Communism and the Roman Catholic Church

One of the greatest attacks against the human person is Communism.  Communism comes from the teachings found in the The Communist Manifesto.  It is a book written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.  It was originally released in Russia in February 1848.  A large focus of the manifesto is about removing the divide between the lower class and the upper class of people.  “The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win.”[1]  Karl Marx believed that the proletariat masses, the poor people, we’re being oppressed by the bourgeoisie, the upper class.  “The ruling ideas of each age have ever been the ideas of its ruling class.”[2]  It is from this line of thought that Karl Marx believed that all systems that were political were simply the upper class oppressing the lower class.  Karl Marx’s idea of a perfect political system would eliminate the class system. All would be equal. Every man would be equal to every other man without any social classes.  This idea has been label communism. 

Pius IX

Immediately the ideas expressed in The Communist Manifesto were denounced by Pope Pius IX in 1849 in Nostis Et Nobiscum.  He writes, “You are aware indeed, that the goal of this most iniquitous plot is to drive people to overthrow the entire order of human affairs and to draw them over to the wicked theories of this Socialism and Communism, by confusing them with perverted teachings”.[3]  The Pope continues discussing plots and conspiracies of the communist state to overthrow the temporal power of the Catholic Church.  He states, “The final goal shared by these teachings, whether of Communism or Socialism, even if approached differently, is to excite by continuous disturbances workers and others, especially those of the lower class, whom they have deceived by their lies and deluded by the promise of a happier condition. They are preparing them for plundering, stealing, and usurping first the Church’s and then everyone’s property. After this they will profane all law, human and divine, to destroy divine worship and to subvert the entire ordering of civil societies.” [4]

Pope Pius XI

Communism continued to spread throughout the world at the being of the 1900s.  In 1917, the Russian Revolution occurred which mark the embracing of the Russian people to the theories of communism.  Again, a Papal Encyclical was written to address the spread of these false teachings. Pope Pius XI in 1937 in Divini Redemptoris writes, “In the face of such a threat, the Catholic Church could not and does not remain silent. This Apostolic See, above all, has not refrained from raising its voice, for it knows that its proper and social mission is to defend truth, justice and all those eternal values which Communism ignores or attacks. Ever since the days when groups of "intellectuals"were formed in an arrogant attempt to free civilization from the bonds of morality and religion, Our Predecessors overtly and explicitly drew the attention of the world to the consequences of the dechristianization of human society.”[5]   Pope Pius XI conveys to the faithful the need for the Catholic Church to speak out when injustice happens.  Without the Church, her faithful would be lost sheep.

Communism continue to spread after World War II.  In 1949, the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office declared Catholics who professed the Communist doctrine to be excommunicated as apostates from the Christian faith.  None of these documents could stop the halt of the rapid spreading of communism. Sometimes it takes actions to stop the spread of an idea. Pope John Paul II was the one that took up the cause to confront communism by denouncing it directly to the faithful.

Pope John Paul II

Pope John Paul II begin by speaking out against the idea of socialism and what is and what is not. Socialism is a soft version of communism which people believed at the time to be good for humanity. Pope John Paul II spoke out against true socialism.  He said that socialism itself does not have the proper understanding of what man it is and thus can never help man.[6]  One thing that communism and socialism could not grasp is man‘s desire towards God. Socialism and communism did not prevent faithful Catholics from practicing their faith even though their teachings were based in atheism.

Communism also tried to destroy the structure of the family.  “Do you charge us with wanting to stop the exploitation of children by their parents?  To this crime we plead guilty.”[7]  Communism would hold that the family unit of mother, father and child to be useless and would get rid of it.  This idea goes greatly against the Catholic Church teaching on the family. It holds that the smallest unit of humanity is itself the family.  The family structure was created by God for its members to come to know Him. God is a Family; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. With attempting to destroy the family, communist societies began violating human rights. These same freedoms that are recognized by the United States such as life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. [8]

 During many trips throughout Europe, Pope John Paul II continue to address the injustices of the communist way of life.  Pope John Paul II continued to speak out against communism as it is very harmful for his Catholic people as well as all of mankind.[9]  Pope John Paul II speaking out so greatly against communism prevented it from ever fully taking hold in Europe, especially his home nation of Poland.  It was through these actions by the Popes throughout the last century that halted the spread of communism. The Holy Roman Catholic Church was the key to halting communism.  It is and always will be the protector of the faithful.

[1] Marx, Karl, 1818-1883. The Communist Manifesto. London ; Chicago, Ill. :Pluto Press, 1996.
[2] lbid
[3]  Pope Pius IX. “Nostis Et Nobiscum.” The Holy See, 8 Dec. 1849, https://www.papalencyclicals.net/Pius09/p9nostis.htm.
[4] lbid
[5] Pope Pius XI. “Divini Redemptoris.” The Holy See, 19 Mar. 1937, https://w2.vatican.va/content/pius-xi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xi_enc_19370319_divini-redemptoris.html
[6] REIMERS, Adrian J. 2018. “The University and the Culture of the Person.” Ethos (0860-8024), no. 121 (January): 281–92.
[7] Marx, Karl, 1818-1883. The Communist Manifesto. London ; Chicago, Ill. :Pluto Press, 1996.
[8] Lemmons, Russel. 2018. “Combating the ‘Forces of Darkness’: The Cult of Blessed Rupert Mayer, 1945-1987.” Fides et Historia 50 (2): 22–37.
[9] lbid