The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)

Episode: Day 251: Authorities in Society (2025)
Date: September 8, 2025
Sections Covered in the Catechism: Paragraphs 1897–1904
Main Theme: The meaning, legitimacy, and limits of authority in society according to Catholic teaching

Episode Overview

On Day 251, Fr. Mike Schmitz explores the Catechism’s teachings on authority within society—what it is, its foundations, why it’s necessary, and its moral boundaries. He explains that authority is a natural and essential part of human community but must always be exercised for the common good and within moral limits. The episode is grounded in Church tradition, Scripture, and the Catechism’s clear and nuanced explanation of legitimate authority versus abuse of power.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Review: Human Dignity, Community, and Conversion

(01:25 – 02:40)

• Fr. Mike recalls previous episodes: We’ve been exploring human dignity, the necessity of community, and how personal conversion affects society.
  • “Society can’t convert our hearts, but our converted hearts can change our society." (02:28)

2. Defining Authority

(03:30 – 05:10)

• Catechism Definition (1897): Authority is "the quality by virtue of which persons or institutions make laws and give orders to men and expect obedience from them."
• Authority is necessary to preserve institutions and the good of all; every human community requires it.
• Authority’s foundation is rooted in human nature and is directed toward the unity and common good of society.

3. Scriptural and Historical Foundations

(05:15 – 06:25)

• Authority is understood as derived from God:
  • “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” (Romans 13:1, referenced at 05:50)
• Quoted from St. John XXIII:
  • “Human society can be neither well ordered nor prosperous unless it has some people invested with legitimate authority…” (05:17)

4. Nature and Limits of Obedience

(07:00 – 09:30)

• Obedience to authority is required, but always with discernment:
  • “The duty of obedience requires all to give due honor to authority and to treat those who are charged to exercise it with respect and, insofar as it is deserved, with gratitude and goodwill.” (07:32, paraphrasing 1900)
• Fr. Mike draws the distinction between respecting a person’s role versus their character:
  • “Joe and June can be horrible people… but insofar as they are exercising, legitimately exercising their role as father and mother, then they deserve my obedience.” (08:39)

5. Moral Legitimacy and Abuse of Power

(09:30 – 12:15)

• Authority must pursue the common good, not act for mere self-interest or with despotic power:
  • “Authority does not derive its moral legitimacy from itself. It must not behave in a despotic manner, but must act for the common good as a moral force based on freedom and a sense of responsibility.” (09:47, summarizing 1902)
• If authority enacts unjust laws or acts contrary to the moral order, these are not laws in the true sense and do not bind the conscience:
  • “If a human law goes against right reason, then it’s no law at all… it is said to be an unjust law and thus has not so much the nature of law as a kind of violence.” (11:35, quoting St. Thomas Aquinas from 1902)

6. When Authority Is No Longer Binding

(12:20 – 13:35)

• If rulers enact unjust laws or immoral measures, “such arrangements would not be binding in conscience… authority breaks down completely and results in shameful abuse.” (12:45)
• “An unjust law is no law at all… an unjust law does not need to be followed, even if it is issued by legitimate authority.” (12:32)

7. Rule of Law and Checks and Balances

(13:40 – 16:10)

• The Catechism teaches that each power should be balanced by other powers to keep authority within bounds—this is the rule of law principle (1904).
• Fr. Mike draws the parallel with the U.S. system of separated powers:
  • “No one should be given absolute power… this is the principle of the rule of law, in which the law is sovereign and not the arbitrary will of men.” (14:40)

8. Principles vs. Policies

(16:15 – 17:10)

• The Church gives us principles, not specific policy prescriptions:
  • “We can disagree on policy—absolutely. We can be this political party or that political party… But we must be united on principles, and that’s what we’re talking about here.” (16:45)
• Policies may differ but core principles—especially regarding the purpose and limits of authority—must be upheld by all Catholics.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Authority’s Definition:
  “By authority, one means the quality by virtue of which persons or institutions make laws and give orders to men and expect obedience from them.”
  — Catechism (1897), read at 03:32

• On the Foundation for Authority:
  “The foundation of such authority lies in human nature. Its role is to ensure, as far as possible, that the common good of the society, the authority required by the moral order, derives from God.”
  — Catechism, discussed at 05:20

• On Limitations of Obedience:
  “I recognize that there are some parents that… as individuals deserve our respect just because they have human dignity, right? There’s a next level where certain human beings… will deserve our respect not because of their character but because of their role in our lives.”
  — Fr. Mike, 08:25

• On Unjust Laws:
  “A human law has the character of law to the extent that it accords with right reason and thus derives from the eternal law. Insofar as it falls short of right reason, it is said to be an unjust law and thus has not so much the nature of law as a kind of violence.”
  — St. Thomas Aquinas (quoted), 11:35

• On Rule of Law:
  “It is preferable that each power be balanced by other powers and by other spheres of responsibility which keep it within proper bounds. This is the principle of the rule of law, in which the law is sovereign and not the arbitrary will of men.”
  — Catechism (1904), 13:50

• On Principles vs. Policies:
  “We can disagree on policy… but we must be united on principles, and that’s what we’re talking about here. We’re not talking policy, we’re simply talking principle.”
  — Fr. Mike, 16:49

Major Takeaways

• Authority is a necessary part of all human community, rooted in both human nature and divine order.
• Legitimate authority requires both rightful motivation (the common good) and moral means; it cannot be arbitrary or despotic.
• Laws or actions by authorities that violate truth, justice, or dignity are not truly binding in conscience; such abuse is a “kind of violence.”
• Checks and balances—the rule of law, rather than personal whim—are essential for healthy societies.
• Catholics may disagree on specific political policies but must unite on basic principles about the moral purposes and boundaries of authority.

Important Timestamps

• 03:32 — Definition of authority, Catechism 1897
• 05:15 — Authority’s foundation in God and society
• 08:25 — Distinguishing respect for persons vs. roles
• 11:35 — Quoting St. Thomas Aquinas on unjust laws
• 13:50 — Catechism 1904: rule of law and checks/balances
• 16:49 — Principles vs. policies in Catholic social teaching

Tomorrow’s episode will dig deeper into the “common good”—the heart of legitimate authority.