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 upon us;  that  is,  as  far  as  loyalty  to  our Catholic beliefs,  principles,  and  convictions permits.

Let us  now  see  how  this  general  principle may be  applied  to  individual  matters.

We may  consider  politics  from  a  fourfold point of  view:  as  politics  in  reference  to  mere worldly affairs,  to  those  which  concern  religious and  ecclesiastical  matters  alone,  to  mixed questions, and  to  conditions  and  circumstances at elections

3. Politics  occupy  themselves,  in  by  far the greatest  part,  with  mere  worldly  affairs; for example,  with  military  and  financial questions, postal  arrangements,  railways, forestry and  agriculture,  the  tariff,  trusts, and industries. But even  in  these  matters faith and  religion  have  no  little  influence,  and certainly ought  to  have  it,  in  so  far  as  all  these things should  be  ordered  and  arranged  according to  the  immutable  laws  of  Christian justice, and  that  no  private  or  party  interest  should  be  considered,  but  only  what will best  contribute  to  the  welfare  of  the community, of  the  city,  state,  or  country  at large.

4. As  to  matters  which  deal  with  purely  religious  and  ecclesiastical  questions,  no  politics should enter  into  them;  i.e.,  the  State  ought not to  interfere  in  them. The Catholic,  therefore, as  a  citizen  of  the  State,  ought  in  questions of  a  purely  ecclesiastical  nature,  to  speak and act  in  accordance  with  this  conviction.