Oct 22 Sun
God’s plan is that man should live in society with his fellowmen. Society must be governed by an authority to coordinate the actions of the component members toward the common good. The common good is principally, though not exclusively, the material welfare of the members as a whole. As his ultimate end, however, man has his spiritual good.
Authority, this temporal power to rule and direct the human groups or societies or states, comes, therefore, from God; he wills that such societies should exist. The answer of our Lord explicitly restates this fundamental norm of the divine natural law. “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s.” The state authorities have a right to the obedience and cooperation in all things related to the material welfare of the state, as long as the rulers’ demands do not impede the spiritual welfare of the members.
As a partly spiritual being man is destined to be a citizen of a spiritual eternal kingdom, and while on this earth he has the duty and the responsibility of preparing himself for citizenship in that kingdom. And since this kingdom is of a higher and much more important nature, man’s primary aim in life must be to reach that kingdom. He must, in other words, find out and fulfill his duties toward God; he must “give to God what is God’s.”
This dual citizenship of man, and the dual obligations that arise from it, are known to us by natural law; but in the answer of Christ to the Pharisees, he makes them more explicit still; it is a precise and perfect resume.
We have duties to God and duties to our country; the fulfillment of the latter is part of the fulfillment of the former. We Christians have no doubts as to our obligations under these two headings.
We fulfill our duties to God by being faithful, loyal, active members of the spiritual kingdom, the Church, which Christ established on earth in order to lead us to our eternal kingdom.
We fulfill our duties to our country by loyally obeying the just laws of the State, by paying all lawful taxes, and by contributing our share, whenever called on, toward the common good.
Both St. Peter (1 Pet. 2: 13-14) and St. Paul (Rom. 13: 1-7), stressed the obligation on the early Christians of being an example to all in their loyalty as citizens of the state. The same necessity obliges us too.
Our loyalty to the Church and to God must make us loyal also to our country. We must live with a lay mentality. Thus, more than an impediment, the exact fulfillment of our duties as citizens should be a means for our sanctification and to do apostolate. Through it, we strive to place Christ on top of all human activities.
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