In democratic societies, all proposals are freely discussed and examined. Those who, on the basis of respect for individual conscience, would view the moral duty of Christians to act according to their conscience as something that disqualifies them from political life, denying the legitimacy of their political involvement following from their convictions about the common good, would be guilty of a form of intolerant secularism. Such a position would seek to deny not only any engagement of Christianity in public or political life, but even the possibility of natural ethics itself. Were this the case, the road would be open to moral anarchy, which would be anything but legitimate pluralism. The oppression of the weak by the strong would be the obvious consequence. The marginalization of Christianity, moreover, would not bode well for the future of society or for consensus among peoples; indeed, it would threaten the very spiritual and cultural foundations of civilization.[26]
IV. Considerations regarding particular aspects
7. In recent years, there have been cases within some organizations founded on Catholic principles, in which support has been given to political forces or movements with positions contrary to the moral and social teaching of the Church on fundamental ethical questions. Such activities, in contradiction to basic principles of Christian conscience, are not compatible with membership in organizations or associations which define themselves as Catholic. Similarly, some Catholic periodicals in certain countries have expressed perspectives on political choices that have been ambiguous or incorrect, by misinterpreting the idea of the political autonomy enjoyed by Catholics and by not taking into consideration the principles mentioned above.
Faith in Jesus Christ, who is "the way, the truth, and the life" (Jn 14:6), calls Christians to exert a greater effort in building a culture which, inspired by the Gospel, will reclaim the values and contents of the Catholic Tradition. The presentation of the fruits of the spiritual, intellectual and moral heritage of Catholicism in terms understandable to modern culture is a task of great urgency today, in order to avoid also a kind of Catholic cultural diaspora. Furthermore, the cultural achievements and mature experience of Catholics in political life in various countries, especially since the Second World War, do not permit any kind of ‘inferiority complex’ in comparison with political programs which recent history has revealed to be weak or totally ruinous. It is insufficient and reductive to think that the commitment of Catholics in society can be limited to a simple transformation of structures, because if at the basic level there is no culture capable of receiving, justifying and putting into practice positions deriving from faith and morals, the changes will always rest on a weak foundation.
Christian faith has never presumed to impose a rigid framework on social and political questions, conscious that the historical dimension requires men and women to live in imperfect situations, which are also susceptible to rapid change. For this reason, Christians must reject political positions and activities inspired by a utopian perspective which, turning the tradition of Biblical faith into a kind of prophetic vision without God, makes ill use of religion by directing consciences towards a hope which is merely earthly and which empties or reinterprets the Christian striving towards eternal life.
At the same time, the Church teaches that authentic freedom does not exist without the truth. "Truth and freedom either go together hand in hand or together they perish in misery".[27] In a society in which truth is neither mentioned nor sought, every form of authentic exercise of freedom will be weakened, opening the way to libertine and individualistic distortions and undermining the protection of the good of the human person and of the entire society.
8. In this regard, it is helpful to recall a truth which today is often not perceived or formulated correctly in public opinion: the right to freedom of conscience and, in a special way, to religious freedom, taught in the Declaration Dignitatis humanae of the Second Vatican Council, is based on the ontological dignity of the human person and not on a non-existent equality among religions or cultural systems of human creation.[28] Reflecting on this question, Paul VI taught that "in no way does the Council base this right to religious freedom on the fact that all religions and all teachings, including those that are erroneous, would have more or less equal value; it is based rather on the dignity of the human person, which demands that he not be subjected to external limitations which tend to constrain the conscience in its search for the true religion or in adhering to it".[29] The teaching on freedom of conscience and on religious freedom does not therefore contradict the condemnation of indifferentism and religious relativism by Catholic doctrine;[30] on the contrary, it is fully in accord with it.
V. Conclusion
9. The principles contained in the present Note are intended to shed light on one of the most important aspects of the unity of Christian life: coherence between faith and life, Gospel and culture, as recalled by the Second Vatican Council. The Council exhorted Christians "to fulfill their duties faithfully in the spirit of the Gospel. It is a mistake to think that, because we have here no lasting city, but seek the city which is to come, we are entitled to shirk our earthly responsibilities; this is to forget that by our faith we are bound all the more to fulfill these responsibilities according to the vocation of each... May Christians...be proud of the opportunity to carry out their earthly activity in such a way as to integrate human, domestic, professional, scientific and technical enterprises with religious values, under whose supreme direction all things are ordered to the glory of God".[31]
The Sovereign Pontiff John Paul II, in the Audience of November 21, 2002, approved the present Note, adopted in the Plenary Session of this Congregation, and ordered its publication.
Rome, from the Offices of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, November 24, 2002, the Solemnity of Christ the King.
