Abstract: The subject of the study is the civilizational and cultural basis of the development of republican democracy institutions with the principles and mechanisms characteristic for it. The object of the study is political institutions of the modern democratic republican state correlated  with the political culture of Western States that was formed under the influence of various factors, primarily - the Christian civilizational heritage. Finally, it affects the functioning of social institutions which, in their turn, lead to formation of a particular kind of political institutions – the ones that are considered to be the basis of the republican system in the modern world. The author used such methods as dialectical, logical, comparative, system, as well as a number of others. The author comes to the conclusion that the combination of the principles of meritocratic formation of power in the state and its limitations on the part of non-personalized institutions leads to the formation of conditions for economy’s rapid development and exclusion of serious political headwinds, even in conditions of transformation of the political system. However, either of them is a result of the civilizational and cultural process that underlies the functioning of social institutions further developed in the state structures.

Abstract: The subject of this research is the doctrinal position of Vatican pertinent to the question of preference of the various political regimes, forms of government, and mechanisms of exercising of power. The object is the Catholic political doctrine during the pontificate period of John XXIII in the context of the proclaimed by him policy of renewal of the Church and its place in the world – “aggiornamento”. Particular attention is given to the criticism of approach of the number of foreign authors aimed at presenting of the current political doctrine of Catholicism as the denial of previous teaching and return to liberalism. The author believes that the reason why some scholars consider the renewal of principles of the existence of Church in the world as a liberal return lies in the erroneous attempt of identifying democracy as the political regime and liberalism as the political ideology. John XXIII, noticing in democratic institutions the possibility of the Church to constrain and limit the government, nevertheless adheres to the reasonably traditional conservative ideology.

Abstract: The subject of this research is the doctrinal position of the Vatican regarding the questions of preference of the various political regimes, forms of government, and methods of exercising power. The object of this research is the Catholic Social Teaching during the pontificate of Pope Paul VI, particularly within the framework of the Second Vatican Council. Special attention is given to the so-called “liberal pivot”, noting that speaking of the drastic shift in doctrinal position of the Holy See would be incorrect, because the Council had realized the codification, rather than a change in Vatican’s position. The author concludes that the popular approach in the Western and Russian science, which suggested the consideration of the Second Vatican Council as a pivotal moment in the history of Catholic Social Teaching is inaccurate and carries within it the danger of establishing strive towards universalization of views upon the possibility of democratization of confessional movements, which becomes ever less justified in the modern world. The importance of the Second Vatican Council should be pursued in development instead of the expansion of social teaching, as well as systematization, rather than reassessment of the Church’s position.

Abstract: The subject of this research is the doctrinal position of the Vatican regarding the questions of preference of the various political regimes, forms of government, and methods of exercising power. The object of this research is the Catholic Social Teaching during the pontificate of Pope Paul VI, particularly within the framework of the Second Vatican Council. Special attention is given to the so-called “liberal pivot”, noting that speaking of the drastic shift in doctrinal position of the Holy See would be incorrect, because the Council had realized the codification, rather than a change in Vatican’s position. The author concludes that the popular approach in the Western and Russian science, which suggested the consideration of the Second Vatican Council as a pivotal moment in the history of Catholic Social Teaching is inaccurate and carries within it the danger of establishing strive towards universalization of views upon the possibility of democratization of confessional movements, which becomes ever less justified in the modern world. The importance of the Second Vatican Council should be pursued in development instead of the expansion of social teaching, as well as systematization, rather than reassessment of the Church’s position.

Abstract: The subject of this research is the perception by the Catholic Church of the problems of development and establishment of the states in the late XIX – early XX centuries, as well as significant changes in reactionary approach of the Church, inherent to it during the first years after the French Revolution. The object of this research is the Catholic social teaching during the period of pontificate of Leo XIII. The author gives particular attention to the key encyclical “Rerum Novarum”, and underlines that it should not be viewed as the starting point of the Catholic social doctrine, but rather as a crucial state in its development. The main conclusion consists in the fact that the popular in the Western and Russian science approach, which suggests consideration of the pontificate of Leo XIII as the reference point of the Catholic social doctrine, is inherently erroneous. Moreover, the assurance that “Rerum Novarum” and other encyclicals of Leo XIII are the embodiment of the liberal turn of the Catholic Church, is quite far from the truth. Nevertheless, it in no way diminishes the importance of the change of paradigm of perception of democracy and liberalism realized by Leo XIII.

