The Holy See and Religious Freedom

The news service ZENIT provides an interesting excerpt from a talk given by Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, Vatican Secretary for Relations With States.  The remarks were given at a Dec. 3 conference, "Religious Freedom: The Cornerstone of Human Dignity."

With respect to the relationship between the "secularity of the state," on the one hand, and the "public dimension of religious freedom," on the other, Lajolo quoted Pope John Paul II’s observation last January that "a healthy dialogue between the state and the churches -- which are not rivals but partners -- can encourage the integral development of the human person and harmony in society." He added, "[w]hen the secularity of states is, as it must be, an expression of true freedom, then it favors dialogue and, therefore, transparent and regular cooperation between civil society and religious groups, in the service of the common good, and it contributes to building up the international community based on participation rather than exclusion, and on respect rather than on contempt."

On the timely and thorny issues of proselytism, evangelism, and coercion, Lajolo stated, "[i]f it is accepted that religious freedom is a right rooted in the very nature of the human person and that, as a result, it is prior to any express recognition on the part of state authorities, then the registration of religious communities cannot be considered as a prerequisite for enjoying such freedom." He added, "religious freedom implies, in the civil sphere, the subjective right of changing one's religion as well. . . . In the international context, marked by an insurgence of religious fundamentalisms, it is more than ever imperative to recall the international ban on coercion, on penal sanctions or on the threat of physical force in order to force adherence to religious creeds or religious communities."

And, commenting on the tendency in the "international community" to "place religious freedom ‘under the umbrella’ of tolerance," Lajolo reminded listeners that "tolerance does not mean ‘a renunciation or a weakening of one's own principles,’ but rather ‘the freedom to adhere to one's own convictions and to accept that others can do the same.’ Those who live with coherence their own religious convictions cannot, as such, be considered intolerant. They become so if, instead of proposing their own convictions and eventually expressing respectful criticism of convictions other than their own, they intend to impose their convictions and exercise either open or surreptitious pressure on the conscience of others."

If you are not already subscribing to ZENIT, you might consider it. 

Rick