Imagine you were watching your usual television news program and the news anchor, rather than starting with the day’s top events, began reviewing the latest movies available on Netflix.

 

Then, the sports reporter came on camera, but he never said a word about the NFL or announced the latest scores. Instead, he spoke about the stock market, bond yields, and the outlook for inflation.

 

Finally, the weather forecaster closed out the program as usual, but not by speaking about temperatures, wind speeds, or the chance of precipitation. Instead, he spoke about the upcoming mid-term elections.

 

We would be surprised and annoyed. We expect people in the media to deal with topics that fit their areas of expertise. Newspeople should stick to the news of the day. Sports reporters should cover what is happening on the playing field, and meteorologists should focus on the weather.

 

Sometimes, people may feel the same way when they hear bishops, priests, deacons, and even the pope, speak about migration, climate change, abortion, assisted suicide, health care, economic justice, voting, gender identity, racism, and other contentious issues.

 

These people believe that religious leaders should limit themselves to their areas of expertise and speak about “churchy things” like God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, heaven, hell, the sacraments, the Mass and the scriptures.

 

Such people might point to this Sunday’s Gospel (Matthew 22:15-21) to justify their position. There, the Pharisees and Herodians asked Jesus whether it was lawful for a faithful Jew to pay the census tax to Caesar. In response, Jesus replied, “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”

 

These words seem to imply that life is divided into two parts. Part of our life is involved with “Caesar,” with politics, taxes, government, social issues, and the concerns of everyday life. The other part of our life is involved with our relationship with God and the Church.

 

Each part is separate, each with its own its own obligations and responsibilities, and each should not interfere with the other. In other words, there is a separation between God and Caesar, a separation of Church and State.

 

However, Jesus does not imply such a separation with his words. When we consider the words of Jesus about repaying what belongs to God, we realize that everything belongs of God. We and all of creation are dependent upon God who created us and who holds us in existence.

 

Christianity is not just about how we relate to God but about how we relate to the world and to one another. It is about loving God and loving our neighbor. It is about allowing the words of Jesus and his example to guide our choices and decisions. It is about working to bring God’s kingdom of love, justice, and peace into our world. It is about bending our will to the will of our heavenly Father. “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.”

 

On September 28, during an in-flight interview on his trip back to Rome after visiting France, a reporter asked Pope Leo if he had crossed a line by speaking about social and political issues when he was in France.

 

The Pope made clear that the Church is called to address all issues impacting humanity and not only strictly religious issues. He said, “I would say that the understanding that the Church has of a separation between Church and politics, or Church and State, that I didn’t cross it. When the Church speaks about defending life, when it speaks about questions of Social Doctrine, we’re not entering into politics, we’re applying the Gospel to people’s lives….when I went to France, I went primarily to preach the Gospel, to preach the Good News, to reaffirm what Jesus Christ Himself says when He says I am the way, the truth, and the life, so to speak the truth that Jesus offers us.”

 

Newscasters, sports reporters, and weather forecasters should not speak about issues outside of their fields. But that is not the case when the Church and religious leaders speak of issues concerned with “Caesar” or the “State,” for there is no issue beyond the realm of the Gospel and the teaching of Jesus Christ.

 

© 2026 Rev. Thomas Iwanowski