Page:The Great Encyclical Letters of Pope Leo XIII.djvu/489



CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY. 483

of all modifications of civil government, while at the same time they are in concord with everything that is not re- pugnant to moraUty and justice. They are, therefore, and they must remain absolutely free from political parties, and have nothing to do with the various changes of ad- ministration which may occur in a nation ; so that Catho- lics may and ought to be citizens according to the con- stitution of any State, guided as they are by those laws which command them to love God above all things, and their neighbors as themselves. This has always been the discipline of the Church. The Roman Pontiffs acted upon this principle, whenever they dealt with different countries, no matter what might be the character of their govern- ments. Hence, the mind and the action of Catholics who are devoted to the amelioration of the working classes, can never be actuated with the purpose of favoring and introducing one government in place of another.

In the same manner, from Christian Democracy, We must remove another possible subject of reproach, namely: that while looking after the advantage of the working people they should act in such a manner as to forget the upper classes of society; for they also are of the greatest use in preserving and perfecting the commonwealth. As We have explained, the Christian law of charity will prevent Us from so doing. For it extends to all classes of society, and all should be treated as members of the same family, as children of the same heavenly Father, as redeemed by the same Sa\dour, and called to the same eternal heritage. Hence the doctrine of the Apostle who warns us that : "We are one body and one spirit called to the one hope in our vocation; one Lord, one Faith and one Baptism; one God and the Father of all who is above all, and through all, and in us all." Where- fore on account of the nature of the union which exists between the different classes of society and which Chris- tian brotherhood makes still closer, it follows that no matter how great Our devotion may be in helping the