Devout Catholic and Democratic Socialist: Not Oxymorons
For a Ukranian-American cradle Catholic, my journey toward democratic socialism was a process of distilling the ethical core of the “Social Gospel” from the traumatic political history of Eastern Europe that I learned sitting at my parents’ knees. Having taught Modern World History for 32 years, I spent over three decades parsing the distinction between the authoritarian state-socialism of the Soviet Union—which inflicted the Holodomor upon the Ukrainian people, my Ukrainian people—and the decentralist, worker-oriented democratic socialism practiced in Western social democracies. My scholarly background allowed for a nuanced rejection of “atheistic communism” while simultaneously embracing the Distributism championed by such Catholic thinkers as G.K. Chesterton. In my classroom, I saw that achieving the “American Dream” was increasingly impossible for generations of students.
My transition was further solidified by the lived reality of “adjunctification” at Nassau Community College and Southern New Hampshire University. This gig labor provided a firsthand look at the “despotic economic dictatorship” warned against in Quadragesimo Anno. The experience bridged the gap between the Sanctity of Labor and the structural critiques of capitalism. When I witnessed institutions of knowledge treated largely as profit centers rather than engines for the Common Good, the Catholic call for Subsidiarity—empowering local communities and workers over multinational corporate interests—became the logical political solution.
Ultimately, my evolution culminated in a Consistent Ethic of Life, often referred to as the Seamless Garment. As a proud Ukrainian-American, the preservation of human dignity against both military aggression and economic exploitation is for me a singular, constant moral struggle. After three decades in the Babylon USFD (NY), I recognized that a “Culture of Life” cannot flourish in a “Throwaway Culture” that treats the poor and the environment as disposable. By aligning with democratic socialism, I believe that I apply the radical mercy of the Beatitudes to modern policy, advocating for a society where healthcare, housing, and a living wage are viewed not as commodities, but as Human Rights rooted in the fact that every person is made in the Imago Dei (Image of God). In the essay below, I pull together the strands of Catholicism and democratic socialism that led to my evolution.
For many, the terms “devout Catholic” and “democratic socialist” occupy opposite ends of a cultural and political spectrum. In the U.S. imagination specifically, 
Catholicism is often associated with traditionalism and hierarchical order, while socialism is frequently dismissed as an atheistic relic of the Cold War. However, for those who look closely at the radical demands of the Gospel and the robust body of Catholic Social Teaching (CST), the marriage between these two identities isn’t just a possibility—it is a deeply logical, moral, and spiritual homecoming.
To be a devout Catholic is to believe that the “Word became flesh” and dwelt among us. This Incarnation sanctifies the material world. It means that the hunger of a child, the dignity of a laborer, and the greed of a billionaire are not merely “political” issues; they are theological ones. When we look at the structural critiques offered by democratic socialism, we find a framework that, perhaps better than any other modern political system, seeks to institutionalize the very mercy and justice that Christ commanded.
The Common Good and Private Property
At the heart of Catholic Social Teaching lies the principle of the Common Good: the sum total of social conditions that allow people, either as groups or as individuals, to reach their fulfillment more fully and more easily.
Modern neoliberal capitalism operates on a contradictory premise. It suggests that if everyone pursues their own selfish interests, a “hidden hand” will somehow balance the scales for everyone. The Catholic tradition rejects this. From St. Thomas Aquinas to Pope Francis, the Church has consistently taught that private property is not an absolute right; it is subordinate to the universal destination of goods.
Democratic socialism mirrors this theological priority. It posits that essential human needs—healthcare, housing, education, and a livable environment—should not be subject to the whims of the market. When a democratic socialist argues that a billionaire’s third yacht is less important than a community’s access to clean water, they are not being “envious.” They are practicing a form of distributive justice that finds its roots in the Acts of the Apostles, where the early Church “held all things in common” and distributed to each “as any had need.”
