The Church is not specifically anti-Nationalist: it is only anti-Nationalist when one puts one's Nation above God, thereby superceding the supreme dignity that is God's alone.

Nationalism ends badly because it has not, historically speaking, rendered due honour to God.  So, for instance, the German and Italian nationalists of the Second World War era can be said to have failed because they ignored God.

To deal with the topic, you must be able to speak frankly about it.  With that in mind, I contend that the Axis powers had as their purpose a positive goal: rid Europe of Communism.  The problem was that they attempted to do so not by restoring the social reign of Our Lord Jesus Christ (i.e. 'restoring all things in Christ'), but by replacing Communism (which is homo- or 'man-'centric) with Nationalism (which is also homo-centric).

And that is the essence of the problem, or limitation, if you will, of Nationalism: it runs the risk of being man-centred and not God-centred.  And if God will not be mocked, neither will He be ignored or replaced.

This is why you observe the 'take-over' or subversion of Nationalism by Fɾҽҽmαsσɳɾყ, Socialism, or Communism: Nationalism isnt specifically Theocentric.  If Nationalism is your over-arching ethos, then a Catholic could theoretically make common cause with a Freemason or Socialist in order to advance the interests of _the Nation_.  If Catholicism is your over-arching ethos, then a Catholic and a Freemason or Socialist cannot work towards the same goal and, in fact, are specifically working towards opposing goals.

That is not to say nationalism *cannot* be valuable if one's nation is Catholic; just that it generally has not been among the major actors in geo-politics.  For instance, the Irish and the Polish can be said to (have) be(en) strongly Nationalistic and, at one time they were specifically and almost uniformly Catholic nations.  In that case, their Nationalism wasnt necessarily wrong or counterproductive.

The same weakness holds true for Patriotism: it runs the risk of placing the Country (in other words, the State) above God.

My guess is that it won't get anywhere, Campy.  Kind of like satan casting out satan.  

What you said, Gilbert, is the weakness of those who place all their eggs in the basket of the constitution.  About the only thing the constitution is  is a yard stick to measure how far we've gone off track.  It very obviously can't save us.

'But is the Nationalism, arising to counter Globalism, bad? I fear that its a possibility.'

'My guess is that it won't get anywhere, Campy. Kind of like satan casting out satan.'

Campy, yes, the Nationalism that you observe arising to counter Globalism is bad, in exactly the sense that Trinity pointed out: it is, essentially, a battle of anti-Christian (Satanic) forces.

Again, not that Nationalism is necessarily anti-Christian: there can be a truly Catholic Nationalism and a truly Catholic Patriotism.  Just that the Nationalisms of today are _not_ Catholic and, in fact, anti-Catholic.


'What you said, Gilbert, is the weakness of those who place all their eggs in the basket of the constitution. About the only thing the constitution is is a yard stick to measure how far we've gone off track. It very obviously can't save us.'

No, the Constitution -- because it is being used to forbid the Social Reign of Our Lord Jesus Christ -- cannot save us.  Only God can save us; that is to say, only a return to the Faith of our Fathers -- by the conversion of our fellow countrymen to the true Faith -- will have any lasting, positive effect.


'True patriotism is a Christian love of country'

Well said.

For some good contemporary reading on the matter, I recommend a book called 'The Sword of Christendom' by Rev. Fr. Stephen P. DeLallo.  Here is an excerpt:

TRUE CATHOLIC PATRIOTISM

by Rev. Fr. Stephen P. DeLallo

In loving our country, we must always remember that we are Catholics first, then Americans, for we must love and adore God first, and then show patriotism toward our country according to the laws of God and the principles of Faith. The basic Catholic principles governing patriotism and our civic duties can be laid down as follows:150

1. Citizens of a Country are required to show reverence, obedience and loyalty to their legitimate rulers.

2. They have a duty to elect good representatives. In itself it is a grave sin against legal justice to elect bad representatives for government, since the voters themselves must be held responsible in part for the harm caused to the State by such representatives. But there may be excusing causes which permit the choice of such persons. Thus, for instance, a worker would be justified in voting for a bad representative if otherwise he would lose his post and be unable to find another. IT is also permitted to elect a bad representative in preference to one who is worse, which may frequently occur in so-called second ballots.

The reason which permits a person to cast his vote for this evil candidate is that such a vote is not more than material cooperation in another's sin. However, it would not be permitted to cast a vote for a candidate who is pro-abortion, for this would be too closely connected to formal cooperation in his sin of promoting abortion.

3. They have a duty to pay just taxes. If the taxes are used for evil purposes, it is not the sin of the taxpayer, and he must still pay his taxes. Our Lord said, "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's."

4. In the case of a just war, they have a duty to render military service. This would also apply in the case of mandatory prescription (i.e., the "draft") when this is used for the sake of maintaining a sufficient military.

5. They must obey their rulers in all lawful matters in which their rulers have a right to command.

6. It is forbidden to rebel against a lawful ruler, even if he is a tyrant. Thus, ѕєdιтισns and revolutions against the government are forbidden, for normally in such cases the result is a form of anarchy, and the common good in society is harmed even more than it was during the rule of the evil government.

It is permitted, however, to show passive resistance to an evil ruler in certain circuмstances, e.g., when his demands are unjust, although we must remember the words of Christ in the Beatitudes: "Blessed are those who suffer persecution for justice sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Mt. 5: 10). We, therefore, should always be ready, and willing, to imitate our Lord by accepting injustices as a way to obtain grace for the forgiveness and conversion of sinners in union with Him on the Cross.