Don't Be Afraid of Subsidiarity | National Catholic Reporter

Don't Be Afraid of Subsidiarity | National Catholic Reporter by MSW.  MGB: Liberal Catholics, or liberals in general, are not afraid of subsidiarity.  We went along with it in creating health insurance exchanges in each state (while doing them for those states who would not).  We accepted what was an ill-advised state by state implementation and funding of welfare programs (which has proved disastrous to the South) and have never opposed state highways.  On the religious side, I would love a lot more subsidiarity in the choosing of bishops and archbishops. Unless the government is interfering with the freedom of the Church, papal appointment is neither necessary nor desired.  Anyone who wants to talk smack about subsidiarity can start there.



Some of us are libertarian socialists - meaning not only employee ownership of the workplace - but also as the provider of direct educational, medical and social services (in lieu of taxes). That is the ultimate in subsidiarity and it definitely lives in the liberal space.  Going back to the Church, if we had an autocephalous English Language or North American Patriarch, one could imagine that it would be much more liberal in its doctrine - especially with a Canadian running the show.  Indeed, much of what is now Protestantism would have no excuse not to merge back in, since Roman overreach would be gone.  The only place where I am not for subsidiarity is in recognizing the true vicar of Christ.  That would be the Ecumenical Patriarch, not the Bishop of Rome who is only recognized in the wider Church as Patriarch of the West.  That is usually where Rome wants as much subsidiarity as possible, since they like their red and purple outfits.