Expert: George A. Card,sfo, M.I - 9/28/2005

Question
Why shouldn't non-catholics in America and other secular countries be afraid to ellect devout catholics to office?  Isn't a Catholic obligated to follow the instructions of the pope, so long as those instructions are couched in terms of "faith and morals"?  Furthermore, what is the current Catholic position on the existence of specificly Catholic states (in the past I know that the Church demanded that every state be Catholic)?  If the Church's position has changed, why has it changed?  Assuming that someone was convince that Catholicism (and Christianity) was false, what (honest) arguement could you make to them for not opposing the election of Catholics to public office?

Answer
                         Peace
Dear Michael
   They shouldn't because, good Catholics live a strict moral code and reconize others have the right to practice "religion" or not according to their personal consciences.
  We are obligated to obey displines as a long as they dont conflict with Divine and/or natural law. We are obligated to confess all that the Church teaches, especially Dogmatic pronouncements, by popes or ecumenical councils of the Church. Not all of the pronouncements of the Church infallible.
  The Church never demanded States to be Catholic. It did demand those rulers who claimed to be Catholic, live as the claim be.
  If the persons religion is a false label. Or it the moral code is correct, yet their politics based on it weaker than the other person(s).  People can have same moral base, yet express it differently in words/action.

                      your servant in Christ
                             george