Dębiński, Józef2022-12-122022-12-122006Polonia Sacra, 2006, R. 10 (28), Nr 18 (62), s. 151-183.1428-5673http://theo-logos.pl/xmlui/handle/123456789/2165The Church leaves involvement in political activity to lay people. Abstaining from taking part in elections shows lack of responsibility for common good of the nation and society and is a serious sin of neglect. One cannot be a good Catholic without being a good citizen. Faced with an attack of lay forces against Christian values and often against national ones, Catholics should defend them since democracy without the basic values sooner or later will degenerate and may turn into totalitarianism. The Church in Poland, however, does not provide any concrete political guidelines and uses the so called “engaged restraint”, which means that it does not want to tie its mission to any concrete political party because, in the long run, it would lead to the birth of political religion, which would be a kind of totalitarianism. Every entanglement of the Church in political activity leads to limiting its religious function. Nevertheless, the Church is allowed to influence the attitude of people. The Church is always present in society where Christian witness bearing is present: in the workplace, in professional domain, in learning, at home, during free time or within an association. Responsible participation of Catholics in political life way means to live in accordance with Christian vocation in service for others.plAttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Polandhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/pl/KościółKościół rzymskokatolickidemokracjapolitykaencyklikaRerum novarumpapieżesobór watykański IIsobórnauczanie społeczne Kościołaspołeczeństwoustrój politycznykatolicyzmpatriotyzmChurchRoman Catholic ChurchdemocracypoliticsencyclicpopesVatican IISecond Vatican CouncilcouncilsocietyCatholicismpatriotismdokumenty KościołaMagisterium KościołaKatolicka Nauka SpołecznaArticle