Pro Deo et patria. In Latin this translates to “for God and country.” Many prominent families, clans and other institutions have used this, or some variation, as their motto over the years. In just four words, a powerful connection is made in this motto. First and foremost, there is God. This statement deliberately places God as the main subject, as He alone should come first in our lives, and everything we do, we do “for” him. Followed by God is country. Many have interpreted this inclusion as a way of stating one’s patriotism. For if first there is faith and love for God, second would be loyalty to country, and all else falls in line behind these pillars of life. But what does this mean as it relates to virtues of Christianity? When St. Thomas Aquinas addressed the question of piety, he also defined what it means to be patriotic in the Christian sense. He writes that “God holds first place, for He is supremely excellent, and is for us the first principle of being and government. On the second place, the principles of our being and government are our parents and our country, that have given us birth and nourishment. Consequently, man is debtor chiefly to his parents and his country, after God. Wherefore just as it belongs to religion to give worship to God, so does it belong to piety, in the second place, to give worship to one’s parents and one’s country.” It is key here that when St. Thomas says “worship”, he is not referring to the same worship we give to God. He describes worship as it relates to country as to include “homage to all our fellow-citizens and to all the friends of our country.”
In the U.S., patriotism is our foundation. The country was formed when 13 colonies came together as countrymen and saw each other not as foreigners or political adversaries, but as fellow citizens united under one flag. Considering the recent attempted assassination on a former president and current presidential candidate, it is time we re-evaluate what it means to be patriotic in the United States. For too long patriotism, and to a greater extent, nationalism, has been confused with extremism in America. Targeted hatred and persecution based on political ideologies and faiths have become the norm, and our politicians and media outlets have often abused their freedom of speech to spread misinformation, causing further resentment between fellow citizens. Mass shootings and other murders have been committed in the name of extremist ideologies, sometimes even in the name of God. It is time we pause and remember the words of St. Thomas. God, first and foremost, and the teachings of our Lord are the only ideologies we need to find peace in our lives. We pay homage to our neighbors by showing them love and respect, despite whatever political sign stands in their front yard.
When Jesus was approached and asked whether paying taxes to the emperor was appropriate, seeing the picture of the emperor on the face of the coins he said, “Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” We owe many things to our country for the freedom it provides us, whether that be paying taxes, regularly voting, or providing services to other citizens through our employment. However, we were created in God’s image, and it is ourselves that we owe to God. When we come face to face with Him, it will not be as a republican or a democrat, or even an American. It will be just you. It is time we ask collectively: What will He see?
