God must find a place in the public sphere,
Pope tells bishops of northeast Brazil
Oc,, 28, 2010
A social and political system that does not protect life and human dignity is based on a "false and illusory" right. Christians therefore, have the right - and duty - to use their electoral vote to defend the common good.
This was Pope Benedict XVI 's message Thursday morning to a group of bishops from Northeast Brazil, who are in Rome on their ad limina visit.
The Pope also called for freedom of Catholic religious education in State schools and the defence of religious symbols in public life.
“Christ the Redeemer, with open arms, which dominates the Bay of Guanabara in Rio de Janeiro, is the truest symbol of the soul of Brazil”, said the Pope,
However, he said, if the faith of the Brazilian people is "a sign of hope for the present and the future of the country”, there are "shadows" cast by forces that want to spread values that are morally unacceptable and offensive to the sacred nature of the human being. And thus,
pastors "have a serious duty to pronounce moral judgments" on political issues.
Even so, he said “any human right, be it political, economic or social that does not comprise the vehement defence of the right to life from conception to natural death is completely false and illusory (see Christifideles laici, 38). As part of efforts in favour of the weakest and most defenseless, who is more defenseless than an unborn child or a sick person in a vegetative or terminal state?".
“When political projects include aspects, overt or covert, such as the decriminalization of abortion or euthanasia, the democratic ideal - that is truly such when it acknowledges and safeguards the dignity of every human person - has betrayed its origins. Therefore, dear Brother Bishops,
to defend life 'we must not fear hostility or unpopularity, and refuse any compromise or ambiguity which might conform to this world'."
Pastors should remind all citizens of the right, which is also a duty, “to freely use their vote to promote the common good ", he said.
The Pope also reiterated that, God must "find a place in the public sphere, in the cultural, social, economic and particularly the political sphere."
"I join my voice to yours in an appeal on behalf of religious education, and more specifically the teaching of pluralistic and confessional religion in public state schools”.
Pope Benedict XVI defended the presence of religious symbols in public life which is both "a reminder of man's transcendence and a guarantee of respect." These signs, the Pope concluded, take on a "special value" in Brazil, "where the Catholic religion is an integral part of its history".
It is always useful to remember that Brazil is the world's largest Catholic nation. The large green area on the map in the lower right panel is the northeast region that covers the vast Amazonia province.
Pope says bishops must educate
faithful to vote against abortion
By Cindy Wooden
VATICAN CITY, Oct. 28 (CNS) -- Bishops must guide their faithful to use their vote to oppose efforts to legalize abortion and euthanasia, Pope Benedict XVI told bishops from Brazil.
"Dear brother bishops, to defend life we must not fear hostility or unpopularity, and we must refuse any compromise or ambiguity which might conform us to the world's way of thinking," the Pope said Oct. 28 during a meeting with bishops from northeast Brazil.
The bishops were making their once-every-five-years ad limina visits to report on the status of their dioceses.
Pope Benedict did not mention the fact that Brazilians were to vote Oct. 31 in a presidential election, but said he wanted to discuss with the bishops their obligation to give their faithful the information and moral guidance they need to ensure their political decisions contribute to the true good of humanity.
Both of Brazil's presidential candidates, Dilma Rousseff and Jose Serra, have said they oppose lifting restrictions on abortion, but Brazil's anti-abortion laws still have been a recurrent theme in the campaign.
Pope Benedict told the Brazilian bishops that while direct involvement in politics is the responsibility of the laity, "when the fundamental rights of the person or the salvation of souls requires it, pastors have a serious duty to make moral judgments even in political matters."
Certain actions and political policies, such as abortion and euthanasia, are "intrinsically evil and incompatible with human dignity" and cannot be justified for any reason, the Pope said.
While some may claim they support abortion or euthanasia to defend the weak and the poor, "who is more helpless than an unborn child or a patient in a vegetative or terminal state?" he said.
"When political positions openly or covertly include plans to decriminalize abortion and euthanasia, the democratic ideal -- which is truly democratic only when it acknowledges and safeguards the dignity of every human person -- is betrayed at its foundations," Pope Benedict told the bishops.
Bishops and priests have an obligation to help Catholic laity live in a way that that is faithful to the Gospel in every aspect of their lives, including their political choices, he said. "This also means that in certain cases, pastors should remind all citizens of their right and duty to use their vote to promote the common good," the Pope said.
Here is a full transalation of the Pope's address, which was delivered in Portuguese:
Dear Brothers in the Episcopate,
"Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ"(2 Cor 1,2).
I wish first of all to thank you for your zeal and dedication to Christ and his Church which is growing in Northeast Region 5. Reading your reports, I have been able to consider the problems of religious and pastoral character, besides the human and social, that you have to measure up against daily.