The Sanctity of Labor
One of the most profound overlaps between Catholicism and democratic socialism is the Sanctity of Labor. In his 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum, Pope Leo XIII defended the rights of workers to organize into unions and demanded that they be paid a living wage. He famously critiqued the “misery and wretchedness pressing so unjustly on the majority of the working class.”
Democratic socialism takes this critique to its structural conclusion. It argues that capital should not have priority over labor. In our current system, the worker is often treated as a “cost” to be minimized rather than a human person with a soul. Democratic socialism advocates for:
- Workplace Democracy: Giving workers a say in the management of the firms where they spend most of their waking lives.
- Strong Labor Unions: Viewing collective bargaining as a necessary check on the “despotic economic dictatorship” that Pope Pius XI warned against in Quadragesimo Anno.
- Elimination of Poverty: Recognizing that a “starvation wage” is a violation of the Seventh Commandment (“Thou shalt not steal”).
Integral Ecology
Perhaps the most contemporary and urgent bridge between these two worlds is Pope Francis’s landmark encyclical, Laudato Si’ (On Care for Our Common Home). In this document, the Pope articulates a vision of Integral Ecology, which asserts that we cannot separate the cry of the earth from the cry of the poor.
Pope Francis offers a scathing critique of the “technocratic paradigm” and the “throwaway culture” driven by a blind pursuit of profit. This is where the devout Catholic finds a natural ally in democratic socialism. Both acknowledge that an economic system predicated on infinite growth on a finite planet is not only unsustainable—it is sinful.
Democratic socialism’s call for a Green New Deal is a practical application of the Pope’s call for an “ecological conversion.” When the Pope writes that “the earth is essentially a shared inheritance, whose fruits are meant to benefit everyone,” he is challenging the very foundations of extractivist capitalism.
Subsidiarity and Solidarity
Critics often argue that socialism is synonymous with a “big government” that crushes local initiative. However, Democratic Socialism is distinct from authoritarian state-socialism because it values the Catholic principle of Subsidiarity.
Subsidiarity suggests that matters should be handled by the smallest, lowest, or least centralized competent authority. Democratic socialism seeks to decentralize power through community-owned cooperatives and local credit unions. Balanced with this is Solidarity. Pope John Paul II described solidarity as a “firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good.”
Addressing the Critics
The most common hurdle for the Catholic socialist is the historical condemnation of socialism by past popes. Modern apologists like Trent Horn have argued that Catholic teaching and socialism are inherently incompatible.
However, this perspective often overlooks the distinction between ideological (atheistic) socialism and programmatic democratic socialism. While the Church defends the right to private property, it insists that this right is never absolute. By focusing on the “democratic” half of the equation, the Catholic socialist rejects the atheistic materialism Horn fears, instead embracing a system where the state is a tool for popular will.
Many of the greatest Catholic figures of the last century—Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton, and Cesar Chavez—embraced socialist critiques of capitalism. Dorothy Day, the founder of the Catholic Worker Movement, lived a life of voluntary poverty and radical resistance, proving one can be “more Catholic than the Pope” while calling for the overthrow of the capitalist order.
A Consistent Ethic of Life
Finally, being a Catholic socialist allows for a “consistent ethic of life,” often called the Seamless Garment. A devout Catholic believes in the dignity of life from conception to natural death.
While the secular Left and the religious Right often split these issues, the Catholic socialist sees them as intertwined. We cannot claim to be “pro-life” while supporting an economic system that makes it impossible for a poor mother to afford prenatal care. Democratic socialism provides the material tools to support a culture of life by guaranteeing healthcare, maternity leave, and a living wage.
To be a devout Catholic and a democratic socialist is to inhabit a space of radical tension. It is a call to return to the basics: Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and care for the stranger. If our current economic system makes those tasks harder, then as Catholics, we have a moral obligation to change that system.
Bibliography and Recommended Reading
Primary Church Documents
- Leo XIII. Rerum Novarum (On Capital and Labor), 1891.
- Pius XI. Quadragesimo Anno (On Reconstruction of the Social Order), 1931.
