CORPUS CHRISTI, TX (Catholic Online) "God reigns over the nations," regnavit Deus super gentes. (Ps. 47:8 [46:9])  It is with this understanding of God's universal reign over man and his political communities that the Church assesses the relationship between nations and its inherently global perspective.

One cannot understand the Church's social doctrine and social thought on international relations without appreciating the Church's understanding of the universal nature of Jesus and the universal mandate given to her by Christ.  Indeed, the term "Catholic" comes to us from Greek katholikos, which means "universal."  The Church is not limited to a particular nation, but is intended to embrace all peoples.  She lives with the Kingdom of God in her breast.

As Francis Cardinal George recently put it: "Living in the kingdom of God means thinking beyond and outside the boxes created by citizenship in a nation, by cultural or racial exclusivity, and by individual choice. In the kingdom of God, divisive markers are not needed to establish identity." 

That is not to say that nation, culture, or race is unimportant or cannot be a source of identity or pride, but these "markers" are decidedly demoted when placed with the universality of the Gospel and the universality of the Church.  There is no Jew or Gentile in Christ.  (Gal. 3:28)  Salus populi lex suprema est.  The salvation of souls is the supreme law and transcends all borders.

Beginning with creation, it is apparent that God's creative action "embraces the whole world and the entire human family." (Compendium, No. 428)  The end or purpose of creation is the glory of God himself.  Creation without God is "subject to futility," but creation redeemed in God "awaits with eager expectation the revelation of the children of God," is "subjected in hope," will be "set free from slavery to corruption," and will "share in the glorious freedom of the children of God," though it presently is "groaning in labor pains even until now."  (Rom. 8:19-22) 

God works his salvation within creation, not outside of it.  "Creation is the foundation of 'all God's saving plans,' the 'beginning of the history of salvation' that culminates in Christ." CCC § 279

In particular, God's "decision to make man in his image and likeness gives the human being a unique dignity that extends to all generations and throughout the entire earth." Man is the only creature, the Second Vatican Council reminds us in beautiful language, "that God has willed for its own sake." (Gaudium et spes, § 3).

There is no human being in any time and at any place that bears not God's image and likeness, however he has marred it, and who does not share the common calling of all men into a communion with God.

Even when God seeks man and reveals himself to particular men in particular places in particular nations--in Noah, in Abraham, in Moses, in the Hebrew prophets--his message was not particular to Israel, but was already universal in semine, in germ. 

The covenant with Noah, betokened by the rainbow, is not for Noah alone, but for every living creature and every generation.  (See Gen. 9:1-7)  Indeed, as if to highlight the universality of the Noahide covenant, we find immediately after the Noahide covenant the so-called Völkertafel or "Table of Nations," where the Scripture "presents with admiration the diversity of peoples, the result of God's creative activity." (Gen. 10:1-32)

In this "Table of Nations," the Scripture relates the generations of the sons of Japheth, Ham, and Shem.  In the view of the Scriptures, these three were the postdiluvian progenitors of all humankind.  All humans come from Adam through Japheth, Ham, and Shem, and all are heirs to the Noahide covenant.  At this time this unity was reflected by the fact that peoples had "one language and the same words," Gen. 11:1, and indeed the same fundamental law.

Humanity, however, became divided and lost its original unity.  This truth is told us in a particularly vivid way in the story of the Tower of Babel, the "tower of unbelief," as Thomas Merton called it in one of his poems.

Where unbelief reigned, faith had to be renewed.  So it was renewed in the covenant that God established with Abraham, "the father of all those who believe," both those circumcised and uncircumcised, which is to say, the whole world. (Rom. 4:9-12)  Faith cuts through the babel of languages, race, and nation state.

Along with being a "father of faith," Abraham was the "father of a multitude of nations." (Gen. 17:4).  The unbelief that led to the division in men was to be repaired by faith in God which would open "the way for the human family to make a return to its Creator." (Compendium, ...