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The Person: Foundation of Catholic Involvement
A key concept of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith's Doctrinal
Note on some questions regarding the participation of Catholics in
political life is certainly that of the person. First, I want to
illustrate this statement, by drawing attention to the places where it
appears in the Note. On the way, we will see the contexts in
which it is used and that will show its importance and bearing on the
argument (part 1). At a second level of reflection, I propose to qualify
the concept further, so as to make ever clearer the notion that the
document offers and thus stress the urgent need for Catholics to make
use of it in their participation in public affairs (part 2). Finally, I
will evoke briefly the bad results that a false or restrictive concept
of the person creates in politics.
The idea of the person in this document
1. In this document, the term "person" appears in many
contexts and different frameworks. It appears for the first time in the
context of the claim of "ethical pluralism" which, according
to the text of the Note, fosters "the decadence and
disintegration of reason and the principles of the natural moral
law" (n. 2). How can this be? This theory, presented as the
"basis of democracy", is defined by a double emphasis. It is
addressed to citizens and legislators, and urges citizens to claim
"complete autonomy" with regard to their moral choices. It
urges legislators to approve these choices even if they disregard the
"principles of the natural law". It favours "ephemeral
cultural and moral trends" which seem to give every possible
conception of life equal value. Under the pretext of tolerance, it then
urges a large number of citizens, Catholics among them, to give up
contributing to society and political life according to the particular
understanding of the human person and the common good" that they
consider "right and just" to be brought about with the
legitimate means that the democratic juridical order puts at the
disposition of all the members of the political community.
Reality of the human person, rights
Later, the document returns to the reality of the human person who is
presented as the condition of possibility, the "basis" of
"the life of democracy" understood as the ideal means for the
citizens to participate in political choices. The document again
qualifies the person as the "cornerstone" of the democratic
structure on which the modern state understands it is to be built. This
implies that respect for the person and for his/her rights is an
inalienable precondition for genuine democratic participation. These
affirmations are inspired by the teaching of the Second Vatican Council
which is summed up and synthesized in a passage of the Pastoral
Constitution Gaudium et spes (n. 73): "For the protection of
personal rights is a necessary condition for the active participation of
citizens, whether as individuals or collectively, in the life and
government of the state" (cf. n. 3 of CDF Note).
Abortion, protection of marriage and family, right of parents to
educate their children
Problems may arise, our document continues, when these elements are
not given due importance. A particularly evident example of this is
found in the attempts to make laws which, heedless "of the
consequences [that will result from them) for the life and future of
human beings with regard to the formation of culture and social
behaviour, attack the very inviolability of human life". There is
no doubt that Catholics who are involved in public life have a key role
in preventing all that corrodes "the essence of the moral law, that
concerns the integral good of the human person", such as the right
to life from conception to natural death, the rights of the human
embryo, the protection and promotion of the family based on monogamous
marriage between a man and a woman, the guarantee and right of parents
to choose the education of their children, society's protection of
minors, the right to religious freedom and the development of an economy
at the service of the human person and of the common good, the question
of peace and the corresponding rejection of violence and terrorism (cf.
n. 4 of the CDF Note).
Dignity, rights of the person are universal, not only teaching of the
Church
Our document also alludes to "the service of the dignity of the
human person" which is linked to principles that protect the
absolute values inscribed in the nature of the human person to which
politics must refer, rather than, in the name of "the principle of
pluralism" or "the autonomy of lay involvement in political
life", fostering solutions which compromise the fundamental ethical
demands based on the common good of society (n. 5).
Later on, while making sure that there is no confusion between the
rightful autonomy of a Catholic politician and his possible attempt to
contradict one or more principles that oppose the Church's teaching, we
find a similar statement. Our document says that this can occur because
the Magisterium of the Church seeks to "instruct and illuminate the
consciences of the faithful", especially, of those involved in
political life, "so that their actions may always serve the
integral promotion of the human person and the common good".
Therefore, the involvement of Christians in politics has nothing to do
with adherence to a particular religious confession, because it is
ordered to establishing a "society that is more just and more
consistent with the dignity of the human person" (n. 6).
The Note refers to the "good of the human person and of
the entire society" in the context of the necessary
relationship between truth and freedom. Wherever truth is neither
pointed out nor sought, freedom is weakened, and is threatened with
becoming free thinking and egotism (cf. n. 7). In the context of this
assertion, there is an additional observation concerning freedom of
conscience and religious freedom. Recalling the conciliar Declaration Dignitatis
humanae and an Address of Paul VI to the Sacred
College and the Roman Prelacy, our text explains that these two
realities have their foundation in "the ontological dignity of the
human person" (n. 8).
Evidently, after this reading of the document, the person is
presented as the "basis", the "foundation" of the
democratic structure of society. Connected with the person are rights
which reflect the absolute values imprinted on the nature of the human
person. These rights require the unconditional respect of the
politicians. Consequently, one can affirm that political life must be
conceived of as a service to the person (without, of course,
jeopardizing the common good), who possesses an "ontological
dignity" so that from the person, according to the Magisterium of
the Church, freedom of conscience and religious freedom derive.
Additional clarifications on the centrality of the person
2. Clearly, our document does not offer any exact definition of the
person. However, because of the roles of foundation and goal of
political life that are attributed to the person and his dignity, the
document enables us to suppose that we are in the presence of a reality
of sacred substance or related to the divine. This
is the subject I would now like to discuss briefly (for a more thorough
examination of what I can only outline here, see: J. Ratzinger, Dogma
und Verkündigung, München-Freiburg im Br., Erich Wewel Verlag,
1973, 205-223; W. Kasper, Jesus der Christus, Mainz-Grünewald-Verlag,
1974, 284-300; G. Greshke, Der dreieine Gott. Eine
trinitarische Theologie, Freiburg-Basel-Wien, Herder, 1997,
71-171).