- John Paul II. Centesimus Annus (The Hundredth Year), 1991.
- Francis. Laudato Si’ (On Care for Our Common Home), 2015.
-
Francis. Fratelli Tutti (On Fraternity and Social
Friendship), 2020.
Books and Essays
- Day, Dorothy. The Long Loneliness. HarperOne, 1952.
- Horn, Trent. Can a Catholic Be a Socialist? Catholic Answers Press, 2020. (For an overview of the opposing view discussed).
- Merton, Thomas. Seeds of Destruction. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1964.
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Cort, John C. Christian Socialism: An Informal History. Orbis Books, 1988, 2nd edition, 2020, with a new introduction by
Gary Dorrien. - Eagleton, Terry. Why Marx Was Right. Yale University Press, 2011.
- Bernardin, Joseph Cardinal. The Seamless Garment: Writings on the Consistent Ethic of Life. Orbis Books, 2008.
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Break the ICE: Accountability for ICE
Tell Gov Whitmer to support AG Nessel’s Anonymous ICE Reporting Platform!
In the wake of ICE’s murderous campaign to kidnap our neighbors and restrict our Constitutional rights, we call on Governor Whitmer to support Attorney General Nessel’s recently launched anonymous reporting platform. We call on Whitmer to form an accountability commission to review ICE’s many crimes and constitutional violations. This group of masked secret police has been terrorizing communities with impunity for far too long.
Michigan will not be safe until we know that we have the ability to hold ICE accountable for their many assaults upon our communities and country. Our residents must also be able to do so knowing they are protected by our State from what has been proven to be an extremely corrupt and vengeful Trump regime.
- Anonymity & Privacy Protection: Individuals can now report misconduct without revealing their identity or contact information.
- Secure Evidence Submission: Photos, videos, and documents can now be submitted securely to protect the integrity of the evidence.
- Independent Oversight: Reports MUST be reviewed by an impartial body, ensuring transparency and fairness in the investigative process.
- Legal Protections for Whistleblowers: Michigan residents who report abuses MUST be protected by state and federal whistleblower laws.
- Collaboration with Advocacy Groups: The platform MUST work closely with civil rights organizations to ensure that the process remains accessible, credible, and effective.
The post Break the ICE: Accountability for ICE appeared first on Grand Rapids Democratic Socialists of America.
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Our Editorial Board: The Comrades Behind Midwest Socialist
The Midwest Socialist’s Editorial Board
Leonard
Pronouns: he/him/comrade
Neighborhood: Hermosa
Outside of Midwest Socialist: I’m on the North Side Blue Line steering committee, and I’m co-chair of the Political Education committee.
Outside of DSA: I’m an occasional freelance writer, editor, and proofreader, and I work as a crossing guard for Chicago Public Schools, assigned to Northwest Middle School. My wife, Anna Forsher, is also very active in CDSA, and we love travel, sports, and having fun together.
Currently Reading: Seth Harp’s The Fort Bragg Cartel and Chester Himes’ Plan B.
Book Every Socialist Should Read: André Gorz’s Farewell to the Working Class.
If I could have dinner with three people dead or alive, who would it be and why? D. Boon, Nina Simone, and Joe Hill. Great music, great conversation with three passionate Marxists who led with their politics but also created unforgettable music.
Organizing Advice: Remember that you’re in the struggle for the long haul and don’t get too frustrated when you don’t see immediate wins. Like the saying goes, you’re planting the seeds of a tree whose shade you’ll never enjoy.
Publications: MWS writing here; Jacobin pieces here; lots more on my website, Immortal Science, here.
Binx
Pronouns: they/them/any
Neighborhood: Logan Square
Outside of Midwest Socialist: I serve as one of the chapter’s Harassment and Grievance Officers, as well as one of the co-chairs of the chapter’s Red Rabbits Committee. As a founding member of the RRC, I am also involved with the DSA’s National Security Commission.
