The Libertarian Catholic
The topic of the 21st Alfonso Carlos I Forum in Madrid was feminism, but by the end of the conference, I was convinced we are witnessing a larger, more threatening evil in society. There is a concerted effort to replace God by a globalist and expansionist State through the erosion of the family. The libertarian Catholic has been the only consistent defender of Truth in the face of this threat.
Only the traditional Christian environment made possible the upbringing of a fruitful and flourishing society according to spontaneous order and natural premises—respectful toward life, liberty and property—whereas the State is a pure artificial entity that becomes progressively troubling and tends to crush society by expansionism once it is installed.
God created us as free beings—in order to follow the Good—and equal towards him (equality in dignity does not imply egalitarian coercion and positive law). Meanwhile, Catholic Social Teaching talked about voluntary subsidiarity -interrelated to subsidiarity principle. Saint John Paul II defined subsidiarity following that rule:
A higher order social structure should not interfere in a lower order social group internal affairs, depriving them of their competences, but supporting them in case of necessity and helping it to coordinate their action with the rest of social components, in the pursuit of common good.
Apart from that, we are morally entitled to be proud of our metaphysical Christian cosmology. The biggest contributions to liberty, human dignity and common good have not only required the combination between faith and reason. Those were possible because of Catholic societies and nations.
The aforementioned topic is what I exposed in a summarized way at the end of the forum in an open conversation between attenders and speakers. But I want to take advantage of that column to explain it in detail.
Traditional monarchies tend to support a limited power
It was the arrival of French liberalism—promoted in Spain by supporters of Isabella II—that questioned the institution of “fuero” and upholded by those who wanted Carlos María Isidro to become the monarch. It allowed the fiscal, legal, and political decentralization in various Spanish territories.
Under the Spanish Empire, Hispanic America had many viceroyalties as those based in River Plate and New Granada. Moreover, indigenous communities were not threatened anyway—mixed racial marriages were promoted whereas evangelization civilized America and led to the recognition of human dignity.
It was not the only example. Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was another example of political union that began respecting local decentralization and empowered society somehow. Currently, Liechtenstein people have also the right to recede whilst the monarch—a prince who wants the State to turn into a “provider of services—has the right to veto and counter democratic problems.
The origin of commercial spirit and the fall of communism
Although the Scholastics from Salamanca developed many analysis that let us understand the case for a non-intervened economy—from a moral standpoint—that allowed society work freely. It should be reminded that the commercial spirit cannot be owed to Max Weber’s theories but to port cities as Firenze and Venecia.
At the same time, the defeat of communism should be credited to Catholic societies and nations. Whereas the participation of “requetés” in the so-called “Civil War” (1936) was a key fact to prevent Spain to become a USSR satellite, the Catholic social mass from Poland was very important.
The brake of Islamization
The Reconquest of Spanish Christian kingdoms, which began on the north and had the essential support of Navarese King Sancho VII “the Strong”, was not fueled by anti-Catholics. The same happened regarding the Ottoman Empire.
The battle of Lepanto, which ended with the triumph of Saint League and enforced the Christian hegemony over the Mediterranean region coordinated by Juan de Austria. Meanwhile, had it not been for Polish monarch Jan III Sobieski, the “liberation of Vienna” would have not been possible. The Ottoman Empire would have expanded over Europe.
By the way, it should be highlighted that nowadays, Poland is one of the strongest countries fighting the Islamization risk that Europe is undergoing. Contrary to other European nations, it is not due to nationalism but to a constant reaffirmation of Catholic faith (Hungarians are Catholic and traditional, but not too faithful).
Religious liberty in the United States
If the American Constitution—one of the least positivist in the world—was one of the best warranties of religious liberty, it is because of the Catholic Charles Carroll of Carrolton—a “founding father” that signed the same Declaration of Independence that mentions God many times.
Besides, the South of the US, so-called Dixie, is not only relevant for being more pro libertatem and traditio than the North, and struggling against the socialist tyrant Abraham Lincoln. A huge share of that territory was part of the Spanish realm. People in the Bible Belt tend to be more voluntarily charitable.
No place for utilitarianism
To conclude, we should not participate in utilitarian attitudes. Catholic values must be uphold for moral conviction, seeking the common good and truth with proud. We should also remember that Christianism is an absolute obstacle for all those enemies of liberty, property and human dignity.
