"We need to rekindle the better angels of our nature," writes NCR's Michael Sean Winters. "Reread Lincoln's second inaugural address, with its magnificent call to national comity at a time even more polarized than our own.","We need to rekindle the better angels of our nature," writes NCR's Michael Sean Winters. "Reread Lincoln's second inaugural address, with its magnificent call to national comity at a time even more polarized than our own."
about 1 month ago
A recent opinion piece questions the appropriate methods for Catholics to oppose Trumpism.1
Published on February 2, 2026, it frames protest within contemporary Catholic discourse.1
The title directly asks: "How should Catholics protest Trumpism?"1
This suggests exploration of faithful, non-violent strategies aligned with Church teachings.1
Amid Pope Leo XIV's papacy since May 2025, the article likely addresses tensions between U.S. politics and Catholic social doctrine.1
It highlights ongoing debates on political engagement post-Pope Francis.1
Such discussions could influence Catholic voter mobilization or public demonstrations.1
The piece may advocate for principled resistance over partisan division.1
How can Catholic social teaching guide protest against Trumpism?
Catholic social teaching (CST) provides a robust framework for Catholics engaging in civic protest, emphasizing nonviolent action, the pursuit of the common good, and the formation of conscience rooted in human dignity. When protesting any political ideology or policy perceived as harmful—such as aspects of "Trumpism" often associated with nationalism, immigration restrictions, or economic individualism—CST insists on methods that witness to truth and justice without descending into violence or division, drawing from papal encyclicals and bishops' guidance that highlight peaceful transformation and dialogue.
CST unequivocally prioritizes nonviolence as the most effective and morally coherent path to social reform, rejecting violence as a profanation of God's name. Pope Francis, reflecting on the fall of Communist regimes in Europe, underscores how "peaceful political transition was made possible in part 'by the non-violent commitment of people who, while always refusing to yield to the force of power, succeeded time after time in finding effective ways of bearing witness to the truth'." This echoes St. John Paul II's analysis in Centesimus Annus, where he celebrates the 1989 upheavals as triumphs of "peaceful protest, using only the weapons of truth and justice," disarming adversaries through dialogue and moral witness rather than confrontation. Applied to protests against Trumpism—perhaps critiquing policies seen as undermining immigrant dignity or exacerbating inequality—Catholics are called to emulate this model: marches, vigils, and public advocacy that appeal to shared human conscience, avoiding class struggle or belligerence. "May people learn to fight for justice without violence, renouncing class struggle in their internal disputes and war in international ones."
Such nonviolence is not passive but active, involving "insistent prayer and courageous action," as Christian communities demonstrated historically. Protests should thus integrate prayer, sacraments, and moral education, ensuring participants prioritize spiritual formation over mere political venting. Pope Leo XIII in Rerum Novarum warns that without re-establishing "Christian morals," even the wisest plans fail, urging rulers, workers, and citizens alike to act lawfully and promptly for justice.
CST guides protest by calling Catholics to form their consciences through Church teaching, evaluating policies against the dignity of the human person, common good, subsidiarity, and solidarity. The U.S. Bishops' Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship stresses that Catholics must "know and practice the whole faith," assessing "policy positions, party platforms, and candidates’ promises and actions in light of the Gospel and the moral and social teaching of the Church." This is non-partisan: bishops explicitly "do not intend to tell Catholics for whom or against whom to vote," but equip the laity to discern where ideologies like Trumpism may conflict with these principles—for instance, if prioritizing national borders over migrant solidarity or economic deregulation over worker protections.
Laity bear primary responsibility for political action, as J. Brian Benestad notes in analyses of CST, where families, universities, and individuals engage public life as a "logical implication of human dignity," resisting privatization of faith. Protests become an extension of this: not rage-fueled rallies, but informed witness promoting dialogue between Church and civil society. The COMECE Bishops urge voters and activists to focus on "integrity, competence, leadership and commitment to common good," steering beyond "divisions, disinformation and political instrumentalisation."
At CST's heart lies the common good—organizing society to benefit all members—which protests must advance, not undermine. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales describes it as the intuition that "society ought to be organised in such a way as to improve the lot of all its members," guiding Catholics to transcend party politics. Against Trumpism's perceived "inward looking" tendencies, CST promotes solidarity with the vulnerable, as in Leo XIII's foundational Rerum Novarum, which defends workers' rights while upholding private property, calling all to "put his hand to the work which falls to his share."
Subsidiarity ensures protests respect legitimate authority while challenging injustices locally first, fostering cooperation. Pope Pius XI in Quadragesimo Anno defends property rights against socialism but critiques unchecked capitalism, summoning a "Christian reform of morals" for economic order. Protesters guided by CST thus advocate policy reforms—like just immigration or fair wages—through petitions, town halls, and coalitions, embodying Pope John XXIII's call for public officials to implement social doctrine "gradually" without delay.
Historical precedents abound: Leo XIII's pontificate shifted Catholics from isolation to active societal permeation, encouraging "ralliment" or engagement with secular states for Christianizing culture without coercion. This mirrors contemporary calls for environmental, economic, and anti-slavery campaigns under his influence.
In practice, CST-guided protests against Trumpism might include:
Caution is essential: protests must link "life ethics and social ethics," avoiding selective justice that ignores abortion or family issues. Where sources diverge—e.g., older emphases on property vs. modern solidarity—recent teachings like Pope Francis's prevail.
In summary, CST transforms protest into prophetic witness: nonviolent, conscience-formed, common-good oriented, and dialogical. By wielding "weapons of truth and justice," Catholics can challenge any ideology's excesses while building a more humane society, ever rooted in Christ's peace.