Views on Theocracy

[Socrates]

[quote name='popestpiusx' date='Oct 7 2004, 07:28 AM'] But Socrates, where is the definition? Also, your example still does not qualify as a "theocracy". Churchmen having positions of political power is different from a political system in which the religious authorities are the temporal rulers by virtue of the fact that they are the religious authorities. Again, the best example is the Islamic caliphate. In this system temporal and religious authority are one and the same. There is no distinction between the temporal and the spiritual realm. [/quote]
You're right. The Catholic Church never was part of a "theocracy" in the strict sense of the word. I was just using history to stress that I do not think temporal or worldly power tends to be a good thing for the Church. When the Church gains worldly power and prestige, it (or rather, its members) tend to become worldly, or worldly men become attracted to Church postions. This, I think, is also part of our contemporary problem with many American bishops. They've gotten way too cozy with the secular powers-that-be, and have often become politicians more than men of God.

[CatholicforChrist]

Change my post to be confessional state...