Pius X on Church and State

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 14, 1907

Pius X on Church and State

The position of the Roman Church on the question of the relation of church and state is set forth authoritatively in the recent encyclical of Pope Pius X on Modernism. He mentions the following as one of the “modern” ideas that has been creeping into the church:—

As faith and science are strangers to each other by reason of the diversity of their objects, church and state are strangers by reason of the diversity of their ends, that of the church being spiritual, while that of the state is temporal.

Concerning this the pope says:—

The principles from which these doctrines spring have been solemnly condemned by our predecessor Pius VI in his constitution “Auctorem fidei.”

He further says upon the same point:—

But it is not enough for the Modernist school that the state should be separated from the church. For as faith is to be subordinated to science, as far as phenomenal elements are concerned, so too in temporal matters the church must be subjected to the state. They do not say this openly as yet—but they will say it when they wish to be logical on this head.

The principle of the separation of church and state, solemnly condemned by Pius VI, is also as solemnly condemned by Pius X. There should no longer be any question in the minds of any as to where the Roman Church stands on the question of the separation of church and state. And Pius VI and Pius X can count as their allies, in fact, if not in declaration, those in this country who are seeking so energetically the union of religion and the state. The same principles are involved, and the same results will be achieved.