Joseph Card. RATZINGER Prefect Tarcisio BERTONE, S.D.B. Archbishop Emeritus of Vercelli Secretary
NOTES [1] Letter to Diognetus, 5,5; Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 2240. [2] John Paul II, Apostolic Letter Motu Proprio Proclaiming Saint Thomas More Patron of Statesmen and Politicians, 1: AAS 93 (2001), 76. [3] Ibid., 4. [4] Cf. Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et spes, 31; Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 1915. [5] Cf. Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et spes, 75. [6] John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation, Christifideles laici, 42: AAS 81 (1989), 472. The present doctrinal Note refers to the involvement in political life of lay members of the faithful. The Bishops of the Church have the right and the duty to set out the moral principles relating to the social order; "Nevertheless active participation in political parties is reserved to the lay faithful" (ibid., 60). Cf. Congregation for the Clergy, Directory for the Ministry and Life of Priests (March 31, 1994), 33. [7] Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et spes, 76. [8] Cf. Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et spes, 36. [9] Cf. Second Vatican Council, Decree Apostolicam actuositatem, 7; Dogmatic Constitution Lumen gentium, 36; Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et spes, 31 and 43. [10] John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles laici, 42. [11] In the last two centuries, the Papal Magisterium has spoken on the principal questions regarding the social and political order. Cf. Leo XIII, Encyclical Letter Diuturnum illud: ASS 14 (1881–1882), 4 ff; Encyclical Letter Immortale Dei: ASS 18 (1885–1886), 162ff; Encyclical Letter Libertas præstantissimum: ASS 20 (1887–1888), 593ff; Encyclical Letter Rerum novarum: ASS 23 (1890–1891), 643ff; Benedict XV, Encyclical Letter Pacem Dei munus pulcherrimum: AAS 12 (1920), 209ff; Pius XI, Encyclical Letter Quadragesimo anno: AAS 23 (1931), 190ff; Encyclical Letter Mit brennender Sorge: AAS 29 (1937), 145–167; Encyclical Letter Divini Redemptoris: AAS 29 (1937), 78ff; Pius XII, Encyclical Letter Summi Pontificatus: AAS 31 (1939), 423ff; Radiomessaggi natalizi 1941–1944; John XXIII, Encyclical Letter Mater et magistra: AAS 53 (1961), 401–464; Encyclical Letter Pacem in terris: AAS 55 (1963), 257–304; Paul VI, Encyclical Letter Populorum progressio: AAS 59 (1967), 257–299; Apostolic Letter Octogesima adveniens: AAS 63 (1971), 401–441. [12] Cf. John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Centesimus annus, 46: AAS 83 (1991); Encyclical Letter Veritatis splendor, 101: AAS 85 (1993), 1212–1213; Discourse to the Italian Parliament, 5: L’Osservatore Romano (November 15, 2002). [13] Cf. John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Evangelium vitae, 22: AAS 87 (1995), 425–426. [14] Cf. Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et spes, 76. [15] Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et spes, 75. [16] Cf. Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et spes, 43 and 75. [17] Cf. Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et spes, 25. [18] Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et spes, 73. [19] Cf. John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Evangelium vitae, 73. [20] Ibid. [21] Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et spes, 75. [22] Catechism of the Catholic Church,No. 2304. [23] Cf. Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et spes, 76. [24] John Paul II, Message for the 1991 World Day of Peace: "If you want peace, respect the conscience of every person", 4: AAS 83 (1991), 414–415. [25] John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles laici, 59. [26] Cf. John Paul II, Address to the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See: L’Osservatore Romano (January 11, 2002). [27] John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Fides et ratio, 90: AAS 91 (1999), 75. [28] Cf. Second Vatican Council, Declaration Dignitatis humanae, 1: "This Sacred Council begins by professing that God himself has made known to the human race how men by serving him can be saved and reach the state of the blessed. We believe that this one true religion subsists in the Catholic and Apostolic Church". This does not lessen the sincere respect that the Church has for the various religious traditions, recognizing in them "elements of truth and goodness". See also, Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution Lumen gentium, 16; Decree Ad gentes, 11; Declaration Nostra aetate, 2; John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Redemptoris missio, 55: AAS 83 (1991), 302–304; Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Declaration Dominus Iesus, 2, 8, 21: AAS 92 (2000), 742–765. [29] Paul VI, Address to the Sacred College and to the Roman Prelature: in Insegnamenti di Paolo VI, 14 (1976), 1088–1089. [30] Cf. Pius IX, Encyclical Letter Quanta cura: ASS 3 (1867), 162; Leo XIII, Encyclical Letter Immortale Dei: ASS 18 (1885), 170–171; Pius XI, Encyclical Letter Quas primas: AAS 17 (1925), 604–605; Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 2108; Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Declaration Dominus Iesus, 22. [31] Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et spes, 43; see also John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles laici, 59.
Taken from: L'Osservatore Romano Weekly Edition in English 22 January 2003, page 5
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