25 May 2021

The Popes and Democracy - Part III. On the Effects of Modern Ideas 35. Personal Power and Fascism

Personal power is not to be confused with Fascism. A Fascist dictator does possess personal power but personal power is not Fascism. All pears are fruit but not every fruit is a pear; the present generation, being the product of our modern schools, immediately thinks of Fascism whenever personal power is mentioned, confusing the fruit and the pear. Fascism is, above all, the direct form of Modern Democracy (see para. 10) it is a perversion of personal power. Properly understood, personal power is not incompatible with genuine democratic institutions. Intermediate rulers can be elected by the people, but once elected, they must have effective powers and not be dependent on the whims of public opinion, or the intrigues of parliament and parties. Western institutions, however, sometimes appear to be good in some respects. This is not because they are democratic, but because they are still influenced by 19 centuries of Christian tradition, and fail thereby to be wholly democratic.

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