God and Caesar: Rendering our Dues by Michelle Tan

“When Pope Francis visits us in Singapore next month, may he find in us true servants, shepherds and stewards with the hearts, minds and hands of Christ, rendering God, our political leaders, and each other our proper dues by using our God-given gifts to build community, practise charity, promote peace, and do good with mutual respect and fraternal friendship. And when it comes to casting our votes in the general election when the time comes, may we do “as we ought”, exercising our free will responsibly and in good conscience for the common good of our nation.”

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2024 news has been filled not only with the latest updates of how climate change is impacting the environment, but also of how political change is sweeping the globe.

A July 7 report by The Guardian UK highlighted that more than half the world’s population in more than 80 countries is going, or have gone, to the polls this year to elect their political leaders. A general election also seems imminent in Singapore.
Perhaps it is timely to reflect upon how Catholic Social Teaching treats the relationships between private individuals and the political community in civil society, especially as Catholic educators in Catholic schools under the umbrella of the Ministry of Education. As members of the Civil Service, how “civil” and of “service” does the Church call us to be?

The kingdoms of God and Caesar
In 2004, Pope St. John Paul II approved the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church (CSDC) which was put together, at his request, by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace (PCJP).
The CSDC proposes Jesus of Nazareth as the model ruling authority – the king – chosen by God and anointed with the wisdom and compassion of the Holy Spirit to bring justice to the poor and peace to the land (CSDC 378).
When Christ came, He inaugurated the Kingdom of God which was quite unlike the kingdoms of the world.
“Christ reveals to human authority, always tempted by the desire to dominate, its authentic and complete meaning as service…. [Although] sovereignty belongs to God, the Lord, however, has not willed to reserve to Himself all exercise of power… The way God acts in governing the world, which bears witness to such great regard for human freedom, should inspire the wisdom of those who govern human communities who should behave as ministers of divine providence.” (CSDC 383)

What belongs to Caesar?
In New Testament times, the people in Israel were subject to the rule and reign of Caesar, whose imperial forces’ occupation of the Holy Land, aided by local puppet leaders, was deeply resented by the people.
Even though the occupiers may have worshipped Caesar, and not God, as divine, and actively encouraged the people to do so in exchange for political or financial favours, Jesus “does not directly oppose the authorities of His time. In His pronouncement on the paying of taxes to Caesar, He affirms that we must give to God what is God’s, implicitly condemning every attempt at making temporal power divine or absolute… At the same time, temporal power has the right to its due: Jesus does not consider it unjust to pay taxes to Caesar.” (CSDC 379)
Although absolute authority belongs to God alone – creatures can never be more powerful than their Creator – temporal power has “the right to its due when it is “guided by the moral law” (CSDC 394) i.e. “the natural law written in the human heart” which God makes known to us through our conscience.”
When governments enact just and fair laws that seek the common good of the individual and individuals in society as a whole, when public officers truly live up to their vocation as civil servants, then “citizens are conscience-bound to obey” and do their part for the common good of society by paying taxes, and by being law-abiding and civic-minded etc.
St. Paul explains, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God… For the same reason, you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, busy with this very thing. Pay to all what is due them – taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honour to whom honour is due. Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the [moral] law.”

What belongs to God?
All life belongs to God, and all human persons are endowed with an inherent dignity that stems from their having been created in the image and likeness of God.
The Church therefore teaches that “The human person is the foundation and purpose of political life.” (CSDC 384)
This means that political authorities must “in the first place, work to recognise and respect human dignity through defending and promoting fundamental and inalienable human rights: in our time the common good is chiefly guaranteed when personal rights and duties are maintained.” (CSDC 388)
However, we often forget that rights always come with corresponding duties to respect ensure the rights of others.
For example, among the fundamental rights to life, liberty, a fair trial, equal treatment, and freedom of speech and movement, the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore acknowledges the right of every person to profess and practise his religion and to propagate it. In addition, it states that every religious group has the right to establish and maintain institutions for the education of children and provide therein instruction in its own religion. So, for example, pursuant to this right, we have our Catholic schools imbued with a Catholic ethos providing Catholic education.
However, the Constitution also makes it clear that Catholic schools have a corresponding duty to respect the right of non-Catholic students to profess their own faith, and decline to receive instruction in or to take part in, any ceremony or act of worship of a religion other than their own.
In the same vein, St. Peter reminds us: “For the Lord’s sake, accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme, or of governors, as sent by Him to punish those who do wrong, and to praise those who do right… As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil. Honour everyone. Love the family of believers. Fear God. Honour the emperor.”
To quote Catholic English historian, politician and writer Lord Acton (1834-1902), “Freedom is not the power of doing what we like, but the right to be able to do what we ought.”

When we respect the dignity of our fellow human beings in this way – when we love our neighbour in obedience to God’s moral law of love – we give Him His due.

Rendering our dues in real life
In essence, the Church teaches that “Life in society takes on all its significance when it is based on civil friendship and on fraternity.” (CSDC 390).
“The Gospel precept of charity enlightens Christians as to the deepest meaning of political life… The goal which believers must put before themselves is that of establishing community relationships among people. The Christian vision of political society places paramount importance on the value of community, both as a model for organising life in society and as a style of everyday living.” (CSDC 392)
The Pope is the Vicar of Christ, the successor of St. Peter on whom Christ built His Church, and the head of the Curia, the ultimate political and religious authority of the Roman Catholic Church.
Yet the Pope is also titled the Servant of the Servants of God, to rule over the People of God in imitation of Christ who stooped to wash the feet of His disciples and to lay down His life for them.
When Pope Francis visits us in Singapore next month, may he find in us true servants, shepherds and stewards with the hearts, minds and hands of Christ, rendering God, our political leaders, and each other our proper dues by using our God-given gifts to build community, practise charity, promote peace, and do good with mutual respect and fraternal friendship.
And when it comes to casting our votes in the general election when the time comes, may we do “as we ought”, exercising our free will responsibly and in good conscience for the common good of our nation.
In meantime, let us in unity and hope, heed the words of St. Paul: “I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God.”