Defending Democracy Through Franciscan Values

As a Catholic and member of the Secular Franciscan Order (OFS), I am called to embody the Gospel through the Triad of Sacramental Seeing, Incarnational Action, and Radical Love—values that mirror St. Francis’s vision of “rebuilding the Church” by living as a leaven of justice and tenderness in a fractured world (OFS Rule, Prologue). Recent political movements, embodied by triad figures like Curtis Yarvin, Peter Thiel, and Vice President JD Vance, challenge these values. Their vision of centralized power and anti-democratic governance demands discernment through the lens of Catholic social teaching and the Franciscan charism of humility, solidarity, and prophetic witness (OFS Constitutions 13.1; 19.3).

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1. A Fallacious Triad : Philosopher, Funder, and Politician

Curtis Yarvin (a.k.a. Mencius Moldbug):
Yarvin’s “neoreaction” philosophy rejects subsidiarity and human dignity, instead idolizing efficiency. His call to dismantle institutions (“The Cathedral”) includes the RAGE proposal (“Retire All Government Employees”), which advocates mass firings of civil servants to centralize power under corporate authoritarianism. This vision of governance as a purge contradicts the Franciscan commitment to incarnational engagement with broken systems. St. Francis did not abandon the Church in its corruption but knelt in its ruins to rebuild (Legend of the Three Companions, 13). The OFS Rule (Article 18) compels us to “reverence the least ones”—including workers whose livelihoods depend on stable institutions. RAGE’s disregard for their dignity echoes the “hardness of heart” Francis condemned in those who exploit the poor (Admonition XXVII).

Peter Thiel:
Thiel’s techno-libertarianism reduces governance to corporate control, clashing with the OFS commitment to “respect all people” and foster communities where power is shared (OFS Rule 13; Laudato Si’ 156). His fusion of wealth and anti-democratic ideals echoes the “spirit of the world” Francis renounced, reminding us that “riches suck the soul into confusion” (Admonition XII).

J.D. Vance:
Vance’s rhetoric of “de-Baathification” weaponizes cynicism, dismissing institutions as irredeemable. Yet, Franciscans are called to “work for justice, not in abstract terms, but through concrete choices” (OFS Constitutions 19.1). Like St. Clare of Assisi, who defended San Damiano from invaders, we defend democratic structures not because they are perfect but because they are vessels for protecting the vulnerable.

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2. Key Policies Clashing with Catholic and Franciscan Values

A. Dismantling the Administrative State (Project 2025)
Franciscan Response:
Subsidiarity is not merely a principle—it is a practice of fraternity. Centralizing power strips communities of their God-given agency. The OFS Rule (Article 18) compels us to “reverence the least ones,” including refugees and the elderly, whose survival depends on functional institutions. Mass firings would fracture the “web of relationships” Pope Francis calls essential to human dignity (Fratelli Tutti 115).

B. Rejecting Democratic Norms
Franciscan Response:
St. Francis kissed the leper to confront fear with love. Today’s “lepers” include those seduced by authoritarianism. The OFS Constitutions (12.2) urge us to “meet others with humility,” disarming division through dialogue. Democracy, though fragile, aligns with Franciscan hope—a refusal to despair of humanity’s capacity for grace.

C. The “Cathedral” and Institutional Cynicism
Franciscan Response:
Yarvin’s scorn for institutions mirrors the despair Francis rejected when he heard Christ say, “Repair my house.” The OFS is called to “penetrate the world with Gospel radicalism” (Constitutions 6.3). Dorothy Day, a devotee of St. Francis, fed the hungry through Catholic Worker hospitality. We, too, must “act incarnationally”: parish gardens, credit unions, and interfaith coalitions are modern-day San Damianos—small, defiant acts of hope.

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3. The Danger of Techno-Authoritarianism

Thiel’s “CEO governance” reduces persons to data points, violating the Franciscan reverence for creation as sacramental. The OFS Rule (Article 18) demands we “see nature as a gift” and resist systems that commodify life. Even in tech, we are called to sow seeds of encounter, transforming the “digital continent” into a space of solidarity (Pope Francis, Message for WCD 2024).

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4. A Franciscan Call to Action: Rebuilding Amid Ruin

1. Pray for Leaders—and Become One
The OFS life begins in prayer (Constitutions 12.1). Like St. Francis, who prayed before acting, we discern paths for leaders to govern with virtue. Mentor youth in workplaces, embodying Francis’s admonition: “Preach the Gospel always; use words if necessary.”

2. Advocate with Franciscan Ferocity
Francis stripped naked to reject materialism. Today, “strip” systems of indifference:

• Partner with mosques to house refugees, living the OFS pledge to “build a more fraternal world” (Rule 19).
• Join worker cooperatives, resisting the “throwaway culture” (Laudato Si’ 22).

3. Engage in Dialogue as if Eternity Depends on It
Francis met the Sultan not to conquer but to converse. Serve on school boards, write op-eds, and volunteer—not to “win,” but to awaken hearts. The OFS Constitutions (15.1) remind us: “Our presence must be a seed of unity.”

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Conclusion: Defending Democracy as a Sacred Duty
The rise of techno-authoritarianism is a spiritual crisis. To defend democracy is to honor the Franciscan vow of conversion—turning from fear to love, from cynicism to hope. As Pope Francis writes, “Let us dream of a new fraternity where no one is discarded” (Fratelli Tutti 8). Let us rebuild, as Francis did, with sacramental sight, incarnational courage, and a love so radical it startles the world.

St. Francis, guide us to be instruments of peace.
St. Clare, defend us in the hour of trial.
Amen.