Message from the Pope to the heavenly ?: "The Catholic party will not be anymore"

The Pope does not discourage the participation of parishioners in political life. On the contrary, for Francisco, Latin America needs "a new presence of Catholics in politics". Now, "a new presence implies not only new faces in the electoral campaigns, but especially new methods allowing us to forge both critical and constructive alternatives," and who "always seeks the good possible, even modest; flexible alternatives but with a clear Christian social identity, "explained the pope.

It was in this context that he referred to Christian parties which, at another time and in certain geographical areas, were an option.

"A Catholic party," Francisco reflected aloud, "was perhaps a first intuition in the awakening of the Social Doctrine of the Church that, over the years, it has been adjusted to what must really be the politician's vocation today in society, I say (politician) Christian. The Catholic part is no longer there. In politics it is better to have a political polyphony inspired by the same faith and built with multiple sounds and instruments, a boring monotord melody apparently correct but homogenizing and neutralizing – and yapa-quieta. "No, that's not right," he insisted emphatically.

The words of the Pope, delivered during a hearing in the Vatican with a group of young people destined to participate in political life, have a particular resonance in Argentina after the debate on the legalization of abortion. There was four months of activism, commitment, participation, mobilization, exaltation and pbadion behind a cause; something that had not been seen for a long time in a country accustomed to political campaigns emptied of its values, with the supremacy of the image on the idea.

This exceptional period lived up to the Senate vote in early August opened the question of many how to give continuity to the current of opinion that in the streets was identified with the celestial color: in some, a sincere desire to avoid the dispersion of an energy that had been the decisive fuel for the defense of its principles; in others, one could have the imagination of electoral speculation, since many of the opponents of the legalization of abortion were little known. the voters disappointed by the hesitant attitude or the rebellion of their referents in the matter.

In fact, there are already candidates who are positioning themselves try to channel this discontent with the promotion of an essentially united force around this demand. Although this type of initiative is also aimed at the evangelical sectors – whose mobilization was decisive for the rejection of the project of legalization of the abortion -, they also correspond to Francisco's proposal; a proposal which, on the other hand, coincides with that of the President of Aciera, the Christian Alliance of Evangelical Churches, which brings together the most numerous evangelical denominations. In an interview with Infobae a few days after the defeat of the legal abortion project in the Senate, the pastor Rubén ProiettiThe president of Aciera was categorical: "I say categorically that we do not support in any way a confessional party."

It does not discourage the participation of the faithful in politics, even partisan. However, he clarifies: "Look, there is an evangelical party, I can not prevent it, but I will not have in any case the approval of the multitude of churches."

It is unclear whether abortion will be a turning point for the presidential election.. The question was only marginal in the legislative campaign of 2017. But the initiative of Mauricio Macri to allow the debate in Congress and the duration and scope that had been the subject of the first page. Promoters of the legalization raised the national and health emergency, although the figures do not support this proposal. There are many other urgent and priority issues, such as poverty, mainly children, unemployment and inflation that nibble income.

But abortion worked as an additional cleavage, a new reason for social enmity, in an already tense country. In any case, it must be remembered that With the exception of some left-wing minority parties, there was no homogeneous position in the rest of the political forces. The abortion has opened the waters inside the parties, the government and the opposition.

However, it is possible that on both sides of the crack open around the subject, a slice of voters intends to define his vote purely and exclusively based on this parameter. But hardly a decisive percentage. Most likely, major parties or fronts do not define themselves on an issue that divides their constituents and try to protect everyone.

"There is no single political commitment for Catholics"

"The same Christian faith can give rise to different commitments," said Francisco in his speech. "In concrete situations, and taking into account the solidarity of each one, it is necessary to recognize a legitimate variety of possible options," explained the pope, "and I invite you to live your faith with great freedom. Never believe that there is only one form of political commitment for Catholics."

The risk of confession is that of leave in a minority position a position that has proven to be a majority in the debate last year. That's why eThe pope – without explaining it – encourages the battle within each force; work to install reality observation categories derived from a Christian world view. And not only in matters of abortion. The social doctrine of the Church evoking the pope covers all the plans of the human condition.

"Being Catholic in Politics that does not mean to be a recruit of a group, an organization or a party Francisco said, "but live in a friendship, within a community." And warned against the risk of launching "a little alone the challenges of power, strategies, action, and end up in the best of cases with a good political position but only, sad and with the risk of being handled ".

Then the pope quoted words of the martyred archbishop of El Salvador, today holy, Oscar Arnulfo Romero, He said: "The church can not be identified with any organization, not even those who qualify and feel Christian. The Church is not the organization, nor the organization is the Church. If the dimensions of faith and political vocation have grown in a Christian, the tasks of faith and a determined political task can not be simply identified, let alone the Church and the organization can be identified. It can not be said that only a given organization can develop the demand for faith. (…) To be a good politician, it is not necessary to be a Christian, but the Christian involved in a political activity has the obligation to confess his faith. "

This quote is a clear warning against sectarianism. Durging the debate on abortion, Promoters of its legalization have tried to reduce the debate to a Christian moral problem: Opposition to abortion thus derives purely and exclusively from a religious mandate. To take refuge in a denominational party would only make them better off. What is a clear mistake.

In the interview that he recently gave to Jordi Évole, When this Spanish journalist asked him about abortion, the pope said: "I do not discuss the civil law of each country, my question is before civil law, before the religious law, my question is addressed to the human: is it right to eliminate a human life to solve a problem?"

C & # 39; is to say, Do we need to believe in God to think that human life is the most precious good? Linking this belief to confessional forces alone implies the risk of making what is not a minority a minority.

More specifically, the pope urges to avoid the sectarianism that sometimes confuses some people and makes them think that the best way to defend their ideas is to unite only with those who share them, which leads them to isolate themselves from society and to give ground.. Something similar to what happens to many leftist parties and explains their divisions to infinity.

"Let's not forget that getting into politics, it's bet on social friendship" because only this activity "helps the people to become the protagonist of its history and thus avoids so-called "ruling clbades" to believe that they are who can fix everything, "said the pope.

You isolate big games can do It is easier for the "ruling clbades" who are more likely to hold government positions to ignore the demands of their bases. Conversely, and as the debate on abortion has shown, the struggle for the idea within these forces was much more effective.