(in Polish) Wolność religijna w aspekcie społecznym WT-DTE-WO-WR

The promotion and defense of human rights derives from respect for the personal dignity of man and recognition of the religious dimension of the human person, which is deeply embedded in the very reality of man. Religion, understood as man's relationship with God,[1] is a constitutive element of his “to be” and “to exist.”[2] It is also a human right not to acknowledge the truth of man's religious nature, but those who are convinced of it have the right to have their belief in God met with due respect, as do its practice and the decisions that result from it in individual and community life. [3] This is what the right to freedom of conscience and religious liberty is all about, the actual recognition of which is one of the highest goods and most serious duties of any community functioning with respect for the good of the person and the community."[4]
In the perspective of applied theology, it should be emphasized that “religious freedom, an inalienable requirement of the dignity of every human being, underlies all human rights, and is therefore an indispensable factor in the well-being of the person and society as a whole, as well as the personal realization of everyone. It follows that the right of individuals and communities to profess and practice their religion is an essential condition for peaceful coexistence among people. (...) The civil and social right to religious freedom, touching the deepest sphere of the soul, becomes, as it were, a point of reference and a probe for other fundamental rights."[5]
In applied theology, it is assumed that the theory and practice of religious freedom are closely intertwined. However, scientific inquiry demands the setting of goals and the selection of appropriate ways to achieve them. The whole wealth of theological knowledge provides arguments for describing the essence of freedom, its conditions, positive aspects and threats. In applied theology, however, new opportunities are opening up for the study of freedom, especially using exploratory research. Exploratory research can have three goals: 1) to satisfy the researcher's curiosity and desire to better understand the object of study; 2) to explore the possibility of undertaking more extensive research; and 3) to develop methods to be used in further research.[6] Clarifying the role of exploration in applied theology first requires clarifying the relationship between theory and practice. This will be the starting point for describing the “wisdom” approach to applied theology from the perspective of the world, man and faith, and then showing the exploratory approach to the problem of freedom in applied theology.

I. Theory and practice in applied theology
In order to show the relationship between theory and practice, one can recall the teaching of Benedict XVI, who compared the concept of theology of St. Thomas and St. Bonaventure. Both doctors ask themselves whether theology is a practical science or a theoretical, speculative science? According to St. Thomas, there are two conflicting answers to consider. The first possibility shows theology as a reflection on faith,[7] which is to help man become good by living in accordance with God's will. Thus, the goal of theology should be to guide him to the right, good path, which means that theology is a practical science. The second answer points to theology seeking to know God, who is above what man does. However, since man is the work of God, therefore it is He who makes man's actions right. Therefore, theology should be concerned with knowing God and not focus on man's actions. St. Thomas believed that theology presupposes both of these aspects: it is theoretical, because it seeks to know God more and more, but it is also practical, because it aims to direct man's life toward the good. In theology understood in this way, however, primacy is given to cognition over practice: one must first of all know God, and then comes action in accordance with God's will."[8]
St. Bonaventure, on the other hand, in answering the question of whether theology is a practical or theoretical science, distinguishes three things - in addition to the alternative: theoretical science (primacy of cognition) or practical science (primacy of action), he adds a third position, which he calls “wisdom,”[9] concluding that wisdom includes both. He also states that wisdom pursues contemplation (as the highest form of cognition) and helps man realize the desire to become good (action).[10] He concludes that “faith is in the mind in such a way that it awakens feeling. For example: the knowledge that Christ died 'for us' does not remain knowledge, but necessarily becomes a feeling, love."[11]
