At what level do Cardinals & Bishops of the Catholic Church engage in Politics?

I believe Church is involved in politics on every level since it is propaganda and religion itself is a sort of politics..

To get to Cardinal or Bishop they have already engaged in politics.

They are political beings. They engage in politics within the church. As to outside political issues, not so much.

I speak for italy, and italy alone, since we’re in a peculiar situation when it comes to the Catholic church.

Our nation is theoretically independent from the church, and the church itself refuses any interference from our government, the opposite is not true, however, since popes, cardinals, bishops, priests, flying nuns and their vibrators, seem to all have an opinion on what the state should do, and think you desperately want to hear what a bunch of sociopaths, that had to close themselves out of the real world in order to live what they consider a good life, have to say about the real world.

As for the actual question: no they don’t, and yet they do. Cardinals and bishops are not going to speak out on pretty much anything themselves, because all those who would listen to them already hear whatever they have to say at their local church every sunday.

Besides since they reached that high up in the hierarchy, they’re just going to parrot the official positin of the church with varied degrees of severity or lack thereof, just to give the impression that the church is not some gigantic colossus only interested in gathering followers to make more money.

In Germany they express opinions.

It would make sense for them to be involved; they are citizens (or at least residents) of their countries.

As high as the papacy. Don’t forget Pope John Paul and Lech Walesa and Solidarność.

All levels are involved. The parish priest has a a lot of influence. He is right there with his parishioner face to face. Bishops and cardinals form opinions based upon Rome, and translate what they mean for their respective countries. The pope has an enormous influence on politics. Like anartist said, take a look at John Paul II. With Ronald Reagan, he pretty much took down the the Iron Curtain and had a big and in defeating communism. He also helped many Catholics form an opinion on the recent war in Iraq. He did not bless the attack as a just war, and for many people, they agreed.

@VisionaryAdvait you must remember that in Europe (prior to the Americas being settled by Europeans, especially) ALL heads of state ie Kings and Queens, were ALL crowned by the Pope (and later Protestant Archbishops in Protestant lands.) So churches have always had oversight of government, hence they are ALL political by design and deed.