VII: Catholic Action: Charity

Pius XI stated that the “Apostolate is nothing else than the exercise of Christian charity, which is obligatory upon all men.”

First, this is clearly a duty that flows from love of God. For, he who loves someone desires that the object of his love be further glorified among others. Now, to spread the love of God among men is the goal of Catholic Action.

Further, this is an act of thanksgiving towards God for his redemptive work. As Pius XI wrote

Besides the motive of charity, the Christian apostolate is obligatory as an act of gratitude rendered to Jesus Christ. So, when we cause others to participate in the spiritual gifts that we have received…we satisfy the desires of His most loving heart, which asks but to be known and loved, as He Himself said in the gospels : ‘ I came to send fire upon the earth, and what will I, but that it should be kindled ? ’ (Lk. 12:49)

Second, this is clearly a duty that flows from love of neighbor. For, a man cannot be said to love his neighbor if he does not will the greatest good for him. Now, the greatest good for him is the salvation of his soul, which is Catholic Action. To carry out Catholic Action is an eminent way of carrying out those precepts of charity which consist in the spiritual works of mercy.

As Pius XI points out, this is something evidently contained in the Lord’s Prayer. When we pray that God’s kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven, we ought to work for the establishment of this kingdom. If not, our prayers would be purely hypocritical. Further, we are obliged to this by both our baptism and confirmation. Baptism makes us children of God and sons of the Church. As loyal children, we have the obligation to defend our homeland and to ensure its propagation.

In confirmation, beyond being citizens of the Church, we are also made soldiers of the Church. Here, our duties of Catholic Action become even clearer. If we are soldiers of the Church, clearly we are meant to fight for her. Confirmation in this way is the consecration to the lay apostolate.

But, it is important here to clarify something. While the precept of Catholic Action is binding on all Catholics, it is not binding in the same decree or in the same way. The Popes speak of three levels of participation in Catholic Action, Self-Dedication, Contribution, and Coordination.

Self-Dedication consists in those members of Catholic Action who dedicate all their time and energies to this effort. Contribution consists in those members who give material or moral support to Catholic Action, whether it be by financing Catholic Action or praying for Catholic Action. Co-ordination consists in those members who, while not dedicating all their times and energies to this effort, still dedicate the time and energies they can to this effort, especially coordinating their other activities to be as beneficial as possible to the cause.

Fourth, Catholic Action is a Universal Apostolate. It is universal in a number of different senses.

First, it is universal as to the subjects because it is something done by all Catholics. Second, it is universal as to the objects because it seeks to Christianize everything. Hence St. Pius X’s motto that we ought to restore all things in Christ. This begins with individual men, as we mentioned above. It begins with the whole man, the man in his religious, moral, and social dimensions. As an effect of this, it moves on to each of the societies that man is a part of, whether it be political or domestic societies, or even international society.

As St. Pius X wrote,

The field of Catholic Action is extremely vast. In itself it does not exclude anything, in any manner, direct or indirect, which pertains to the divine mission of the Church. Accordingly one can plainly see how necessary it is for everyone to cooperate in such an important work, not only for the sanctification of his own soul, but also for the extension and increase of the Kingdom of God in individuals, families, and society; each one working according to his energy for the good of his neighbor by the propagation of revealed truth, by the exercise of Christian virtues, by the exercise of the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. (Il Fermo Proposito)

Third, it is universal as to the universality of its means. It uses all the means possible for the propagation of the kingship of Christ. Nothing except that which is manifestly immoral is outside of the scope of Catholic Action. This universality of means opposes two common errors in the common understanding of Catholic Action.

On the one hand, some wish to restrict our considerations to merely spiritual considerations. They believe that the only Catholic Action worthy of a son of the Church is to pray for the success of the clergy of the Church in their mission. On the other hand, some wish to restrict our considerations to merely material considerations, believing that it is only the material means taken up by Catholic Action that make our work effective. Against both of these, Catholic Action takes every means at its disposal, whether material or spiritual, to effect the kingship of Christ in all things.

Fourth, it is universal as to its place. There is no place where Catholic Action ought not to take place. Even if we were to assume that the spirit of the Church penetrated all aspects of a certain society, there would still need to be Catholic Action to preserve and defend this victory.