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Church and Politics – Opinion

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During the election campaign, questions about the participation of the Church in politics again circulate. I’m talking about the Roman Catholic Church. There are those who would expect the Church to be explicitly party oriented and even to form a Catholic bench in the Legislative Assembly to defend the claims of the Catholic Church. Others do not accept any participation of the Church in political life, recognizing only cultural and charitable powers. What to think about it?

Let’s start by clarifying some concepts. By the Catholic Church we mean the community of all those who are baptized in it and adhere to its faith. The church is often mistakenly identified with the clergy, as if it were a clerical organization. It is true that bishops, priests, and deacons have important functions, but the Church does not simply identify with them. This leads to another distinction necessary for the field of politics: it is a clear norm of the Church that clergy have no party affiliation or militancy, since they serve all members of the Church, regardless of party affiliation.

However, with the exception of clergy and members of institutions of consecrated life, all other members of the Church have complete freedom to participate in party political activities and to nominate themselves as candidates for political office. They are even encouraged to do so by exercising their civil rights and participating in the creation of the common good. They are expected to remain true to ethical principles consistent with their belief in private and public life and in political activities. Therefore, it is wrong to say that the Catholic Church is against the participation of its believers in political life. On the contrary, they are encouraged to take on public duties in order to contribute to the common good.

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Would it be wise to encourage the formation of a Catholic bench by using the electoral campaign to elect as many Catholic candidates as possible? This seems like a great temptation, but it can also be a serious mistake. In the teaching of the Catholic Church, believers can freely participate in party associations, if this does not contradict the principles of faith and morality they profess. We understand that the promotion of the common good does not happen entirely through a unified perception of reality. The party always brings an incomplete perception of reality, and the uniformity of views and proposals on social and political life can lead to serious injustice and violence.

Pope Francis has repeatedly called on Catholics to participate in various areas of public life, without claiming to seek and defend advantages for the Catholic Church. They are called to dedicate themselves to the creation of the common good in every possible way. Political activity, when it is guided by noble goals, is a service to the individual and society. There are reasons that are especially in line with their Catholic beliefs, and therefore, as citizens, they have the right to associate with those who think the same way to offer and defend their ideas and proposals for society. They will do this not in the name of an institution of the Catholic Church, but as citizens with rights and duties like other citizens.

There are, of course, reasons that are especially consonant with the Christian vision of man and human activity, society and culture, such as the protection of human life, the dignity of man and his fundamental rights, justice and equality in social relations and economic, social solidarity and peace, priority attention to the poor , sick and vulnerable, caring for the environment, the “common home” of the human family. In promoting and defending these goals, everything depends on cooperation between party associations, because they are not only religious, but also human causes, around which there should be maximum consensus between parties.

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Catholic Christians know that there can be no charitable religiosity without the union of love for God and love for one’s neighbor. And this is not because of the ideological options of the right or the left, but “from the depths of the soul.” Gospel that we recognize the close connection that exists between evangelism and the advancement of man,” said Pope Francis in an exhortation gospel of joy (2013, no. 178). Therefore, although the first duty of the state is to promote a just social order, all members of the Church, including the clergy, “cannot and must not remain aloof from the struggle for justice” – as Benedict XVI already taught in his encyclical God is love (2005, no. 239-240). All Christians are called to care about building a better world.

Is it still worth discussing whether the “Church” should participate in political life? It simply would not have to do this if its members were disembodied spiritual beings, without social relations and without human needs. But this is not so: they are the same citizens as all people.

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CARDINAL ARCHBISPHERE OF SAO PAULO

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Politics

The dollar continues to reflect the political scenario

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The dollar continues to reflect the political scenario

Yesterday, financial agents evaluated the opposite decision of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) regarding the so-called secret budget. In addition, a decision was made by STF Minister Gilmar Méndez to issue an injunction that would exclude the Bolsa Família from the spending cap rule, with investors trying to understand how this measure would affect the processing of the transitional PEC in the Chamber of Deputies. Oh this PEC!!!!

Since he is an exchange investor, any reading that the budget will be exceeded or become more flexible will negatively affect the exchange market, whether through the PEC or in any other way. We will continue with volatility today.

Looking beyond, the US Central Bank (Fed), although slowing down the pace of monetary tightening at its December meeting, issued a tougher-than-expected statement warning that its fight against inflation was not yet over, raising fears that rising US interest rates will push the world’s largest economy into recession.

The currency market continues to react to political news. The voting on the PEC is saved for today. It is expected that it will indeed be reviewed to open the way tomorrow for discussions on the 2023 budget.

Yesterday, the spot price closed the selling day at R$5.3103.

For today on the calendar we will have an index of consumer confidence in the eurozone. Good luck and good luck in business!!

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Andrés Sánchez consults with the Ministry of Sports, but refuses a political post.

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Goal.com

The former president of the Corinthians dreams of working for the CBF as a national team coordinator. He was consulted shortly after Lula’s election.

Former Corinthians president Andrés Sánchez was advised to take a position in the Ministry of Sports under the administration of Lula (PT). However, he ruled out a return to politics. dreams of taking over the coordination of CBF selectionHow do you know PURPOSE.

No formal invitation was made to the former Corinthian representative, only a consultation on a portfolio opportunity with the new federal government, which will be sworn in on January 1, 2023.

Andrés was the Federal MP for São Paulo from 2015 to 2019. At that time he was elected by the Workers’ Party. However, the football manager begs to stay in the sport, ruling out the possibility of getting involved in politics again.

Andrés Sanchez’s desire is to fill the position of CBF tackle coordinator, which should become vacant after the 2022 World Cup. Juninho Paulista fulfills this function in Brazil’s top football institution.

The former president of Corinthians was in Qatar to follow the World Cup along with other figures in Brazilian football. During his time in the country, he strengthened his ties with the top leadership of the CBF.

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The EU has reached a political agreement on limiting gas prices – 19.12.2022

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Germany sentenced Russian to life imprisonment for political murder by order of Moscow - 12/15/2021
BRUSSELS, DECEMBER 19 (ANSA). European Union countries reached a political agreement on Monday (19) to impose a natural gas price ceiling of 180 euros per megawatt hour (MWh). The main sources of income for Russia and the minimization of the use of energy as a weapon by the regime of Vladimir Putin.

The agreement was approved by a supermajority at a ministerial meeting of member states in Brussels, Belgium, after months of discussions about the best way to contain the rise in natural gas prices in the bloc caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. .

The value set by the countries is well below the proposal made by the European Commission, the EU’s executive body, in November: 275 EUR/MWh. However, the countries leading the cap campaign were in favor of an even lower limit, around 100 EUR/MWh.

Germany, always wary of price controls, voted in favor of 180 euros, while Austria and the Netherlands, also skeptical of the cap, abstained. Hungary, the most pro-Russian country in the EU, voted against.

The instrument will enter into force on 15 February, but only if natural gas prices on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange exceed 180 euros/MWh for three consecutive days. In addition, the difference compared to a number of global benchmarks should be more than 35 euros.

Italy, the EU’s biggest supporter of the ceiling, has claimed responsibility for the measure. “This is a victory for Italy, which believed and worked for us to reach this agreement,” Environment and Energy Minister Gilberto Picetto tweeted.

“This is a victory for Italian and European citizens who demand energy security,” he added.

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Currently, the gas price in Amsterdam is around 110 EUR/MWh, which is already a reflection of the agreement in Brussels – in August the figure even broke the barrier of 340 EUR/MWh.

However, Russia has already threatened to stop exports to countries that adhere to the ceiling. (ANSA).

See more news, photos and videos at www.ansabrasil.com.br.

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