Catholic Exchange Forums » Politics

Catholic theocracy

(15 posts)
  • Started 11 months ago by fishman
  • Latest reply from fishman

fishman - Member

Is there any catholic theocracy left in the world.

Vatican city probably is I'm guessing?

Any others.  Some days I feel like moving.

Posted 11 months ago #
pouliot - Member
I don't believe the day to day governing of Vatican City has recourse to the Divine for secular issues but maybe it is supervised by a branch of the Curia.  Lazy of me I know, not to go to the Vatican site to see what I can find out.
Regards,
Old Sigma (Cradle Catholic [Latin rite] & generally inveterate amateur)
Posted 11 months ago #
fishman - Member

if wikipeida is to be trusted ( a questionable assumption).

Political system

The government of Vatican City has a unique structure. The Pope is the sovereign of the state. Legislative authority is vested in a commission of cardinals appointed by the Pope for five-year periods. Executive power is in the hands of the President of that commission, assisted by the General Secretary and Deputy General Secretary. The state's foreign relations are entrusted to the Holy See's Secretariat of State and diplomatic service. Nevertheless, the pope has full and absolute executive, legislative and judicial power over Vatican City. He is the last absolute monarch in Europe.

 

 

Posted 11 months ago #
fishman - Member
does anyone know of any others?
Posted 11 months ago #
fishman - Member

better yet , does anyone wish there were more ;)

 

Posted 11 months ago #
bhokuto - Inactive
I wouldn't trust wiki too much.

Shrines, like Immaculate conception, EWTN they have nice little niche,
brotherhoods, sects of Catholic groups, Marian Movements, etc.,.

Peace
Posted 11 months ago #
Ignatian77 - Inactive
Well, Latin America is very Catholic. As an American living there, I was profoundly impressed with its universal Catholicism. Those years were spent in perhaps my deepest Catholic reflection, as a result. Everything about the society at large was powerfully Catholic, and hence, forever invocative of my Catholic consciousness. It was great.
Posted 11 months ago #
KenB - Inactive

I agree Ignatian.  My wife is originally from Chile and still has family there, and each time we visit I am impressed by how the country is so Catholic.

 

 

 

Posted 11 months ago #
noelfitz - Member

I believe that in South America evangelicals from North America are making progress. 

Portugal, Ireland and Poland were considered very Catholic countries. 

However perhaps Malta is the most Catholic country at present.

God bless,


NoelFitz.
_________________________________________________
In necessariis, unitas; in dubiis, libertas; in omnibus, caritas.
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Posted 10 months ago #
LiveBlueForever - Inactive

The question about Evangelicals in South America should be why are they making progress?

 

Joseph Bailey

Posted 9 months ago #
Protect the Rock - Moderator

There are likely many reasons, for why evangelicals are making progress in South America (not as much progress as the Mormons, by the way) but I think the greatest reason is poorly catechized Catholics.  That is, Catholics who have not been taught the faith.

For example, while I have met many  people who have left the Cathoilc church, I have never met a single person who left who said they truly believed in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.

Posted 9 months ago #
wljewell - Member
God loves you . Hmmmmm - define 'theocracy'. Use Calvinistic Geneva and the Papal States as examples. 1,000 words by next Monday. What a question. And, now it has boiled down to a dearly Baptist man asking us why where we Catholics are (allegedly) most 'powerful', we can't even insure keeping Catholics in the faith. For one answer, I have met many 'Catholic' Protestant Christians in how they acted faithfully. I am not surprised that some barely-catechized Catholics are attracted to such fiery faith. Then again, many converts to Catholicism from Protestantism - Shea, the Hahns, Kochan - I could go on, Mr. Bailey, with all due respect - brought their fire to the truth and found what they now call Home. And, boy, are they adding to my apologetical catechism in my life. For another answer, it is just so dang difficult to get to and grasp at truth. Sort of like sin, you really gotta wanna. And, in this, why theocracy is at best questionable - who will have such great, grand, tidy, nearly-perfect grasp on truth? I mean, most Popes pale at being elected to just religiously shepherding Catholics. What do you think they would feel under weights of secular leadership? This religious/secular separation we have may be one good thing to arise from the Enlightenment - which in so many ways can be hind-sighted as the En-darken-ment. Remember, I love you, too . In the Suffering of Christ, and in His hope of His Resurrection, Pristinus Sapienter (wljewell @catholicexchange.com or ... yahoo.com)
Posted 9 months ago #
KenB - Inactive

