Politics: The Role of the Laity

By Will Wright

The clergy are called by God to sanctify the People of God. The People of God, namely the laity, are called by God to sanctify the temporal order.

The temporal order is the social, cultural, intellectual, political, and economic life in which people participate. This covers the gamut of the human experience. And it is the solemn duty of the laity, driven by principles of the Church of faith and morals, to make prudential judgments and make the world holier.

For those who say (what I am quoting directly from an Instagram comment): “politics is not the church’s responsibility. Politics and elections are civic responsibilities,”: You are DEAD WRONG.

If politics is not the responsibility of the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ, then Christ is not the King of the temporal order. Thankfully, He is. So, keep things civil and respectful. And engage in the political order as if your salvation depends upon it. Because it does.

Clergy are not called to run for office or engage in politics directly. The clergy are called to preach, teach, govern (the Church), and sanctify. But the laity? The laity are absolutely called to directly engage in politics with full force. If we do not, then who will? The demons do not relent. Make no mistake, they are active as Hell, here on Earth. Not everything spiritual is political, but everything political is necessarily spiritual because human beings are body and soul.

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12)

Will Wright is a high school History/Religion Teacher, adjunct instructor with the Institute of Catholic Theology and instructor at the Kino Catechetical Institute, his articles have been on the National Catholic Register's “The Best of Catholic Blogging.” More from Wright at Gooddistinctions.com

Also at TCP, read: The Catholic Vote: What's at Stake