His defense of theology, that is, rational and methodical reflection on faith, follows the same line. St. Bonaventure first lists some arguments against practicing theology, spread among some Franciscan friars at the time: reason would allegedly impoverish faith, inflict violence on the word of God, therefore one must listen to the word of God, not analyze it (cf. Letter of St. Francis of Assisi to St. Anthony of Padua). [12] To these arguments against theology, which showed the dangers hidden in theology itself, St. Bonaventure replies: it is true that there is an arrogant way of doing theology, the pride of reason, which exalts itself above the word of God.[13] However, the rational effort of true and good theology is not born of the pride of reason. Theology presupposes that the one who loves wants to know the beloved person better and better; true theology, therefore, does not appeal to reason and its quest driven by pride, but is “driven by the love of Him to whom it has consented,”[14] and desires to know the beloved person better: this is the fundamental purpose by which theology is driven. Ultimately, therefore, for St. Bonaventure, the primacy of love is decisive in theology.[15]
Synthesizing these two visions of theology, it can be said that St. Thomas and St. Bonaventure define man's ultimate destiny, his full happiness, in different ways: for St. Thomas, the highest goal that man strives for is to see God. In this simple thing of seeing God is the solution to all problems: we are happy, we need nothing more. For St. Bonaventure, on the other hand, man's ultimate destiny is the love of God, the meeting and union of His and man's love. For him, this is the most adequate definition of human happiness. Concrete conclusions flow from this.[16]
For St. Thomas, the highest category is truth, and for St. Bonaventure - goodness. To look for a contradiction in these two answers would be a mistake. For both, truth is also good, and good is also truth; viewing God is love, and love is viewing. It is therefore a different distribution of accents in an essentially common vision. This distribution of accents has given rise to different traditions and spiritualities, thus showing the fecundity of faith, one in the diversity of its forms."[17]
II. “Wisdom” approach to applied theology

Between the alternatives of theory and practice comes the “wisdom” approach.[18] Applied theology, focusing on man and the world in which he lives and fulfills his vocation, seeks a wisdom that unites theory and practice; nature and spirit; the earthly and the supernatural; the sacred and the profane. [19] Focusing the study of applied theology on the “wisdom” of the human person, it is necessary to recall an argument from the Gospels: according to Christ, earthly people are more adapted to life in the world than the sons of light.[20] This can be understood as a clue to the search for two kinds of wisdom: that which comes “from the light” and that which comes “from the world.” The wisdom of the world is useful in earthly matters, while the wisdom of the light realistically introduces the reality of the kingdom of God (spiritual life, the supernatural, the sacred). The wisdom of light comes from Revelation, and its ultimate source is the Gospel,[21] which gives the light of spiritual wisdom.[22]
In the wisdom aspect of applied theology, however, it should be clearly emphasized that Christianity, from the very beginning, wanted to speak with the voice of reason and “force” reason to work, to restore it to itself, endowing weak reason with inner strength.[23] Therefore, the primary function of faith is to enrich reason with new strength, which allows it to see what it intuits, but with difficulty, because external conditions obscure its view.[24]
Following the thought of John Paul II, on the other hand, it can be said that in the “wisdom” view of applied theology, what is most needed is love, since there is no other idea, other value or other light that is able to give meaning to the manifold pursuits and activities of people of science and culture, without at the same time limiting their creative freedom. Love is that force that does not impose itself on man from the outside, but is born in his interior, in his heart, as his innermost property. It is only a matter of man allowing it to be born and knowing how to imbue his sensitivity, his thinking with it in the laboratory, in the seminar and lecture hall, and at the workshop of the multifarious arts."[25]
1. relative autonomy of the world in applied theology
Spiritual (evangelical) wisdom and worldly wisdom should be the source of faith and life. Evangelical laws are perfect (objective - unchanging), because they are universal - their source is the Wisdom of God and are addressed to all people of all times. The knowledge of the evangelical laws enlightens the mind and strengthens faith, opens the heart and makes it ready to love (empowers one to love), liberates from fears by reaffirming hope, uncovers the desire for freedom and awakens trust in God. The study of evangelical laws in applied theology should be combined with the study of earthly laws.
Therefore, the study of applied theology should first support modern man to regain the ability to contemplate creation, its beauty, its structure."[26] ”The world is not a formless magma, but the more we learn about it and the more we discover its wonderful mechanisms, the more we see the plan, we see that there is a creative intelligence. Albert Einstein said that in the laws of nature “so outstanding reason manifests itself that all the rationality of thought and human laws are an absolutely insignificant reflection compared to it.”[27] The first way, therefore, that leads to the discovery of God is the careful contemplation of the created world,"[28] which has its own relative autonomy.
