Saint Joseph the Worker versus Communism

The Feast of Saint Joseph the Worker is May 1.   That date has a history.  In some ancient cultures, it was typically associated with the beginning of summer.  Down through the centuries, it has been celebrated by different cultures with song, dance, and food.   It was chosen by labor groups in the late 1800's as International Workers Day, sort of a "rebirth" so to speak of worker's rights, specifically the 8 hour work day.  The Communist Party adopted this day to fit their own platform, and it was in response to this, that Pope Pius XII designated this day in 1955 to be forever celebrated in honor of Saint Joseph the Worker.
The Holy Father saw the pitfalls of communism and was quick to recognize that a Catholic response was needed.   Many of you remember the talks given by the Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen who spoke a lot on this topic.  Communism may have seemed attractive.  It may have been seen as a legit response to the extremes of unbridled capitalism.   Communism may have had noble aspirations in the beginning, but it was doomed to failure because some of its central underpinnings went against the truth of man.
1)  In denying man the ability to own property, communism denied man one of his most basic freedoms.   This goes against the truth of Christianity that God freely gave His Son to die on  the Cross for us and that we are called to freely respond to that grace.  Everything in Christianity is done freely, not so in communism.  Christianity reveals the truth that just as the gift of salvation is free from God, so all of His other gifts to us; life, family, friends, food, to name just a few, are free gifts from Him, as well.   The state cannot take that away.
2) Since religion in communism's eyes was seen as being for private property, they decided it needed to be abolished.   Take a look at the definition of religion according to Dictionary.com (emphasis mine)  a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.   Does anyone honestly think that it would help, not hurt, a society to remove anything that promotes a moral code?  Does anyone honestly think that it would help, not hurt, society to remove anything that promotes man wondering about his or her ultimate end?   What kind of life would we live if we could not wonder what we are all about, what the universe is all about?   If we had to keep all that to ourselves, and not be able to fellowship with other men and women about those things, we would be denied the ability to achieve our ultimate end.   A society set up to remove religion from the public domain would guarantee that awful reality.  The state does not need to endorse any religion, but in removing religion, in a sense, it does just that, the religion of atheism.
3) Communism destroyed freedom of the press.  Whenever man's ability to speak publicly and freely, from the most important matters like one's faith,  to the most trivial, like asking where his socks are, bad things happen.  Think of all those Christians persecuted for their faith today.  Think of the Tiananmen Square massacre.  Information sharing is critical to a free society, for the flourishing of ideas and culture.  Culture is most healthy when people get to participate in it, and determine it, not when some ideas are suppressed, and others are forced upon people.
4) Communism abolished the free ballot.   The Communists only allowed one ruling political party, themselves.  They wanted to make everyone the same, and not treat workers as individuals with unique personalities.  They did not want to hear different ideas, and certainly not give people the right to vote on them.

It is clear that in Communism, every right was subjected to the state.   A just society, on the other hand,  while recognizing the state does need some things from us, and we need the state, will not give the state total power.   God created man in his own image and likeness (Genesis 1:27) .  He created man first before He made a government.  Society needs to think in the same order; man first, government second. 
God created man free to choose good and evil.   Despite the fact that we will sometimes do bad, we must still be allowed freedom to speak (freedom of the press), to worship (freedom of religion), to have dominion over the world around us (right to own property).  A society that has an understanding of man in this way is the only one that has a chance to be a healthy one.


One of Archbishop Sheen's most memorable quotes about communism was the following  "The Soviet Union is like the Cross without Christ, while American culture is like Christ without the Cross."  I think there is truth to that still today.  The Soviet Union does not exist anymore, thankfully.  It made its people suffer in body and spirit, without giving them the freedom to seek the Christ who could guide them in their suffering, and give them healing and strength.   In America, however, we still like the Christ without the Cross.  We like the Christ who feeds the poor and heals the sick, and who calls us to do the same.   (We like it especially when we think our government can do that. )  We don't, however, want to suffer like Christ, especially when we, in imitation of Him, preach unpopular truths.   
We must remain vigilant in America that we do not respond to the ills of capitalism in the extreme like the Soviet Union did.  Yes, there are wrongs with capitalism, and our current Holy Father Pope Francis has spoken about them.  However, the other extreme is just as bad,  as I have discussed here.  I personally believe the other extreme is worse because it denies freedom; even in the worst of capitalism, human freedom, one of our most basic God given rights, is not denied. 
Let us not make the same mistake.   Let us not even allow us to go down that path.  Let us not let the government get too big, and too all-encroaching in our lives that it tramples our freedom.

Joseph most just, pray for us.