"CHURCH POLITICS" is the Church's internal politics and is not about the Church's participation in the public square, advocating matters of legislative policy or speaking truth to power.  That's Church and politics.

Not a few would like to deny that there is church politics as the term often conjures up negative connotations such as backbiting, gossiping, and manipulating, maneuvering and misguided power. 

Church leaders - lay and clerics alike - are seen to compete with one another in exercising authority in determining the way things should or should not be done in a faith community.  Church politics often take root on the diocesan, parish and BEC levels as well as in church-based groups.  Alliances are formed between people and groups with competing interest and the church is tremendously wounded and the church is split into factions of "old guards" and "new guards".

To be sure, church politics is very much alive simply because people are passionate about their beliefs and their agenda.  A person or group of persons of like mind want something to be done to improve a situation as they perceived it and seeks to change the status quo.  Opposition is met and church politics is created.

However, its rarely malice that drives the agenda or opposition and very often it's good people with good intention and strong believe that what they are doing and pressing  for is right and that they are led by the Holy Spirit.  The problem arises when such people become impassioned that their way is the only way to accomplish the mission of the church.

At the level of the Church Universal, at the election of a pope which is believed to be guided by the Holy Spirit, it is not uncommon speculation of Cardinal-electors lobby behind closed doors promoting the election of a "conservative", a "liberal" , a "conciliatory"  or a "stop gap" pope.

Power struggles and politics are not unknown in the Bible.  There is the example of King Saul and David in the Old Testament where the former felt threatened by the latter.  David had to flee from the presence of the King to save his life.  But David left alone without forming a faction though he had much popular support.

In the New Testament there is the example of church politics in the Jesus community where James and John attempted to manipulate Jesus to sit them on either side of him in his glory.  The other apostles felt "indignant" with the Zebedee brothers which prompted Jesus to teach, "...anyone who wants to be the first among you must be slave to all". (Mk 10:35-45)

Church politics can be made wholesome if all parties involved therein realise they are there to serve the same Lord and His Church.  There will remain differences of opinion and approach as to the best way of serving.  But such difference need not rend asunder the faith community if parties concerned can disagree without quarrelling, argue without fighting, differ without being personal and if they can amicably agree to disagree as sisters and brothers in the Lord.