Politics and religion don’t mix

That could almost be the post-modern American mantra, in a tragically peculiar sort of way. Except that it’s just not true. Maybe in a small sense, but that’s a post for another day.

In contrast, consider this short quote:

The Church claims no right to dominate the secular realm. But she has every right – in fact an obligation – to engage secular authority and to challenge those wielding it to live the demands of justice. In this sense, the Catholic Church cannot stay, has never stayed, and never will stay ‘out of politics.’ Politics involves the exercise of power. The use of power has moral content and human consequences. And the well-being and destiny of the human person is very much the concern, and the special competence, of the Christian community

- Arch. Chaput, Render Unto Caesar, pages 217 – 218.

This is from a recent book that I’m really excited about – Render Unto Caesar: Serving the Nation by Living our Catholic Beliefs in Political Life, by Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver.

I’m going to be reading it soon, and will post more as I go along.