First, I didn't say that the catechism taught that persecution was okay. Church policy and erroneous interpretations of scripture and a wrong understand of the character of God led to wrong decisions which became traditions which affected church policy. Some of the writings of the church fathers can be blamed for that... Such as those of Thomas Aquinas.
Second, to claim that the state was solely responsible for the persecutions... The crusades... The inquisitions... Is simply evidence that you haven't progressed at all past the mental gymnastics exhibited by Adam and Eve in the garden... She gave me to eat... He fooled me... The state took my clothes off and made me naked.
Pope Boniface VIII (reigned 1294- 1303): "We are taught by the words of the Gospel that in this Church and under her control there are two swords, the spiritual and the temporal . . . both of these, i.e., the spiritual and the temporal swords, are under the control of the Church. The first is wielded by the Church; the second is wielded on behalf of the church. The first is wielded by the hands of the priest, the second by the hands of kings and soldiers, but at the wish and by the permission of the priests. Sword must be subordinate to sword, and it is only fitting that the temporal authority should be subject to the spiritual" (Unam Sanctam)
From a paper written for study at University...
Medieval thinkers held that Christian society was one, embracing all men. To satisfy human needs God had decreed that · this society should be ruled by two governments, which derived not only their reason for being but also their power from Him. The spiritual government, the sacerdotium, was entrusted to the Church and the temporal, the imperium or regnum, to the state. There were at least four important corollaries which could be drawn from the foregoing statements.
1) Both church and state were sanctified by God as instruments of His will. The powers, responsibilities, and limitations of each would have to be defined with this fact in mind.
2) The areas in which church and state operated in this universal society were distinguishable, but not really separate. Conflicts, should they arise, would resemble a family quarrel rather than a fight between strangers.
3) An attitude of helpfulness had to prevail between church and state. Although each had its own functions to perform, in times of emergency each was expected to come to the assistance of the other.
(4 Finally, because souls were considered more important than bodies, the Church was held to be more important than the state. Ordinarily, this corollary might make little practical difference in the operations of either institution, but in a crisis (like in the removing of heretics) it would give the Church precedence in all things.