Archbishop Gallagher appeals for freedom of religion and conscience

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See's Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, has made a strong appeal for upholding religious freedom, an element always more threatened in the world today and throughout society.

The Vatican diplomat's remarks came Tuesday during the Conference titled “Freedom of Conscience and Religion in the Context of a Democratic State” in the Senate of the Republic of Poland.

Specifically, Archbishop Gallagher spoke on the topic “Freedom of Conscience and Religion in the Context of the Social Teachings of the Church.”

Need to effectively ensure in practice

Over the past sixty years, the Catholic Church, he noted, "has reflected deeply on the theme of human rights, in general, and of the freedom of conscience and religion, in particular." This reflection, he observed, has been enriched by the daily experiences of believers of every region and social class.

With this in mind, the Archbishop offered a few specific considerations regarding the current state of this fundamental freedom, "so that it may be effectively ensured in practice," and "not only proclaimed with words or merely enshrined in law."

First he turned to the framework of religious freedom presented within the Declaration Dignitatis Humanae promulgated by Pope St. Paul VI in 1965.

Religious freedom framework in the Declaration Dignitatis Humanae

The abovementioned conciliar text, Archbishop Gallagher noted, "makes it clear that the foundation for the recognition and protection of the right to the freedom of religion, is the dignity of the human person."

"Our human dignity interiorly and irresistibly demands," he said, "that we act according to the imperatives of our conscience."

"From this perspective," he said, "the freedom of religion expresses itself as the most profound manifestation of the freedom of conscience."

Archbishop Gallagher went on to stress that the fact that religious freedom is anchored in our universal human dignity, "allows us to affirm that it is not a subjective reality nor something that is merely granted by the State to its citizens."

With that premise, the Holy See diplomat continued, "everyone must be free to adhere to that religious vision or metaphysical reality that he or she has discovered to be the bearer of authentic meaning, to the point of being a compass for his or her fundamental dispositions and behaviour."

Need for respect

The Archbishop underlined the need to respect one another and the human right to enter directly into relation with God, "without any form of coercion by outside forces."

In other words, he insisted, "it is the right of every human being to manifest freely and live one’s religious convictions before any social authority, without any limitations other than those necessary for maintaining just public order."

Clarifications of Dignitatis Humanae

Citing Dignitatis Humanae, Archbishop Gallagher said the subject of freedom of religion is not “restricted to the individual alone but involves the whole community and in a particular way the family."

"Here," he pointed, "we recall the necessity of exercising that freedom in the transmission of religious values through education and teaching” imparted by parents to their children."

The Archbishop went on to discuss freedom of religion in the Post-Conciliar Magisterium.

Freedom of religion in the Post-Conciliar Magisterium

He said it is important to understand the contribution of Pope Paul VI to Dignitatis Humanae in light of two historical factors, namely his important trip to the United Nations in October 1965, and the initial contacts of the Holy See with the regimes beyond the Iron Curtain, "which were aimed at improving in some way the living conditions of Christians and the populations as a whole living under the communist dictatorship."

From this perspective, the Declaration on Religious Freedom, he noted," would have been a useful tool to insist on the respect for this fundamental right in countries under State atheism, including Poland."

It is not by chance, he observed, that on the 30th Anniversary of Dignitatis Humanae, Saint John Paul II declared it to be “one of the Council’s most innovative texts.” The late Pope, the Vatican diplomat recalled, considered the document to be “in a sense a response to a situation which has often occurred in the Church’s history, and which has not altogether disappeared from the contemporary world,” namely, multiple “forms of religious and ethnic hatred.”

At the same time, he added, John Paul II warned of “another form of limitation on religious freedom, one which is more subtle than overt persecution,” evoking the insidious “claim that a democratic society should relegate to the realm of private opinion its members’ religious beliefs and the moral convictions which derive from faith.”

'Essential element of a constitutional state'

"With the precision that is characteristic of his thought, Pope Benedict XVI echoed these considerations," Archbishop Gallagher went on to observe. In his Message for the World Day of Peace in 2011, Archbishop Gallagher recalled, Benedict described the freedom of religion as "'an essential element of a constitutional state,'" maintaining that “it cannot be denied without at the same time encroaching on all fundamental rights and freedoms, since it is their synthesis and keystone.”

"Whenever religious freedom is denied, and attempts are made to hinder people from professing their religion or faith and living accordingly," he said, "human dignity is offended, with a resulting threat to justice and peace.”

Religious freedom 'precious gift of God'

"Following in the footsteps of his predecessors, Pope Francis," the Archbishop highlighted, reaffirms religious freedom as constituting "a precious gift of God for all, a basic guarantee of every other expression of freedom. It is a defence against totalitarianism and a decisive contribution for human brotherhood."

Pope Francis points to “two attitudes which can be especially helpful in the advancement of this fundamental freedom. The first attitude is that of regarding every man and woman […] not as rivals, less still enemies, but rather as brothers and sisters. […]"

The second attitude, on the other hand, he added,  "fosters the promotion of religious freedom, he said, is the work done in service of the common good."

Freedom of religion and secularism of the State

Turning our gaze to the current reality, the Archbishop called it "disheartening" that “freedom of religion is often talked about rather than put into practice.”

The Vatican official remembered Pope Francis' insistence that there are “new and decisive challenges” that the Churches of Europe have to face today.

One of these challenges, Archbishop Gallagher noted, is “posed by legislators who, in the name of some badly interpreted principle of tolerance, end up preventing citizens from freely expressing and practicing their own religious convictions in a peaceful and legitimate way.”

When civil authorities overstep

Unfortunately, he lamented, "it is not uncommon for civil authorities to negate or limit all forms of religious propagation or promotion, under the guise of maintaining neutrality, secularism or the separation of Church and State."

"In this way," he warned, "one completely forgets that those same sacrosanct principles were established as a way of guaranteeing the freedom of religion for all!

He admitted that "of course, it is at times necessary to place practical limits on certain harmful expressions of religious freedom, but," he stated, "this is precisely with a view to ensure that the same freedom is guaranteed for others."

On the contrary, he clarified, "when positivistic principles of the State are placed before fundamental human rights, the application of those principles can become arbitrary."

Clarity of Benedict XVI

It is false, he added, to think that a “lay State” ought to neutralize religiosity, or marginalize public expressions of religion. "In this regard," he said, "Pope Benedict XVI was clear in his refusal, on the one hand, of religious fundamentalism, as well as unhealthy secularism, on the other."

In fact, he noted how “religious fundamentalism and secularism are alike in that both represent extreme forms of a rejection of legitimate pluralism and the principle of secularity.”

In this regard, he suggested, "that at the heart of every juridical order there is always a conception of humanity and society, of good, evil and justice which are often intertwined with a religion: societal life is not neutral! " A lay State, he suggested, should be able "to recognize the historical, cultural and sociological relevance that religious traditions have had, so as to appreciate 'religion’s ethical contribution in the political sphere.'”

Never to be marginalized nor prohibited

In this light, he noted, “religion should not be marginalized or prohibited, but seen as making an effective contribution to the promotion of the common good.”

"As Pope Saint John Paul II reminded us twenty years ago, in a pluralistic society, secularity – when it is properly understood as the legitimate separation between politics and religions," Archbishop Gallagher said, “is a place for communication between the different spiritual traditions and the nation.”

Therefore, he remembered, St. Pope John Paul II stressed that “Church-State relations can and must lead to a respectful dialogue conveying fruitful experiences and values for the future of a nation."

"'There is no doubt at all," the Archbishop said, citing the late Polish Pope, "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.”