Should the Catholic faith serve as the foundation for all public law and policy?

Cultures · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Integralism is a political philosophy arguing that civil society should be subordinate to Catholic moral principles. Once a dominant force in European governance, the movement has recently seen a resurgence among younger thinkers who reject modern liberal individualism in favor of a state explicitly aligned with the Church.

At its core, Catholic integralism asserts that the state must recognize Catholicism as the true religion and subordinate its temporal authority to spiritual ends. Proponents argue that religious neutrality in government is an impossible ideal, citing historical papal teachings like those of Leo XIII and Pius IX. The movement emerged as a distinct intellectual reaction against the Enlightenment and the French Revolution, gaining significant momentum in the early 20th century under Pope Pius X. During this period, integralists sought to purge the Church of modernism, often using the term as a label for those who rejected the synthesis of Christian theology with secular liberal philosophy.

The historical roots of this vision are often traced back to the conversion of Constantine I in 312 and the subsequent formalization of Nicene Christianity under Theodosius I in 380. While the Constantinian age is generally considered to have ended with the French Revolution, contemporary integralists view their philosophy as a modern continuation of traditional Church-State relations. Recent efforts, such as the work of Thomas Crean and Alan Fimister, attempt to present integralism as a coherent political philosophy. Meanwhile, figures like Adrian Vermeule have linked these ideas to common good constitutionalism, a legal framework designed to counter the perceived threats of modern liberal individualism.

The movement is not without controversy or internal division. Critics, including George Weigel, have associated integralism with fascism, a charge supporters vehemently deny by pointing to the movement's pre-fascist origins. Furthermore, there is significant debate regarding the compatibility of integralism with the Second Vatican Council’s 1965 declaration on religious freedom, Dignitatis humanae. While some traditionalists argue the council’s stance contradicts earlier doctrine, other scholars like Thomas Pink insist that integralism remains fully compatible with the modern Church’s account of religious liberty. Today, the movement continues to evolve, with some adherents even aligning with leftist critiques of capitalism, demonstrating the complex and often paradoxical nature of this traditionalist revival.

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