This month we once again reference a True Restoration Live episode to further develop some themes that are important for Traditional Catholics to understand. This episode discussed nation states and ethnicity, themes that are often in the news worldwide, and ones that are intimately linked with immigration.
There Is No Jew or Greek
It is strange that this needs to be said, but the Catholic Church has nothing to do with theories about racial superiority. Indeed, Catholicism consistently teaches that we are all made in “the image and likeness of God” and of God there can be partial representation. There is no race, for example, that is “fully” like God and other races that are “lesser” like God.
There are, however, clearly superior cultures. But those who selectively study history (or fail to study it at all) attribute the cultural superiority to a race rather than a culture that has been shaped by Christianity for centuries. The words of St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 4:7 apply just as much to peoples as to individuals: “For who distinguisheth thee? Or what hast thou that thou hast not received? And if thou hast received, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?”
How do cultures become superior? By prolonged exposure to Christianity and a corresponding acceptance and heartfelt engagement of the populace with that gentle yoke of Our Savior. When we encounter inferior cultures, the Christian might react at times with horror but that horror should be immediately followed up by compassion and charity. We should all have a desire to share the Good News with such peoples. We should all have that missionary spirit of St. Therese, which may not call us to the actual mission fields, but to prayer and action in our own sphere of life.
Nationalism Is a False Religion
The inordinate investiture of the importance of a nation state is relatively new in Western civilization. It first gained momentum after the eroding of the power of the Holy Roman Empire and declared its evil entrance into the world first with the Protestant Revolt, then with the French Revolution. Instead of keeping populations focused on the eternal world that is to come, nationalists sought to popularize the here and now, to the physical and spiritual death of hundreds of millions.
Particularly alluring for those who are trying to react to the excesses of the leftists (who are only, after all, acting out the logical consequences of liberal secular democracy, which always eats its own) may be the siren call of “Christian Nationalism.” But even a cursory glance over the documents and speeches of those who would advocate for such a system can see that there is no attempt to direct all movements in relation to Christ and His Church. Without unity of doctrine, there can be no unity of action (nor a lasting peace).
Consequences
Catholics should not obsess about their nation states or their ethnicities. All these things are passing. If they are to be obsessed about anything, it should be about their eternal salvation, which begins and ends with mental prayer, tied, when possible, to the sacraments. This interior sanctification will enhance and enlighten all who surround you, and will lead to the only lasting peace possible, in Christ Our Lord.