The autonomy of terrestrial reality means that by living his daily life, man learns to be a wise, cultured, happy, honest, noble, steady, hard-working, educated humanist. Humanism, however, can become false if man claims such autonomy, which raises resistance to any dependence on God (Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Gaudium et spes, 20), as it becomes a threat to his integral development. The Council's teaching emphasizes that the Church, by the power of the Gospel entrusted to her, proclaims the rights of people, and also recognizes and highly values the dynamism of modern times, which supports these rights in every way. This tendency, however, should be imbued with the spirit of the Gospel and protected from any kind of false autonomy.[29] Indeed, man may be tempted to believe that his personal rights are respected in full only when he frees himself from all norms of divine law. However, in this way, the dignity of the human person is not only not protected, but is actually lost.[30]
Today's difficult situation of religion has its roots in the events of the last century, which witnessed a strong process of secularization in the name of the absolute autonomy of man, recognized as the measure and creator of reality, but deprived of his status as a creature “in the image and likeness of God.” In our time, a phenomenon has emerged that is particularly dangerous for faith: for there is a form of atheism that we call “practical”, in which one does not deny the truths of faith or religious rituals, but simply recognizes that they are irrelevant to everyday existence, detached from life, useless. [31] Thus, one often believes in God in a superficial way and lives “as if God did not exist” (etsi Deus non daretur).[32] In the end, however, this way of life proves even more destructive, as it leads to indifference to faith and to the question of God.[33]
2 Man in applied theology
The study of applied theology focuses on man. St. Augustine claims that “God is more within me than what was most personal in me” (cf. Confessions III, 6, 11). Therefore, he encourages: “Do not go outside, but go within yourself: in the inner man dwells truth” (De vera religione, 39, 72). Related to this is the danger of man losing the ability to stop and gaze into his inner self and read in it that desire for the infinite which he carries within him, which makes him go further and further and points him to the One who can satisfy it. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches: “Man asks himself about the existence of God with his openness to truth and beauty, with his moral sense, with his freedom and the voice of his conscience, with his quest for infinity and happiness” (n. 33). Therefore, the demands propounded by non-religious people that all religion should be eliminated would be as unthinkable to a theologian and sociologist as the elimination of art, music or poetry. Removing religion from social life would result in the impoverishment of culture and deprive hundreds of millions of people of the values they love."[34]
An interesting opinion on the subject was formulated by Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt, who claims that Europeans adore intellectuals, offer them fame, money and influence, and in return they tell them that they are not what they really are, but that they are something else entirely: pacifists, humanists, communists, idealists. Thanks to these intellectuals of theirs, Europeans can live peacefully in a double world: they talk about peace, but cause war; they talk about rationalism, but kill each other at the races; they invent human rights, but commit the greatest plunder, conquest and genocide in the entire history of mankind (Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt, Ulysses of Baghdad). Therefore, it should be emphasized that religion, as well as culture,[35] which does not use the term person, has nothing to say about love. Likewise, psychology, if it does not use the term person, will reduce love to biological needs, and will be silent on the acceptance of sexual pathology, with an eye to political correctness.[36] In applied theology, it is emphasized that a believing and truly pious person should also be a daily witness of love to another person. The gift of piety is also expressed in the way we relate to people. Here we can recall the principle that the Fathers of the Church followed and taught, namely: Ad Patrem et ad fratrem (To the Father and to the brother).[37]
3 Faith in applied theology
In applied theology, it is necessary to accept the thesis that Christianity is first and foremost an event of love, and only then morality or ethics, it is first the acceptance of the person of Jesus. Therefore, the Christian and Christian communities must first of all look and point to Christ, the true Way that leads to God. This is very important especially in the reality of today, in which religion is under attack and attempts are being made to eliminate it from the life of the individual human being and the human community.
In this situation, it should be proclaimed with greater commitment that “one of the paths that lead to knowledge of God and encounter with Him is the life of faith. He who believes is united with God, open to His grace, to the power of love. Thus, his existence becomes a witness not to himself, but to the Risen One, and his faith manifests itself fearlessly in everyday life, is open to dialogue, which expresses a deeply friendly attitude to everyone's journey, and is able to light up the lights of hope where there is a need for liberation, happiness, a future. For faith is an encounter with God, who speaks and acts in history and converts our daily lives, transforming our mentality, value judgments, choices and concrete actions. It is not an illusion, an escape from reality, a comfortable refuge, sentimentalism, but something that permeates all of life, it is the proclamation of the Gospel, the Good News that can liberate the whole person. Christian, community, active and faithful to the plan of God, who first loved us, is a privileged way for those who are mired in indifference or doubt about His existence and action. However, this requires everyone to make his or her witness to the faith increasingly transparent by purifying life so that it conforms to Christ. Today, many people have a narrow conception of the Christian faith, because they identify it only with a system of beliefs and values, and not with the truth about God, who revealed Himself in history, desires to communicate directly with man in a bond of love. The basis of any doctrine or value is indeed the event of the encounter between man and God in Jesus Christ."[38]
III. Freedom in applied theology
Freedom as an object of study in applied theology is closely related to truth, as Christ said: “you will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (cf. John 8:3).[39] In an address to university circles in Rome, John Paul II interpreted these words this way: “Therefore, we are not free by the use of our freedom; we are free only when the use of freedom is guided by the truth."[40] Christ revealed the complete truth with his own life. And therefore, if Christians are to bring the riches of freedom to modern man, they must act in light of this truth and proclaim this truth.
