Culture of Christ

Papal Wisdom: Pius XI Divini Illius Magistri

Part II: The Three Socities

Education is essentially a social and not a mere individual activity.

I think it would be wise to stress a fact that even the smartest of us humans tend to overlook. We do not know everything. We can't possibly know everything, finite minds as we are. Therefore, one cannot completely educate themselves. Tradition tells us of the lengthy studies St. Paul did upon his encounter with Christ at Damascus, and he became quite knowledgeable in the faith. Yet even Paul went to Peter to learn from him. Likewise, given that we depend on others for certain things, as nobody can be entirely self-sufficient, education is an aspect of society. Yet what society? These socities are the family, the State, and the Church.

In the first place comes the family, instituted directly by God for its peculiar purpose, the generation and formation of offspring; for this reason it has priority of nature and therefore of rights over civil society.

In discussing the issue of the State, Pius XI echoes the same sentiments that Leo XIII echoed. Since the family came before the State, and without the family the State would not exist, the family has certain rights and priveleges that cannot be taken away from them. One of these is the issue of education. Since the goal of the family is to generate and form offspring in society, part of that formation includes education. All education must start at home, and it is ultimately the families choice how their child should be educated.

Nevertheless, the family is an imperfect society, since it has not in itself all the means for its own complete development; whereas civil society is a perfect society, having in itself all the means for its peculiar end, which is the temporal well-being of the community; and so, in this respect, that is, in view of the common good, it has pre-eminence over the family, which finds its own suitable temporal perfection precisely in civil society

The family is not self-sufficient though. Even in the days of simple farming communities, eventually the family would rely upon sources outside the family to accomplish certain tasks. This is where the concept of the civil society comes in. The Civil Sphere has the means to fulfill it's goals and objectives perfectly, which is to ensure that it's citizens are ensured a temporal well-being. There are many of the libertarian bent who believe any intrusion by civil society into the family is a violation of natural law and their rights. Yet this is not true, since the civil sphere must take interest and action, for example, if parents are instructing their children on how to destroy that society. Therefore, civil society must make sure the common good is being serviced in manners of education.

The third society, into which man is born when through Baptism he reaches the divine life of grace, is the Church; a society of the supernatural order and of universal extent; a perfect society, because it has in itself all the means required for its own end, which is the eternal salvation of mankind; hence it is supreme in its own domain.

While both societies mentioned before are important and vital, they lack the preeminence that the society that is the Church holds and enjoys. While the former socities are primarily grounded in the natural order, the Church is in the supernatural. Both the family and civil society help the Church in her mission, but the Church in the end has supreme authority in the supernatural order of things for those on earth. For example, a family will be wise to raise their children in the ways of God, and civil society is best serviced when it follows the principles of the Gospel, since a man on the road to eternal salvation will be most beneficial to society. Therefore in the sphere of the supernatural, the Church is self-sufficient.

And first of all education belongs preeminently to the Church, by reason of a double title in the supernatural order, conferred exclusively upon her by God Himself; absolutely superior therefore to any other title in the natural order.

While enjoying certain priveleges in the supernatural order that neither society has, the Church also enjoys certain privelges in the natural order. Man, despite all his attempts to do so, cannot separate society from religion. Since both spheres were created by God, with differents purposes for the family and their subjects, they are neccessary, and in many aspects, they need to be on the same page for both spheres to do their mission most effectively. The Church can still bring souls to salvation and the State can still secure temporal well-being apart from each other, but when they are on the same page the work is done all the better, both sides respecting their proper authority.