I agree with wljewel, and also think it important to note that many Latin American societies, since they have for decades striven to emulate our economic sucess, have inadvertently caught our societal decadence and all the personal and social ills that accompany it.

This is the downside to the secular-materialism and humanism that the Pope routinely mentions.  While it is important to help the poor, help our neighbors, and work toward a world where people live with dignity, and to try to gaurd against a few holding all the power and wealth while the many live in hovels, it is more important to make sure we and our children have a firm understanding that Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Just look at Venezuela.  They are nominally Catholic now, but because of how the powers-that-be have mismanaged everything for so long, they have installed and are about to confirm (via plebecite on December 2nd) a bellecose communist ruler who in turn will remove educated people from positions of power, and replace them with lesser men from the ignorant unwashed masses.  He will also confiscate the holdings of the wealthy and claim to be doing this "for the people".  While initially and for a time therafter, this will seem to work, and the lower classes will rejoice, once the educated folks and business classes leave, are forced out, or are imprisoned or worse, the government will eventually burn through all the confiscated wealth and standard human corruption will set in, which of course will take the nation on a long Cuban-like downward spiral.  Ultimately, when the whole system collapses under its own weight, Venezuela will be only a shell of its former self, and because of the atheism that communism demands, evangelization will need to begin again.

And the fault for all this will lie not with the uneducated, poverty-stricken Venezuelan masses, but with the wealthy and powerful.  For if only those in charge of that beautiful land had been more than nominal Catholics, had they cared enough for their brothers to at least not rape them over and over, and for so many decades, ambitious and angry individuals like Chavez would not have bubbled up from the lower depths of society and siezed power and destroyed everything.

Oh well, we have seen that scenario before.  Frankly if Mexicans were not as stoic and as they are, it would have happened there also. 

Even so, anti-Catholic and atheistic forces in Mexico recently managed to legalize abortion; apparently convincing Mexicans that the way to improve their lives is to murder some of their children.  While human sacrifice and anti-Catholicism are certainly not new to Mexico (or to other nations for that matter), it is sad to watch the once Catholic, friendly, honorable and gracious nation of Mexico creeping toward a slippery socialist slope of more personal and social decadence than anyone could have previously imagined. 

Of all the things Mexicans could have learned from us, they sadly picked up the awful notion that we promote by way of legalized abortion; i.e., that a good way to improve your immediate economic situation is to murder one or more of your children.  

In addition to the immorality and cruelty of abortion then, and to our eternal shame, because of the scandal of legalized abortion, we Americans - because to Mexico we are like the more successful cousin or older brother; i.e., one who they naturally try to emulate - we Americans bear a large portion of the blame for legalized abortion in Mexico.  May God have mercy on us...¡Dios ten piedad!

In any case, Catholic catechism for the children is very important and the Pope is correct.

Posted 9 months ago #
MREINER16 - Member

While strictly speaking it is not a theocracy, but I would say pretty close is Monaco. The offcial state religion is Roman Catholic and when albert became it's prince a few years back, I believe he was installed by the nation's bishop during a Mass. There are 5 or 6 other microstates within Europe similar to Monaco that might also be close.

Posted 9 months ago #
Arkanabar - Inactive
Tibet used to be a theocracy.  If all those who stump for the reinstatement of the Dalai Lama succeed, it will be again.
Posted 9 months ago #

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