Applied theology, on the other hand, seeks new ways of proclaiming Christ's truth in order to reach modern people who are not familiar with theology, but who desire to live the truth that liberates. Therefore, one can refer to J. Ratzinger, who argues that it is not the scholars who should decide the truth of Christ, but it is faith that should determine the permissible limits of their scholarly interpretations. For it is not the intellectuals who are the measure of the uneducated, but the uneducated who are the measure of the former. It is not the theoretical interpretations that are the measure of the creed, but it is the simple words of the creed that are the measure of any theology.[41] This principle is also very important in educating for true freedom, which is to form such people who, adhering to the moral order, with their own reason would judge things in light of the truth, plan their actions with a sense of responsibility, and strive to follow all that is true and right, undertaking cooperation with others."[42]
1 Freedom in the social aspect
A synthesis of the Church's teaching on freedom was presented in the Second Vatican Council's Declaration Dignitatis humanae, promulgated on December 7, 1965. This declaration was preceded by John XXIII's encyclical Pacem in terris of April 11, 1963, in which he stressed that: “everyone has the right to worship God according to the requirements of his own rightful conscience.” The aforementioned declaration of Vatican II was later referred to by various documents of Paul VI, the 1974 message of the Synod of Bishops and the message to the General Assembly of the United Nations on the occasion of the papal visit on October 2, 1979, which recalled its essential content: “By virtue of their dignity, all human beings, because they are persons, that is, beings equipped with reason and free will, and thus with personal responsibility, are urged by their own nature, and are morally obligated to seek the truth, above all in the field of religion. They are also obliged to abide by the truth they have learned, and to arrange their entire life according to the requirements of truth."[43]
The momentousness of the importance of religious freedom was emphasized by John Paul II when he stated that the right to religious freedom is not simply one of many human rights, but “the most fundamental right, since the dignity of every person flows first of all from his deep bond with God the Creator, in whose image and likeness he was created as endowed with reason and freedom.”[44] “Religious freedom, an inalienable requirement of the dignity of every human being, lies at the foundation of all human rights,”[45] and is therefore the deepest expression of freedom of conscience.
It should also be noted that the right to religious freedom concerns the very identity of the person. One of the most momentous phenomena characterizing the world today is the role of religion in awakening a sense of nationhood and in the search for freedom. In many cases, it is through religious faith that the identity of entire nations has been preserved and even strengthened. In countries where religion faced difficulties, or was even persecuted because they tried to treat it as a relic of the past, it has revealed itself anew as a powerful liberating force. Religious faith is so important to nations and to individuals that in many cases they are willing to make any sacrifice to save it. For any attempt to suppress or nullify that which is dearest to man can provoke a reaction in the form of overt or latent rebellion."[46]
2 Freedom in its individual aspect
Freedom is a right of the human person, so its essence is concentrated in the person. Everyone acquires freedom on his own, but he has the right to provide himself with appropriate auxiliary means (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Gaudium et spes, 17), which often belong to other people. Using these means, a person becomes more and more free, but the gained freedom, however, cannot be shared with another person. Everyone acquires freedom on his own, and through freedom becomes independent, becoming more and more responsible. This can arouse jealousy in the other person, while at the same time triggering uncontrollable, often nervous reactions. A person would like to take away the other person's freedom, because a free person cannot be controlled and controlled, cannot be directed and impose his own will on him. Thus, a free man becomes dangerous - he can neither be loved in his own way (e.g., a mother her child with possessive maternal love), nor forced to fulfill his will (an educator mechanically trying to shape an alumnus; a superior imposing his vision of “reality” on a subordinate; a pastor intolerant of individual ways of holiness), nor hated (a criminal abusing his victim)."[47]
