'Well , tell me , what is the Pope's business ?sx ' Religion and politics .sx It's no good talking as though religion and politics were two separate things , like sport and music .sx If the captain of the Arsenal starts telling Sir Malcolm Sargent how to conduct an orchestra he'll be told to mind his own business .sx Sir Malcolm Sargent will be told the same thing if he tries to tell the captain of the Arsenal how to score goals .sx Sport has nothing to do with music .sx So everyone knows where he is .sx What about religion and politics ?sx They are not in two watertight compartments .sx Think of the number of laws that have just as much to do with a man's soul as with his body .sx If the Government tells you to send your children to a school where they'll be taught there's no God- is that religion or politics ?sx If the Government tells you to kill off your mother because she is suffering from an incurable disease- is that religion or politics ?sx If the State decides that it is legal for your wife to run off with another man and leave your children without a mother- is that religion or politics ?sx Do you see the point ?sx There are so many things which are the business of the Church and of the State .sx If they don't agree on what is right there is bound to be conflict .sx Keep religion out .sx There are some things the Government does where religion simply need not enter in .sx The Church has no views on drains , gas-works or brick-laying .sx On the other hand the State has no views on vestments , hymns and prayers .sx So you won't find the Church fighting the State over the right size of drain pipes and you won't find the State fighting the Church over the right tune for hymns .sx That's fine .sx But there are more important things in life than drain pipes and hymns .sx It's all very well to say that if the Church sticks to religion there's no reason why it should ever fall out with a political party .sx The point is , what is religion ?sx Another point is , what are politics ?sx Politics means the way to rule a country .sx But a country is made up of people .sx And people are both body and soul .sx It seems pretty obvious that it is the job of a Government to look after the needs of the people .sx It should see that there's work for the unemployed , food for the hungry , houses for families , education for the children , hospitals for the sick .sx It seems to be obvious .sx But really it isn't obvious at all .sx The Government , after all , is really the servant of the people .sx The heart of the matter .sx That brings us to the heart of the matter .sx There is something very simple which nearly everyone in modern times has forgotten .sx This is it .sx The most important thing in the world is the family .sx We are always talking about the Church and State .sx But there wouldn't be any need either for Church or for State if there were no families .sx So priests and politicians before they start to talk about their rights must remember that the most important rights in the world are the rights of families .sx So what seems obvious isn't so obvious after all .sx It's not for the Government to decide how it's going to house people and educate children .sx It's for families to decide what kind of houses they want and what kind of education is best for their children .sx This is what the modern State usually forgets .sx The Catholic Church always remembers .sx Hence all the quarrels between the Church and State .sx Here's a true story of a man we'll call John Williamson , because that's not his name .sx John was a Civil Servant of the old school .sx He had worked hard and passed examinations .sx He was anxious to get on .sx Now Civil Servants , as the name suggests , are supposed to be servants of the public .sx They are supposed to do what they are told .sx It doesn't matter to them which party is in power .sx They have to get on with the job without playing politics .sx John had a wife and four children .sx He knew if he wanted to rise to be head of his department the less he had to say the better would be his chances .sx So he never wrote to the papers .sx He never went to political meetings .sx He kept himself to himself .sx His friends used to try to persuade him to join their parties .sx But John always had his answer .sx 'It's all very well for you fellows,' he used to say , 'you can have any politics you like .sx You won't lose your jobs for speaking out of turn .sx It's different with me .sx When I say the wrong thing , if I don't lose my job at least they'll pass me by when I'm looking for promotion .sx My motto is- Civil Servants should be seen and not heard .sx ' Leave politics alone .sx So John's rule of life was to leave politics alone .sx But politics simply wouldn't leave John alone .sx Every couple of weeks there would be some new law passed to make life more difficult .sx More and more permits required .sx More and more forms to be filled in .sx But he didn't let this get him down .sx He naturally felt a bit annoyed when he couldn't build a chicken-house in his back garden without having to write a dozen letters .sx But he wasn't going to break his heart over a few chickens .sx But , of course , when he had a few friends round for a drink he used to have his grouse .sx After all , he was thoroughly English .sx In his view politicians were making life far too difficult .sx In fact , he went so far as to say that if he weren't a Civil Servant he'd go into politics and tell them a thing or two .sx But one day he changed his mind .sx He had put up with it when they were telling him what to do about house repairs , petrol and