On Oct. 12, the Veritas Society engaged in a lively debate considering whether nationalism and Catholicism are compatible. The Veritas society posited that “this house believes that they are not compatible.”
Each side of the debate had two presenters. The affirmative side included Ian Hoover and John Schwieger. Opposing the motion were Taylor Lange and Mary Jones.
In their opening statements, the affirmative side presented that “the foundation of nationalism is anti-Catholic.” They furthered this by saying that because of this, nationalism became an “ideology above the Church.” To have nationalism, it was essential that their nation stand as priority above all, therefore placing it above the Church. To nationalists, the Church is a threat to authority, and “they fight against the church for the sake of the nation.”
The affirmative side claimed that love and charity, fundamental Catholic values, are not “self-seeking” but support the betterment of the nation. Contrarily, nationalism “seeks itself above all else.” In order to keep the concept of superiority, nationalists tend to sabotage others, ultimately violating human rights.
The Church stands against this abuse. By violating fundamental rights, the Catholic belief that “every person is made in the image of God” is also violated. The affirmative side ended by claiming, “You want people to come freely to Christ, not because a nation is forcing them.” Ultimately, they posited that nationalism and Catholicism were incompatible.
The opposing side presented the idea that, at its core, nationalism is just an ideology of elevating one’s nation and an expression of the “natural inclination of man to love what is his.” They posited that “nationalism only becomes condemned when it becomes a God,” as it becomes an idol and takes the place above God himself.
In regard to whether nationalism and Catholicism are compatible, they defined incompatibility as “existing in such a character that they cannot exist together and are diametrically opposed.” In this way, they argued, nationalism is not inherently against Catholicism. “You naturally put your nation first because it is yours,” they said.
Audience members who supported the opposing side explained, “If you have a gun, it could be used for good, it could be used for evil, it is not evil in itself.” Similarly, “America does not always operate within the lens of Catholicism,” but that doesn’t make America inherently wrong. The opposing side also stated that nationalism is not intrinsically disordered, it just becomes disordered when it gets out of hand.
The debate wrapped up with each side’s closing statements. The affirmative side concluded, “Preserving culture is separate from pushing it … and establishing culture is separate from forcing it … it is all in the intention … we are losing our ability to submit to Christ.”
The opposing side concluded by reflecting on the sacred worldview in relation to society. They questioned, “Can nationalism be centered around God?” and answered yes: “Catholic nationalists have an order of God, then family, and then nationalism … Therefore, acting in the interests of other nations is in the interest of ours, because we’re all the body of Christ and are united in that way.” The opposing side won by a landslide, with a score of 43 to seven.