Politics is an Honourable and Responsible Vocation and so too a Politician Must be

Abstract

Pope Francis, in quoting the social teaching of the Church in Cesena, Italy, affirms that politics is “a very honourable form of charitable love”. Based on this claim, it is logical to conclude that only an honest and credible person is suited for politics. It is imperative that politicians, both in their speech and in their actions, be honourable and in no way morally corrupt in order that they may become engaged for and promote the common good. Depraved politicians do not have as their goal the good of citizens, but rather only their own interests, and so they create an atmosphere of dishonesty in all of society. On the societal level this is manifested in the form of sinful structures. In truth, there exist numerous obstacles to honourable activity, still, this fact does not exempt politicians from their obligation to be honest in their vocation as politicians.