The overview has its shadows as well as signs of hope, as Dom Xavier Gilles referred to in the greeting he addressed to me, expressing sentiments in your behalf and those of your people.
As you know, in my successive meetings with the various regions of the national conference of Brazilian bishops, I have underscored the various fields and respective agencies of the multiform evangelizing and pastoral service of the Church in your vast nation.
Today, I wish to talk to you about how the Church, in her mission of fertilizing and providing ferment to human society with the Gospel, teaches man about his dignity as a child of God. and his vocation of unity with all men, and the exigencies of justice and social peace arising from it, in accordance with divine wisdom.
Meanwhile, the immediate duty to work for a just social order is properly that of the lay faithful who, as free and responsible citizens, are committed to contribute to the right configuration of social life, with respect for its legitimate autonomy and for the natural moral order (cfr Deus caritas est, No. 29).
Your duty as bishops, along with your clergy, is measured in terms of what you contribute to purify reason and to awaken the moral forces necessary to construct a just and fraternal society.
However, whenever the fundamental rights of persons or the salvation of souls so requires, pastors have the grave duty of making a moral judgment, even in political matters (cf Gaudium et spes, 76).
In making such judgments, pastors should take into account the absolute value of those moral precepts which declare morally unacceptable the choice of a specific action which is intrinsically evil and incompatible with the dignity of human beings. Such a choice cannot be justified by any supposed good end, intention, consequence or circumstance.
Thus, any defense of political, economc and social rights would be totally falee and illusory if it does not include an energetic defense of the right to life from conception to natural death (cf. Christifideles laici, 38).
In the perspective of a commitment in behalf of the weakest and the most defenseless, who is more helpless than an unborn baby or a patient in a vegetative or terminal state? When political plans contemplate, overtly or covertly, the decriminalization of abortion or of euthanasia, the democratic ideal - which is truly democratic only when it recognizes and protects the dignity of every human being - is betrayed to its foundations (cf. Evangelium vitæ, 74).
That is why, dear brothers in the episcopate, in defending life, "we should not fear opposition or unpopularity, rejecting any compromise and ambiguity that would make us conform to the mentality of this world" (ibidem, 82).
Besides, in order to better help the lay faithful to live their Christian and socio-political commitment in a united and consistent manner - as I told you in Aparecida - "what is needed is a social catechesis and adequate formation in the social doctrine of the Church, for which the Compendium of the Social Dotrine of the Church will be very useful" (Opening address to the V General Conference of Latin American and Caribbean bishops, 3).
This also means that on certain occasions, the pastors should themselves remind all citizens of their right - which is also a duty - to freely use their own vote to promote the common good (cf. Gaudium et spes, 75).
On this point, politics and faith converge. Faith has, without a doubt, the specific nature of an encpunter with the living God who opens new horizons beyond the field of human reason.
"Indeed, without the corrective provided by religion, even reason can fall pray to distortions, which happens when it is manipulated by ideology, or applied partially, without taking full account of the dignity of the human being" (Apostolic trip to the United Kingdom, Meeting with civilian society, 9/17/10).
A society can only be build by respecting, promoting and tirelessly teaching the transcendent nature of the human being. Thus, God should "have a place even in the public sphere, specifically in the cultura, social, economic and especially political dimensions" (Caritas in veritate, 56).
Therefore, dear brothers, I join my voice to yours in a vibrant appeal for religious education, and more specifically, for confessional and plural religious instruction in the state-run public schools.
I also wish to remind you that the presence of religious sumbols in public life is at the same time a reminder of the transcendency of man and a guarantee of respect for him. They have a particular value for Brazil in that the CAtholic religion is an integral part of her history.
How can we not think at this time of the image of Jesus Christ withis arms extended over Guanabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro, which represents the hospitality and love with which Brazil has always opened her arms to persecuted and needy men and women coming from all parts of the world?
It has been with the presence of Jesus in Brazilian life that they have been harmoniously integrated into society, contributing to enrichment of the culture, to economci growth and to the spirit of fraternity and freedom.
Dear brothers, I entrust to the Mother of God and ours, whom you invoke in Brazil as Our Lady of Aparecida, the wishes of the Catholic Church in the Terra da Santa Cruz [Land of the Holy Cross, northeast region of Brazil] and of all men of good will in defense of the values of human life and its transcendency, along with the joys and hopes, the sorrows and anguish of the men and women of the eccclesiastical province of Maranhão. I entrust everyone to her maternal protection, and I impart my Apostolic Blessing to you and to your people.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 01/11/2010 00:54]