chickens .sx But now they started messing about with his children .sx 'This' , said John , 'is the end .sx I don't mind them telling me how to feed my chickens .sx But they are not going to tell me how to bring up my children .sx ' When you come right down to it , John began to think , politicians are trying to take the place of parents .sx He didn't mind when they interfered with parents who wouldn't do their job .sx Every Christmas he sent a subscription to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children .sx Some men and women didn't deserve to have children .sx What was getting him down in a big way was being told what to do about his own children .sx And who was telling him anyway ?sx Civil Servants like himself .sx As often as not they were not even married .sx Education .sx What brought things to a head ?sx It happened this way .sx Although John wasn't a Catholic , his wife and children were .sx Marie , his eldest girl , won a scholarship .sx So , of course , he put her name down for the Convent of the Sacred Heart .sx It's true that the convent was in the next town , three miles away .sx But Marie was a big , strong girl .sx Half-an-hour's journey wouldn't do her any harm .sx But what happened ?sx He had a letter from the Local Education Authority telling him that Marie could not go to the Convent School .sx She would have to go to the Municipal High School .sx He wrote back , thinking there had been some mistake .sx He pointed out that although he wasn't a Catholic he'd promised to bring the children up Catholics .sx So , of course , his girl must go to the convent .sx Back came the reply by return of post .sx High School or nothing .sx If he didn't send her on the first day of term they would prosecute .sx That's why John started meddling in politics .sx Here's a simple question for anyone to answer :sx Who was doing the meddling ?sx Was John meddling in Government affairs or was the Government meddling in his family affairs ?sx If you can answer that question- and it's not a very hard one- you will be able to answer the question- Why does the Church meddle in politics ?sx The important word is meddle .sx Let's finish the story about John and then you'll see why .sx The priest meddles .sx John could get no satisfaction from the Local Education Authority so he went to see the Catholic priest .sx 'You know I'm not a Catholic , Father,' he said , 'but an Englishman's word is his bond .sx I gave my promise that my children would be brought up Catholics .sx I've done all I can .sx If I kick up too much fuss , it's not going to do me any good at the office .sx What are you going to do about it ?sx ' You can guess what the priest did about it .sx He did plenty .sx He argued with the Education Officer at the Town Hall and lost .sx Then he organized a big protest meeting and invited the Town Councillors .sx The whole case was argued fairly and above board .sx Even the Councillors who had no particular use for the Catholic religion were impressed .sx The way they looked at it after they had heard all the speeches was that you can't kick people around like that .sx If this kid had won a scholarship , the parents had a right to say where she should have her education .sx So Marie is at the Sacred Heart Convent .sx She's there because the priest meddled in politics .sx What is the Church up to ?sx .sx Now if you can see the sense of that , you can see the sense of a lot of things the Catholic Church is doing in the world to-day .sx It's not a question of one child going to a Catholic school .sx It's a question of millions of working men being able to worship God in their own way .sx It's a question of Governments in many parts of the world kicking around their citizens , forcing them to join parties they don't agree with , making them do what they are told- or else .sx .sx At this moment , throughout the world , there are hundreds of thousands of people ruined because politicians have told them what they have got to think and say and do .sx Most people who complain when the Church makes political pronouncements imagine that religion is something to be kept within the four walls of a church .sx But religion doesn't only tell a man how to pray .sx It does something more vital than that .sx It tells a man how to live .sx Jesus Christ was the Founder of the Church .sx They called Him a political priest .sx They put Him to death because they said He was meddling in politics .sx They took Him before the Roman Governor , Pontius Pilate .sx 'We have found this man perverting our nation' , they said , 'and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar' .sx Christ , of course , did no such thing .sx What had He told them ?sx 'Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's .sx ' That's what He had said .sx What He fell out with His enemies about was which are the things of God and which are the things of Caesar .sx Of course , every time a priest fights the State he will be told not to talk politics .sx That's what he expects .sx If that's what happened to Christ Himself , the priest is not surprised it should also happen to him .sx The law of God .sx One of the duties of religion is to teach men to keep the law of God .sx The law of God has a great deal to say about things which have nothing to do with worship .sx 1Thou shalt not steal .sx Thou shalt not kill .sx Thou shalt not commit adultery .sx There are three examples of religious matters which have nothing to do with praying .sx If it is the job of the Church to see that the law of God is kept then it must be the duty of the Church to protest when this law is broken .sx