In 1965 the bishops at Vatican II approved the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, which says: “The Council exhorts Christians, as citizens of both cities, to perform their duties faithfully in the spirit of the Gospel.
“It is a mistake to think that, because we have here no lasting city, but seek the city which is to come [Hebrews 13:14], we are entitled to evade our earthly responsibilities; this is to forget that because of our faith we are all the more bound to fulfill these responsibilities according to each one’s vocation” [see 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13, Ephesians 4:28] (#43).
The bishops point out that Christians who shirk their temporal duties shirk their duties toward their neighbors, neglect God and endanger their eternal salvation.
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