Bishop BARRON: Marxism begins with an attack on faith – history shows where it ends

Many commented favorably on Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s recent speech at the Munich Security Conference. What they seemed to like most was his willingness to look beyond certain political and economic issues that concern policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic – the war in Ukraine, climate change, immigration, etc. – and considering the cultural beliefs that Europe and America share.

Secretary Rubio invoked Dante, Cologne Cathedral, Shakespeare, a form of democratic government, the university system — even the Beatles and the Rolling Stones — as representations of that general idea. But then he took another step that particularly caught my attention. Very much in line with the spirit of Pope Benedict XVI and church historian Christopher Dawson, he noted that culture is closely related to denomination, that is, to religion. In short, all the things we value are related to what we value most. Thus, Secretary Rubio was not afraid to point to the Judeo-Christian faith as a deep and enduring source of what is best in Western culture. Only, he concluded, when both Europe and America rediscover together the sources of their common culture will they find the union they both long for.

I was comforted to see that this sound call was met with continued applause. I believe that even that jaundiced and disbelieving audience felt the true spirituality behind Rubio’s speech.

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But not everyone was happy with his speech. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who happened to be in Europe at the same time as Rubio, mocked the Secretary of State for being preoccupied with Western culture, which she described as “small.” All customs, he dislikes, are temporary, transitory, unstable; therefore, social analysts should not focus on intellectual cultural achievements but on the “visible” elements of society that manifest themselves in the class struggle.

I first realized that it is strange to maintain that the culture that produced the university system, guaranteed the rights and freedom of the individual, and created the rule of democratic law is “small.” But secondly, I would draw attention to the unsavory Marxist quality of the AOC formulation. All serious students of political economy, Karl Marx concluded, should focus their attention on the class conflict between those with power and those without. He also held that the various expressions of culture – art, literature, science, entertainment, and especially religion – are epiphenomenal superstructural elements, the purpose of which is to protect the economic structure. So a serious intellectual should acknowledge the culture but not at all be troubled by it – precisely the recommendation that the AOC was making in its spirited dismissal of Western ideological support.

Something that worries me more and more is the prevalence of overt Marxism in the speech and actions of some leftist leaders in America. Recently, we heard Mayor Mamdani of New York extolling “collective warmth” and one of his top aides insisting that the people of our great city must get used to the idea that the government can and should confiscate private property and confiscate the means of production.

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Again, Marxism is not explicit or subtle; it is in plain sight, it is shown unfairly. And this should shock every American. I would strongly encourage Mamdani and AOC followers to talk to those fleeing the Marxist regime of Russia and Eastern Europe or those today working under communist oppression in North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, or China. I sincerely doubt that any of them would gratefully acknowledge the “warmth of the collective.”

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I speak against this system of radicalism not only as a concerned American, but also as a bishop of the Catholic Church. Marx said that the first criticism is the criticism of religion. He was saying that before we even get to exploring the political economy of capitalism, and certainly before we can engage in revolutionary praxis, we must abandon religion, which serves, as he famously said, as “opium for the masses.” We must stop being enslaved by the drugs of supernatural belief, which has dulled our sensitivity to our suffering and provided for the oppressive class. It is important to note that the political experts of Marxism followed their master closely in this regard. Look at the strategies of Lenin, Stalin, Mao Tse-Tung, Fidel Castro and Pol Pot, just to name some infamous examples. Their first step was to attack every week.

Some may find the Marxism influenced by some of today’s radical politicians to be fashionable and refreshing, something to be bandied about at Upper East Side cocktail parties. Given the history, I find it refreshing.

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