Outside of DSA: I work for a non-profit doing social services and I am a staff editor for Sundress Publications. I have a dog, who I love more than anything on this earth, and I’ve gotten into crocheting lately. I’m working on a sweater for her.
Currently Reading: Urusla K. LeGuin’s “Always Coming Home,” and “M: Son of the Century” by Antonio Scurati (translated by Anne Milano Appel)
Book Every Socialist Should Read: Instead of recommending a book, I want to recommend subscribing to Lux Magazine. It’s literally the best magazine out there, especially because it’s a Marxist Feminist publication. Not only are the print magazines glossy and gorgeous, but the journalism is impeccable. Cannot recommend Lux enough!
If I could have dinner with three people dead or alive, who would it be and why? I would have dinner with Pier Paolo Pasolini, Audre Lorde, and Seamus Heaney. Pasolini having lived through Mussolini’s dictatorship as a gay writer, producer, and director; Lorde at the intersection of race, gender, and sexuality during the American Civil Rights movement; and Heaney being an anti-imperialist during The Troubles in Northern Ireland. As a poet and an anti-fascist myself, I think they’d each share some deeply valuable perspectives on poetics and politics from their experiences.
Organizing Advice: IT IS OKAY TO TAKE BREAKS. PLEASE TAKE BREAKS. FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD IN THIS WORLD, TAKE A BREAK. I am so serious, burn out will make you a demon to those around you. Do yourself and everyone in your life a favor by taking some time for yourself. IT IS OKAY.
Publications: Visit binxperino.com to check out the creative work that I’ve published over the years! Around Chicago, you can find copies of my chapbook Pure Light (2023) in various bookstores. You can also just enter my name into a search engine, if you’re nasty.
Nick
Pronouns: He/Him
Neighborhood: Andersonville
Outside of Midwest Socialist: I’m a member of the Communications Committee.
Outside of DSA: I’m a songwriter and musician, and I play in bands regularly around Chicago. I’m also a software engineer, avid Bulls fan, and I enjoy long bike rides by the lake.
Currently Reading: Treasure of the Sierra Madre by B. Traven.
Book Every Socialist Should Read: Freedom is a Constant Struggle by Angela Davis.
If I could have dinner with three people dead or alive, who would it be and why? Neil Young, Tracy Chapman, Gil Scott Heron. Three uniquely talented and accomplished musical artists with deeply held political perspectives that they aren’t afraid to express in their work. I could learn a lot from each of them.
Organizing Advice: Have patience and show up consistently! It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
Matt
Pronouns: He/They
Neighborhood: Northwest Side Blue Line Branch
Outside of Midwest Socialist: I served as Chicago DSA’s Political Education Coordinator from July to December 2024.
Outside of DSA: I have a master’s degree in history, and I am particularly interested in the history of East Germany, the Eastern Bloc, socialist/labor history, and the history of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries more generally. I speak fluent German and conversational Spanish, I collect currency from around the world, and I am a member of the North American Vexillological Association (NAVA).
Currently Reading: Just finished Blue Collar Empireby Jeff Schuhrke, about the zealous anticommunism of the AFL-CIO, its very active collaboration with the CIA, and its successful efforts to undermine democratic trade unionism at home and abroad during the Cold War. I am now rereading the classic alternate history novel The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick.
Book Every Socialist Should Read: Everything for Everyone by M.E. O’Brien and Eman Abdelhadi. It’s a speculative oral history of a global anarcho-communist revolution that takes place from the 2050s to the 2070s. It is one of my favorite works of fiction of all time.
Another very formative book for me was Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell, a memoir of the author’s experience as a war correspondent embedded with an anarchist militia in the Spanish Civil War. It’s the book that taught me that socialism could be more than just the aesthetic of the banners and slogans of the bygone USSR, but a revolutionary experiment relentlessly advancing the cause of equality, radical democracy, and human freedom.
If I could have dinner with three people dead or alive, who would it be and why? Karl Liebknecht, Rosa Luxemburg, and Eugene Debs. They are easily my three favorite socialist figures of the twentieth century.