Abstract: The subject of this research is the perception by the Catholic Church of the problems of development and establishment of the states in the late XIX – early XX centuries, as well as significant changes in reactionary approach of the Church, inherent to it during the first years after the French Revolution. The object of this research is the Catholic social teaching during the period of pontificate of Leo XIII. The author gives particular attention to the key encyclical “Rerum Novarum”, and underlines that it should not be viewed as the starting point of the Catholic social doctrine, but rather as a crucial state in its development. The main conclusion consists in the fact that the popular in the Western and Russian science approach, which suggests consideration of the pontificate of Leo XIII as the reference point of the Catholic social doctrine, is inherently erroneous. Moreover, the assurance that “Rerum Novarum” and other encyclicals of Leo XIII are the embodiment of the liberal turn of the Catholic Church, is quite far from the truth. Nevertheless, it in no way diminishes the importance of the change of paradigm of perception of democracy and liberalism realized by Leo XIII.

Abstract:  
The subject of the research is the conceptual framework and the essential content of Catholic social doctrine as a factor of political influence in the world. Particular attention is paid to the periodization of the doctrine's stages of development, the importance of the doctrine in conditions of apparent increase of the influence of religious factors on the political processes in the world. On the background of global political, economic and social change throughout the world, it becomes obvious that the religious factor plays a key role in trying to determine the cause of succesfull building of democratic countries in some parts of the world, and the inability to establish basic institutions of public authority in another. Catholic church, with the largest number of adherents in the world is certainly a factor that significantly influenced the modern political map of the world. The novelty of the research consists in a number of fundamentally new approaches offered by the author. In particular, the author introduces the concept of periodization of the development of Catholic social teaching that is different from the traditionally accepted in the Western scientific community.

Abstract:  The subject of the study is the position of the Catholic Church on the most important aspects of political and economic development of society during the French Revolution, as well as the reaction of the Church to the introduction of a secular constitution in France along with the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, as an attempt to subordinate the Church to the secular authorities. The author analyzes the main sources containing the position of the Catholic Church on the secular trend in European countries - the papal encyclicals during the pontificate of Benedict XIV (1740-1758), Clement XIII (1758-1769), Clement XIV (1769-1774) Pius XVI (1775-1799), as well as the sources including the Church’s position on natural law doctrine and the secular source of state power - papal encyclicals during the period of Pius VI pontificate. The author comes to the conclusion that despite the fact that the Catholic Church recognized the majority of human rights and freedoms assigned to individuals as a result of the French Revolution, the strive of the French Assembly to recognize the natural state of a human as a source of these rights and freedoms and attempts to subordinate clergy to secular power, predetermined the reconciliation with the Holy See impossible, even to the extent of concordat with Napoleon.

Abstract:  The subject of the study is the position of the Catholic Church on the most important aspects of political and economic development of society during the French Revolution, as well as the reaction of the Church to the introduction of a secular constitution in France along with the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, as an attempt to subordinate the Church to the secular authorities. The author analyzes the main sources containing the position of the Catholic Church on the secular trend in European countries - the papal encyclicals during the pontificate of Benedict XIV (1740-1758), Clement XIII (1758-1769), Clement XIV (1769-1774) Pius XVI (1775-1799), as well as the sources including the Church’s position on natural law doctrine and the secular source of state power - papal encyclicals during the period of Pius VI pontificate. The author comes to the conclusion that despite the fact that the Catholic Church recognized the majority of human rights and freedoms assigned to individuals as a result of the French Revolution, the strive of the French Assembly to recognize the natural state of a human as a source of these rights and freedoms and attempts to subordinate clergy to secular power, predetermined the reconciliation with the Holy See impossible, even to the extent of concordat with Napoleon.

Abstract: The subject of this research is subsidiarity, as a principle of political-territorial structure within the context of decentralization of government power. The author gives an in-depth review to the social teaching of the Catholic Church and Protestant ethics upon the formation of perception in the Western political thought on the acceptable level of state involvement and preference towards greater decentralization of government power. A special attention is given to the demarcation of the notion “horizontal subsidiarity”, which is more likely sharing of responsibility with the institutions of civil society. Within the framework of the review of the “vertical subsidiarity” a separate attention is given to the Catholic perception on correlation of authority and society, as well as society and individual. The novelty of this research consists in the examination of the form of political-territorial construct as a system subject to a substantial influence of the religious factor. The work presents the translation of several encyclicals of Roman Popes, which reflect the key principles of state functionality in the perception of the Catholic social doctrine during the end of the XIX – beginning of the XX centuries.