There is no doubt that the family educates, and that the school educates and nurtures, but at the same time, both the action of the family and the school will remain incomplete, and may even be nullified if man himself does not undertake the work of his upbringing. Family and school education can only provide elements for the work of self-education (formation). And in this area Christ's words “ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free” become an essential program. Every human being has an innate “sense of truth.” In turn, truth is to serve freedom: people have a spontaneous desire for freedom. And what does it mean to be free? It means: to be able to use one's freedom in truth - to be - “truly” free. To be truly free does not mean: to do whatever I like, whatever I feel like. Freedom includes the criterion of truth, the discipline of truth. Without this, it is not true freedom. It is a hypocrisy of freedom. To be truly free - means: to use one's freedom for what is the true good. So, further: to be truly free - means: to be a man of right conscience, to be responsible, to be a man “for others”. All this is the very inner core of what is called self-education (formation). For such an inner structure, where “the truth makes us free,” cannot be built only “from the outside.” Everyone must build it “from the inside” - build it in toil, with perseverance and patience. And this very building is called self-education. The Lord Jesus also speaks of this when he emphasizes that only “in patience” can we “possess our souls” (Cf. Luke 21:19). “Possess our souls” - This is the fruit of self-examination. All this already includes a new view of youth. It is no longer about the mere project of life to be realized in the future. This project is already realized at the stage of youth, insofar as through work, education, and especially through self-education, we are already creating life itself, building the foundation for the further development of our personality. In this sense, it can be said that “youth... is a sculptor, which forges the whole life” (Krasinski), and the shape it gives to the concrete humanity of each and every one of you is perpetuated throughout life.[48]
The freedom obtained by a person in relation to another person belongs to him and is his “property.” Such true freedom is a sublime sign of the image of God in man. For God has given man the ability to decide his own destiny, so that by his own will he seeks his Creator and, abiding with Him in freedom, attains full and blessed perfection. Man's dignity, therefore, requires that he act according to a conscious and free choice, that is, personally, moved and guided from within, and not under the influence of blind internal impulse or purely external compulsion. In turn, such dignity is attained by man when, freeing himself from all bondage to the passions, he pursues his goal by making a free choice of the good (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Gaudium et spes, 17). Therefore, no other person has the right to stand in the way of freedom. For individual freedom is a personal right and is not subject to human judgments, but only to divine ones.[49]
However, human freedom is limited because it has been wounded by sin, and therefore can only orient itself toward God with the help of God's grace (CCC 17). God-oriented freedom, therefore, does not belong only to man, but also to God. The more truly free man is, the more fully he belongs to God. One could even say that freedom gives birth to man for God. And where does love come in? Love without freedom cannot exist. Man, becoming more and more free, is at the same time capable of receiving love, which is a gift of God.
This new dimension of freedom was shown to people by Christ: whoever loves is free. God loved man, but also loved the freedom he gained. For the disciple of Christ, it is the basis of a viable relationship to the reality around him. Freedom, however, is first the foundation of man's relationship with God.[50] Man, in relation to God, on the level of freedom, remains in a reciprocal relationship, since the only response to God's love is love for Him. Even if someone says that he hates God this hatred is without object, because God is Love itself.[51] In contrast, in his freedom towards another person, man is in a non-returnable relationship, because the other person can respond to his love with hatred, which can be born in any personal creature (fallen angels, evil people). This means that while receiving the gift of full freedom in relation to God, man simultaneously becomes hostage to the freedom of the other person. The solution to this dilemma is the commandments of love, in which man recognizes the orientation of the gift of love. The human way of healing interpersonal relations is to love the other with the love that man can love himself; while the Divine way of realizing them is perfect love, which is an undeserved, unconditional gift - with such love one can love only God, and in God other people, including enemies.
