A little more on Sovereignty

Thanks to Patrick for his posting of earlier today on Dignity in the Classroom. All of us and Patrick’s students might reflect on a dimension of sovereignty that often gets overlooked or forgotten, and that is popular sovereignty. For almost a decade I have been involved in international debates amongst diplomats concerning sovereignty. In these contexts, sovereignty often has a negative meaning associated with it. Of course, the illustrations or examples that come up in discussion are typically of some repressive or totalitarian regime. But the sovereignty of peoples in the exercise of their self-determination is usually absent from the discussion or debate. I think that Catholic Legal Theory has a wonderful opportunity to contribute to the misapprehensions about sovereignty when it is takes place in the context of a self-determination of people who choose to come together and live according to a set of principles and norms that are wholesome. One does not hear about such sovereignty in the popular press or the halls of diplomatic conferences. Since it does not, I realize that the idea of subsidiarity is not in the vocabulary of these influential people. So, I humbly suggest that CLT has an opportunity of which it can take advantage and educate the world. Or to use a phrase of our Lord, to go forth and make disciples of all nations!    RJA sj