Organizing Advice: Intellectual pursuits are being hollowed out by social media, AI, and relentless attacks on public education. In this context, learning becomes a revolutionary act. Do your own reading, your own writing, and your own thinking. Your brain will thank you.
Publications: I write alternate-history themed settings for an independent tabletop roleplaying game publisher. I have also written for the Baffler, Chicago DSA’s Red Star Bulletin, and on my own (woefully out-of-date) Medium page.
Chase
Pronouns: He / Him
Neighborhood: Lincoln Square / Ravenswood
Outside of Midwest Socialist: I co-lead the Lincoln Square Social / Member Club, part of the Member Club pilot program within Chicago DSA. The focus is to activate, organize, and connect together members of Chicago DSA in Lincoln Square and the surrounding neighborhoods.
Outside of DSA: Outside of DSA I work as a CPS Substitute teacher, and am currently completing my Masters in Education. I love learning languages, and speak German mostly fluently and Portuguese fairly well, with experience in several other languages. Additional passions of mine are Worldbuilding, watching movies, drawing, and writing. I am in fact working on publishing (on my substack) at least twelve short stories this year.
Currently Reading: Currently I am reading East of Eden by John Steinbeck. I recently also finished Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Phillip K. Dick.
Book Every Socialist Should Read: I don’t know if I know a very novel answer to this question, but I did read Kim Moody’s Rank and File Strategy recently; especially for those organizing within the US today, I think it’s a good read.
If I could have dinner with three people dead or alive, who would it be and why? This is such a difficult question. There are so many people I’d want to meet! I’ll give a shot:
- Oetzi the Iceman: I actually saw his body on a trip to Italy, when I lived in nearby Austria. I would give anything to talk to anyone from the Neolithic, as I find the period, the dawn of “Civilization,” endlessly fascinating. Plus, he’s the oldest cold case in history!
- Justinian II: Byzantine Emperor, last of the Heraclian dynasty. His great great grandfather, Heraclius, saved the Empire from the Parthians, only to lose half of it again to the nascent early Islamic Empire. Justinian II himself is interesting for being deposed, his nose cut off, exiled to Crimea, only to kill his guards, escape, and depose his deposer’s deposer (before being later again deposed). I’ve always thought he’d make a great subject of a book I’d like to write someday, so I’d love to chat!
- Ursula K. Le Guin: I was not so much a fan of Le Guin when she was alive, but became one after her death. Earthsea and Always Coming Home are dear to my heart and great inspirations to me as a writer and as a human being. I would love the chance to talk to her and have her critique my own work!
Organizing Advice: Get to know your comrades! It’s hard to organize with somebody that you don’t know very well.
Publications: I have not published anything for MWS as of yet, but I do have a substack! If you like short fiction of varying types follow my substack at @leerbaker1 (Lee R. Baker is my pen name). My plan for this year is to release 12 short stories in 12 months.
Alec
Name: Alec Hudson
Pronouns: he/him
Neighborhood: Lincoln Square
Outside of Midwest Socialist: SEIU 73 member, Chicago DSA jack-of-all-trades.
Outside of DSA: New dad, history nerd, soccer fan, and traveler.
Currently Reading: The Paris Commune: A Brief History (Eichner, 2022), The New Deal: The Depression Years, 1933-1940 (Badger, 2002), The Socialist Challenge Today: Syriza, Corbyn, Sanders (Panitch, Gindin, & Maher, 2020).
If I could have dinner with three people dead or alive, who would it be and why? Karl Marx for a good time, Eugene Debs to learn what it took to build a mass socialist party, and Gracchus Babeuf because I’m obsessed with the French Revolution and its role in establishing modern socialism/communism.
Organizing Advice: Stay curious and keep learning new skills!
Feel free to reach out via midwestsocialist at gmail dot com or send us your work!
The post Our Editorial Board: The Comrades Behind Midwest Socialist appeared first on Midwest Socialist.