Principle of Subsidiarity Over Welfarism

One of the key principles of Catholic social doctrine is subsidiarity but for some reason many Bishops in the USCCB dissent from this main tenet of Catholic social teaching and promote the welfare state all for the "common good" or in the name of social justice.  David A. Bosnich points out that Pope John Paul II took the "social assistance state" to task in his encyclical, Centesimus Annus and that in Monsignor George Higgins defense of the Welfare States leads him to make serious distortions of the principle of subsidiarity, as well as in his mischaracterization and treatment of Alexis de Toqueville. 

Here is the what the Catechism of the Catholic Church states on subsidiarity:


 "Socialization also prevents dangers. Excessive intervention by the state can threaten personal freedom and initiative. The teaching of the Church has elaborated the principle of subsidiarity, according to which 'a community of a higher order should not interfere in the internal life of a community of a lower order, depriving the latter of its functions, but rather should support it in case of need and help to coordinate its activity with the rest of society, always with a view to the common good.'


"God . . . entrusts to every creature the functions it is capable of performing, according to the capacities of its own nature. This mode of government ought to be followed in social life.


". . . Subsidiarity is opposed to all forms of collectivism. It sets limits for state intervention" (nn. 1883-1885).

Social justice subverters like to minimize the gravity of the abortion issue and pretty much keep it out of sight and out of mind or ignore it in order so they may promote any type of assistance that helps the poor even if it endangers and costs unborn childrens' lives.  This needs to change.  We must not sacrifice our pro-life principles when helping the poor. 

Here are quotes from Pope John XXIII and Pope Leo XIII on subsidiarity and the welfare state. The welfare state as promoted by many in the Democratic Party goes against the social teachings of the Catholic Church.  The Democratic Party both subscribes to and advocates Keynesian economics which is opposed to the principle of subsidiarity.  When one advocates and votes for welfarism, one also votes for the extermination of our unborn children via supporting pro-abortion politicians.  Both abortion and the welfare state goes against Catholic Church's teachings and if a person votes for a politician that supports either one or both of these policies then that person is dissenting from Church teaching.