by Leela Ramdeen, Chair of the Catholic Commission for Social Justice
Pope Benedict XVI’s message for the 44th World Day of Peace (Jan. 1), focuses on the theme: Religious Freedom, the Path to Peace. Cardinal Peter Turkson, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, says that the Pope chose this theme “because the living of religious freedom – a basic vocation of humankind and a fundamental, inalienable and universal human right, and key to peace – has come under great stress and threat.”
The following extracts are taken from the text of this 12-page message which can be accessed here.
The Pope sees religious freedom as “the litmus test for the respect of all the other human rights.” It is with sadness that he notes that 2010 has been marked “by persecution, discrimination, terrible acts of violence and religious intolerance… It is painful to think that in some areas of the world it is impossible to profess one’s religion freely except at the risk of life and personal liberty. In other areas we see more subtle and sophisticated forms of prejudice and hostility towards believers and religious symbols.”
He says, “Christians are the religious group which suffers most from persecution on account of its faith… This situation is unacceptable, since it represents an insult to God and to human dignity; furthermore, it is a threat to security and peace, and an obstacle to the achievement of authentic and integral human development…
“The right to religious freedom is rooted in the very dignity of the human person, whose transcendent nature must not be ignored or overlooked. God created man and woman in his own image and likeness. For this reason each person is endowed with the sacred right to a full life, also from a spiritual standpoint. Without the acknowledgement of his spiritual being, without openness to the transcendent, the human person withdraws within himself, fails to find answers to the heart’s deepest questions about life’s meaning, fails to appropriate lasting ethical values and principles, and fails even to experience authentic freedom and to build a just society.
“Religious freedom is at the origin of moral freedom. Openness to truth and perfect goodness, openness to God, is rooted in human nature; it confers full dignity on each individual and is the guarantee of full mutual respect between persons…A freedom which is hostile or indifferent to God becomes self-negating and does not guarantee full respect for others.”
He sees the family as “the school of freedom and peace; the first school for the social, cultural, moral and spiritual formation and growth of children…Parents must be always free to transmit to their children, responsibly and without constraints, their heritage of faith, values and culture.
“When religious freedom is acknowledged, the dignity of the human person is respected at its root, and the ethos and institutions of peoples are strengthened. On the other hand, whenever religious freedom is denied, and attempts are made to hinder people from professing their religion or faith and living accordingly, human dignity is offended, with a resulting threat to justice and peace, which are grounded in that right social order established in the light of Supreme Truth and Supreme Goodness…
“The international order thus recognises that rights of a religious nature have the same status as the right to life and to personal freedom, as proof of the fact that they belong to the essential core of human rights, to those universal and natural rights which human law can never deny…
“The contribution of religious communities to society is undeniable…Religion should not be marginalised or prohibited, but seen as making an effective contribution to the promotion of the common good.”
While recognising that “religion is a positive driving force for the building of civil and political society”, he warns against the enemies of religious freedom –“Fanaticism, fundamentalism and practices contrary to human dignity.”
“The exploitation of religious freedom to disguise hidden interests, such as the subversion of the established order, the hoarding of resources or the grip on power of a single group, can cause enormous harm to societies.” He condemns all violence done in the name of God. He states, “religious fundamentalism and secularism are alike in that both represent extreme forms of a rejection of legitimate pluralism and the principle of secularity.”
(Next Week – Part 2).
