are directly associated with the ministry of the Bishop. So as to remain faithful to the demands of this ministry, they have to distance themselves from all direct political activities. Their specific ministry, like that of the Church, is not political but pastoral. Their mission is to bring the community together and support the laity in their different engagements within the Church and at the heart of their social and political life, regardless of their political affiliations.
Nevertheless, it could be that sometimes their words and actions, like those of the Church, have an impact on politics.
In the same way, movements within the Church should not engage in politics, because their specific mission is of the same nature as that of the Church.
If it is true that by their ordination and pastoral ministry, the Bishop, priests and deacons cannot engage themselves directly in active politics, they are nevertheless citizens, free to make personal political choices they deem to be the best, based on their conscience. This also applies to lay members at the head of Church movements.
11. A word on the importance of our vote
With the elections approaching, some people experience great difficulty: they either do not know for whom to vote and cannot reach a decision or they have been deceived by politics and politicians so they prefer to abstain. Remaining in the background, for whatever reason, is losing interest in and distancing oneself from life in society.
Let us not forget that those who will be in power will make important decisions for the existence and future of our children and our families in the fields of health, education, employment, housing, without forgetting our freedom and religious belief. It is vital that by our vote we participate in choosing the people who will be making decisions on our behalf.
All citizens should exercise their right to vote freely and according to their conscience.
12. Conclusion
The period of the electoral campaign, official and unofficial, is not always a comfortable one. Inevitably, there are tensions and an air of expectation that can easily give way to abuse. I invite you, therefore, especially those who are active in their respective parties; to show mutual respect, to demonstrate without provocation and above all without violence. In the same way, by their behaviour, the services that maintain order need to be impartial so as to create an atmosphere of calm and peace. It is in this way that, by our responsible attitudes we will give a tangible sign of the progress of Seychellois society towards greater democratic maturity.
It happens that some elections are declared free and fair by delegations of foreign observers without all the citizens, who know the local situation better, being really satisfied with the honesty observed by all. Even if all rules are seen to be observed in the finest detail for the smooth running of elections, this does not necessarily mean that society has progressed democratically. Democratic progress is a moral value that depends on the integrity of conscience of those more directly implicated in political service to society. Therefore, all actions or measures, even those not visible to all, taken with the sole aim of influencing how the electorate casts its vote, are in themselves of negative moral value and should be avoided because they delay all democratic progress.
It is with this desire to contribute to the democratic progress of our society that I have shared these reflections with you. With this in mind, I appeal to everyone to work so that politics in Seychelles fully rediscovers its noble status.
+ Denis Wiehe
Bishop of Port-Victoria
Sources : References
1. ‘The Catechism of the Catholic Church’, prepared following the second Vatican Ecumenical Council. Paulines Publications Africa. 1994
2. ‘Compendium de la Doctrine Sociale de l’Eglise’, rédigé par le ‘Conseil Pontifical Justice et Paix.’ Editeurs : Cerf, 2008
3. ‘Les enseignements du Cardinal Jean Margéot’ rassemblés par le Père Philippe Goupille. Ile Maurice, 2009
4. Exhortation Apostolique ‘Evangelii Nuntiandi’ (Annoncer l’Evangile) du Pape Paul VI, 1975
5. Message des Evêques et responsables de la Zone Pastorale du Sud-Ouest de l’Océan Indien : ‘Vaincre la peur, Construire dans l’Espérance.’ 1980