Church and elections, relationship “at loggerheads” between spirituality and interference

The Church and the vote, the years pass but the interference never changes. The comment

Years pass, but interference never changes. After the referendum of 2 June 1946 in which the choice of the Republic won, the June 25, 1946 the Constituent Assembly was established to give a “Charter” to the new Republic. The aftermath of the post-war period continued to be felt; someone took revenge for the wrongs suffered in the twenty years, but a new wind began to blow, that of the east. The first national elections took place in 1948 and “The results were much clearer than what had been imagined on the eve: the Popular Front stopped at 31% while the Christian Democrats alone exceeded 48% and with its centrist allies, came close to 55% of the votes .

The Social Democrats, born only a year earlier from a split in the socialist house, took 7%. Monarchists and representatives of a party, the Italian Social Movement, of clear fascist inspiration also entered the new Parliament. 18 April 1948. The first political elections in Italy – Istituto Luce historical archive (archivioluce.com) However, even if there were clashes, not only verbal ones, between Christian Democrats and Communists and with “ups and downs” (read coup attempts, terrorism right and left and various interferences) of the word “democracy” we have reached 2024 where even today we find that not only can the parties say a word in the streets, but the “presence” of the Church continues to exist (read Diocese of Padua) which with a “written appeal”: “invites us to support parties and candidates who promote a European project that respects the autonomy of individual member states, but is capable of making unitary choices in the name of European integration”.

As a good Catholic with a bit of political experience I can only say one thing: in a world where there are dozens of conflicts, almost all without a declaration of war, why must the Church find the time to side with one or the other political front rather than urging citizens to go and vote? Now that’s a problem! And then, with all the problems that the Vatican has internally and also externally, wouldn’t it be appropriate if it first looked at “home” and perhaps even did a bit of cleaning? The last 40 years have also left some traces. Now, we are all human, we are all sinners, but let each one take care of his own garden. I leave a very descriptive map of the various conflicts in writings:

I close with this phrase taken from Aforismario: Aphorisms, phrases and proverbs about the Church The Church, while certainly also being a human, historical institution, with all that entails, does not have a political nature, but an essentially spiritual one: it is the People of God, the Holy People of God, which journeys towards the encounter with Jesus Christ. Jorge Mario Bergoglio (Pope Francis)Speech, 2013.