Catholic Integralism and the Separation Between Church and State
Catholic integralism is a pre-Vatican II political theology that holds that the Catholic Church should exercise direct authority over governments and the state should be subordinate to the Church, among other contentions. Neo-integralism is fairly modern, though it has roots that are much older. To be clear, integralism is not part of traditional Catholic doctrine. Most Catholics are probably not even aware of it, though it was specifically denounced by Pope Pius XI for using the Church as a political tool of politics rather than the bearer of divine truth. The reason this has become relevant is because it has been creeping into the ideological framework of the political far right, though it remains obscured in the background and has not been fully articulated to its audience. Part of its appeal is that it has a moral framework that places Christian values at the center. It also plays into legitimate grievances over the moral degradation of the West that has largely been facilitate...