David Mills on Catholicism and Politics

"'I'm not,' declares the writer, 'a liberal or a conservative. I'm a Catholic.' I see and hear versions of this a lot, especially in my Facebook feed, and I think most of us know the feeling. Neither major party inspires confidence. I keep thinking of the pop song of my childhood, whose chorus went: 'Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am stuck in the middle with you.'

"That declaration makes sense. It is something the faithful Catholic ought to say as a statement of his fundamental conviction, even if he finds himself a liberal or conservative in practice. It publicly anchors him to a position he can't abandon when political life tempts him to do so, for example when being a good party member requires him to deny the needs of the poor or the unborn child's right to life.

"Catholic Social Teaching doesn't map well onto American politics today. Taken as a whole, it speaks more highly of economic freedom than most liberals like and more highly of the need for government to correct the market than most conservatives like. It definitively rules out the social darwinist forms of libertarianism and the collectivist forms of socialism."

In a recent commentary, writer David Mills reflected on the relationship between Catholic social teaching and politics and on how the Church is a gift that gives us the gift of developed reflection on social and political matters.

To access Mr. Mill's complete post, please visit:

Aleteia: David Mills: Catholicism and Politics (8 JUN 17)