The perspective of the Catholic Church in the Philippines on the doctrine of the separation of church and state

Abstract

This is a content analysis study conducted to determine the perspective of the Catholic Church in the Philippines on the doctrine of the separation of church and state. It specifically sought to determine, with the application of the Lockean social contract theory, whether or not the Catholic Church in the Philippines is against the separation of church and state, whether or not it has been negatively implicated by such separation and to determine its disposition in the involvement of its members on political matters of the state. Content analysis was done on the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church and the Pastoral Exhortation on Philippine Politics. It was concluded that the Catholic Church in the Philippines is not against the Separation of Church and State; that the Catholic Church has not been negatively implicated by the Separation of Church and State and that the Catholic Church encourages its members to participate in political activities in exercise of their freedom to exercise their religion in consonance with the Lockean social contract theory.