Addressing the Amnesia about the Evil of Communism - Go to St. Joseph

05-03-2026Weekly ReflectionFr. Leonard F. Villa

The Compendium of the Social Teachings of the Church contains the following about communism:

With the Encyclical Letter Divini Redemptoris, on atheistic communism and Christian social doctrine, Pope Pius XI offered a systematic criticism of communism, describing it as “intrinsically perverse,” and indicated that the principal means for correcting the evils perpetrated by it could be found in the renewal of Christian life, the practice of evangelical charity, the fulfilment of the duties of justice at both the interpersonal and social levels in relation to the common good, and the institutionalization of professional and interprofessional groups.

Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church (p. 66). USCCB. Kindle Edition.

(Note: This applies not only to communism but also to its “ideological relatives.”)

Fundamental Philosophical and Social "Errors" in Communist Ideology

• Atheistic Materialism:
  It rejects the existence of God and the soul, viewing human history solely as a "perpetual conflict of forces" where matter moves toward a final classless synthesis.

• Materialism:
  It adopts a Marxist view that progress is only achieved through class struggle and violent revolution.

• Denial of Rights:
  Because it prioritizes the state/collective, it negates individual liberty, human rights, and the right to private property.

• Imagined Perfect Society:
  The Pope critiques the movement's "diabolical" propaganda, which promises a false earthly paradise to exploit the genuine suffering of the working class.

Contrast with the Church's Social Doctrine

Pius XI contrasts the "destructive principles" of communism with the Church's social doctrine, emphasizing:

• Dignity of the Person:
  A social order founded on the spiritual nature of man and the rights of God.

• Social Justice:
  The Pope argues that individual and corporate greed must be replaced by a commitment to the common good.

• Christian Charity:
  He calls for a "renewal of Christian life" where justice is supplemented by genuine love and sacrifice for others.

Additional Critiques of Communism

Communism, moreover, strips man of his liberty, robs human personality of all its dignity, and removes all the moral restraints that check the eruptions of blind impulse.

Communists hold the principle of absolute equality, rejecting all hierarchy and divinely constituted authority, including the authority of parents. What men call authority and subordination is derived from the State as its first and only source.

The 4th Commandment reminds us that all authority comes from God not the State. The first derived authority from God to human is that of parents and then duly constituted civil government in the service of the common good.

Marriage, Family, and Authority

Refusing any sacred or spiritual character to human life, communist doctrine logically makes marriage, family, and children a purely artificial and civil institution, the outcome of a specific economic system.

According to communism and its “ideological children” there exists no matrimonial bond that is not subject to the whim of the individual or of the State. The notion of indissoluble marriage is rejected.

Role of Women and Family Life

Communism is particularly characterized by the rejection of any link that binds woman to the family and the home, and her emancipation is proclaimed as a basic principle.

She is withdrawn from the family and the care of her children, to be thrust instead into public life and collective production under the same conditions as men. The care of home and children then devolves upon the State.

The Church teaches men and women are equal in dignity and destiny but are not identical. They are complimentary. Communism and its ideological relatives teach men and women are identical and everything must be identical.

Role of Mothers, Fathers, and the Home

Mothers and wives have precious vital roles in the family that are crucial. Communism and its “ideological children” demean the home, motherhood and family life.

Women with secular professions sometimes find it difficult to balance both a profession or job and home life but technology makes this easier in that many women can work from the home, while carrying out a secular profession or business.

The vital role of father is also assaulted as if unimportant and hostile to women. Absent fathers are a major social problem today. Fatherhood has been demeaned for the last half a century by ideology and popular culture.

Finally, the right of education is denied to parents, for it is conceived as the exclusive prerogative of the State, in whose name and by whose mandate alone parents may exercise this right.

Appeal to St. Joseph

We place the vast campaign of the Church against world Communism under the standard of St. Joseph, her mighty Protector.

He belonged to the working-class, and he bore the burdens of poverty for himself and the Holy Family, whose tender and vigilant head he was.

— Pope Pius XI

The Fatherhood/Boy Crisis

(The Fatherhood/Boy Crisis: America is increasingly becoming an "absentee father society". It is projected that 50% of American children may live apart from their biological fathers.

Boys are struggling with education (50% less likely than girls to meet proficiency in reading, math, and science). They also experience higher rates of ADHD and, as young men, suicide rates six times higher than young women.

Traditional masculine roles are disappearing, leading to alienation and withdrawal. Many young men are delaying adulthood, spending more time on gaming or social media, and displaying less interest in traditional relationships or careers.

The crisis is most severe among men without college degrees, largely driven by structural economic shifts that have reduced, stable, well-paying jobs.

Children in father-absent homes face higher risks of dropping out of high school, teenage pregnancy, and becoming juvenile delinquents.

Men without steady work have difficulty maintaining long-term relationships, leading to higher rates of separation and divorce.

Many fathers face challenges in family court systems that, despite legal improvements, still often default to mothers, reducing fathers' roles to "weekend visitors".)