Trinitarian origin of the person
The Second Vatican Council, that inspired our document, when it
speaks of the person's relations with political life, said that man is
"the only creature on earth that God has wanted for its own
sake" (Gaudium et spes, n. 24). This affirmation, which can
only rightly be applied to the person (given the context of the
quotation), is so rich with meaning. Among other things, it implies that
the whole of earthly reality is relative to the person, or in other
words, that the person cannot be subordinate to anything else in this
world. What is the reason for the person's absolute dignity? The
person's interior or spiritual relationship with the whole of
creation and with what exceeds it, manifest that it takes its
origin from the three-personal mystery of the Father, the Son and the
Holy Spirit.
This deduction allows us to continue the reflection. The two
questions, so to speak, which tug at the human heart, are those that
refer to his beginning and to his end, or to the exit of his
being-in-the world, and are the human translation of what the fourth
Gospel, the Gospel of the revelation of divine sonship (on this point
see R. Schnachenburg, Das Johannesevangelium [HthKNT., 21,
Freiburg-Basel-Wien, Herder, 150-168) defines in terms of "coming
forth" from the Father and "return" to the Father,
applied to Jesus of Nazareth and to what defines or identifies his most
intimate nucleus. The human person is sacred or borders on the divine
because he is the reflection in this world of a divine reality, whose
validity is that of being in a relationship of origin from the Eternal
One, and of abandonment to him, the Eternal One, who is called Father
with respect to his Son in their reciprocal Love.
Faith confirms reason on the dignity of the person
Without diminishing or altering the properties of the human person,
the viewpoint of faith thus comes to confirm the human intuition (after
all, to be found in the Note) of the person's almost infinite
dignity, a dignity which the Note justly sets at the centre of
political life and of the involvement of the Catholics who participate
in it.
* * *
Twentieth century wars, slaughters are the fruit of lack of respect
for dignity of person
After these thoughts, it becomes clear that politicians who do not
take as a criterion for their actions the dignity sui generis of
the human person and are not at all or hardly concerned with respect for
human rights, risk taking ethical deviations of incalculable dimensions.
It would be easy to justify this affirmation on the basis of what
occurred in the 20th century. Is not the mass killing of human life, of
which this century was the witness, perhaps an immediate consequence of
a concept of the human person stripped of his almost divine dignity as
asserted by several atheistic ideologies?
Today major violations of dignity of person continue
Despite this lesson of the past, political life today is not exempt
from serious negligence of the person and his fundamental rights. It
will be enough to think of the fate reserved for a person, especially
when he does not yet appear to be one or is still without a face as in
the case of the human embryo (in this regard, may I refer to my book, L'élévation
du Fils, axe de la vie morale, Montreal, Fides, 2001, 79-97).
An attack of this kind on the little one in a state of extreme weakness
and in absolute need of protection by adults involves a domination of
man by man which can only fuel an atmosphere of subtle violence, capable
in the long run of preparing moral disasters of an apocalyptic scale
(John Paul II's reflections in this regard are striking: Evangelium
vitae, nn. 7-28). This is a further reason for Catholic
politicians to raise their voices forcefully against any attack on the
dignity of the person and his fundamental rights, this especially since
they possess a second vision, the vision of faith. Although it surpasses
the human as such, this vision confirms it in its own
reality and consolidates it, but also enables people to catch a glimpse
of the fact, as Pascal says, that "man infinitely surpasses
man" (Pensées, 438 [ed. L. Brunschvicg]).
Fr Réal Tremblay, C.SS.R.
Titular Professor of Fundamental Moral Theology at the Alphonsian
Academy,
Rome
(CDF Doctrinal Note, n. 3)
The Church recognizes that while democracy is the best expression of
the direct participation of citizens in political choices, it succeeds
only to the extent that it is based on a correct understanding of the
human person. Catholic involvement in political life cannot compromise
on this principle, for otherwise the witness of the Christian faith in
the world, as well as the unity and interior coherence of the faithful,
would be non-existent. The democratic structures on which the modern
state is based would be quite fragile were Its foundation not the
centrality of the human person.
(cf. CDF Doctrinal Note, n. 4)
It must be noted also that a well-formed Christian conscience does
not permit one to vote for a political program or an individual law
which contradicts the fundamental contents of faith and morals. The
Christian faith is an integral unity.... A political commitment to a
single aspect of the Church's social doctrine does not exhaust one's
responsibility towards the common good. Nor can a Catholic think of
delegating his Christian responsibility to others; rather, the Gospel of
Jesus Christ gives him this task, so that the truth about man and the
world might be ... put into action. When political activity comes up
against moral principles that do not admit of exception, compromise or
derogation, the Catholic commitment becomes more evident.... In the face
of fundamental ... ethical demands, Christians must recognize that what
is at stake is the essence of the moral law, which concerns the integral
good of the human person. This is the case with laws concerning abortion
and euthanasia (not to be confused with the decision to forgo
extraordinary treatments, which is morally legitimate). Such laws must
defend the basic right to life from conception to natural death. In the
same way, it is necessary to recall the duty to respect and protect the
rights of the human embryo.... The family needs to be safeguarded and
promoted, based on monogamous marriage between a man and a woman, and
protected in its unity and stability in the face of modern laws on
divorce: in no way can other forms of cohabitation be placed on the same
level as marriage, nor can they receive legal recognition as such. The
same is true for the freedom of parents regarding the education of their
children; it is an inalienable right.
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