Among all the types of political systems, democracy appears to be the most Christian and most suitable for the flourishing of human society.
However, while St. John Paul II did praise the many good things that the democratic process can achieve, he also warned of the many dangers.
He believed that democracy may be good, but it is not perfect.
A democracy without values
In his encyclical, Centesimus Annus, St. John Paul II praised the democratic election process:
The Church values the democratic system inasmuch as it ensures the participation of citizens in making political choices, guarantees to the governed the possibility both of electing and holding accountable those who govern them, and of replacing them through peaceful means when appropriate.
Yet, this does not guarantee a just and Christian society. St. John Paul II explained that a true democracy needs to uphold the dignity of the human person:
Authentic democracy is possible only in a State ruled by law, and on the basis of a correct conception of the human person. It requires that the necessary conditions be present for the advancement both of the individual through education and formation in true ideals, and of the “subjectivity” of society through the creation of structures of participation and shared responsibility.
St. John Paul II then warns what will happen to a democratic country if it is not ruled by objective truth:
It must be observed in this regard that if there is no ultimate truth to guide and direct political activity, then ideas and convictions can easily be manipulated for reasons of power. As history demonstrates, a democracy without values easily turns into open or thinly disguised totalitarianism.
Democratic countries need to stand fast to the fundamental truths about human existence and to treat all with equal dignity. If that does not happen, political groups will swoop in and use their power for personal gain.
Above all we need to pray for our politicians, that they may be true servants of all.
And today we celebrate...