True freedom requires sacrifices, and at the same time inscribed in it are often painful experiences, which are provided to man by life itself, as well as evangelical lessons, without which no freedom is possible. Both can be distressing, to the point that a person loses hope, the will to live, to enjoy. Simply put, a person is then able to give up his own freedom. However, life lessons and Gospel lessons are equally important and necessary. This balance creates the possibility of replacing one with the other. The validity of the Gospel lessons makes it possible to completely dedicate oneself to the service of God and the Church in the clerical state, but the validity of the life lessons makes it possible for lay people to completely dedicate themselves to God (this is not necessarily equivalent to dedication to the service of the Church) in the world."[52]
IV. Applied theology as an exploration of freedom
Applied theology develops through the search for new research goals and methods that focus on the human being and the world in which he lives every day. One of the most important ways that applied theology can develop is through exploration, the first goal of which is to use the researcher's personal passions in exploring knowledge about man and the world. This research is interdisciplinary in nature for substantive reasons, because man and the world are of interest to various fields of study, and also for formal reasons, because each discipline develops its own research methods, which can be used to match the methodology of applied theology research."[53]
In applied theology, research focuses on the person who believes, but the scope of research is not limited by faith alone. In applied theology, the Bible is the primary theological source. But, for example, “it is said not unreasonably that Satan can ‘quote Scripture for his own purposes.’ The Bible is full of so many morally contradictory messages that any generation can find sacred justification for almost any action taken - from incest, slavery and mass murder to the most noble acts of love, courage and self-sacrifice. And this distortion of morality characteristic of the plural personality is found not only in Christianity and Judaism. It can be found at the root of Islam, Hindu traditions, and in fact in almost all world religions."[54]
It is therefore necessary to protect the Bible as the heritage of all humanity, but at the same time one must accept that there are other religions besides Christianity that have their own holy books. In applied theology, therefore, revealed Truth must be guarded and arguments must be developed for believers to explore this Truth, fall in love with it and realize it in their lives. In a globalized world, however, it is necessary to seek ways to dialogue not only among Christian denominations (ecumenism), but also to cooperate with people with other worldviews, including those who doubt, seekers, or even “atheists.”[55]
In applied theology, it is assumed that there is a common heritage that carries with it a universal knowledge of man. It is true that in theology the thesis is accepted that man receives his essential dignity from God, and with it the ability to rise freely above any social order in the pursuit of truth and goodness. However, he is also conditioned by the social structure in which he lives, the upbringing he received and his environment. These elements can either facilitate or hinder a free life according to truth and goodness. Decisions through which some human environment is created can also pose a threat to human freedom when they create specific structures of sin, hindering the full human realization of those who are oppressed by these structures in various ways. Demolishing such structures and replacing them with more authentic forms of coexistence is a task that requires courage and patience.[56]
Therefore, in applied theology, it is assumed that believers today have very demanding tasks in terms of social life. Above all, they should resist the claim that the Church must not meddle in politics - because this is not its domain. “Of course, this is not its direct task, and also the influence depends on many factors. However, this does not change the fact that in the face of worldview issues in politics, it must take a clear position. (...) It should not politicize the Church, but - Christianize politics."[57]
Applied theology studies freedom in terms of the world, man and faith with the full knowledge that the Catholic Church, not being confined to any specific territory and borders, consisting of men and women living all over the world, knows, based on centuries of experience, that the abolition, violation or restriction of religious freedom has caused suffering and bitterness in the past and brought severe moral and material experiences, and even today millions of people are suffering because of it; On the contrary, the recognition of religious freedom, guaranteeing it and respecting it, brings serenity to individual people and peace to the social community, and is a serious factor in strengthening the moral cohesion of a country, contributing to the growth of the common good of the nation and to the fact that a climate of trust and cooperation prevails among the various peoples. In addition to this, the healthy application of the principle of religious freedom will also facilitate the formation of citizens who, in full respect for the social order, “would obey legitimate authority and at the same time love authentic freedom, that is, people who would settle problems in the light of truth with their own judgment, act with a sense of responsibility and strive to follow all that is true and just, willingly uniting their efforts with the work of others.” [58] On the other hand, well-conceived religious freedom will serve to ensure order and the common good of every country and society, for people are more capable of devoting themselves to work for the common good when they feel secure in the area of their fundamental rights. [59]

[1] Human rights also include the ability to worship God as required by one's rightful conscience and to profess religion privately and publicly. For, as Lactantius aptly teaches, “We are born so that we may give God, who gave us life, just and due honor, so that we may acknowledge Him alone and do His will. By this bond of piety we are united and bound to God (religati), from which the very name of religion is derived (Divinae Institutiones, 1 IV. C.28, 2 - PL 6, 535).
[2] “If we are talking about religion, then we are referring, in the first place, to religion as a universal phenomenon, accompanying human history from the beginning - it is in turn about various non-Christian religions and Christianity itself. The document that the Council devoted to non-Christian religions is, first of all, full of deep respect for the great spiritual values, yes - for the primacy of what is spiritual, and what is expressed in human life through religion, and in turn through morality, radiating to the entire culture. Rightly, the Fathers of the Church saw in various religions as if reflections of a single truth “semina Verbi”, which testify to the fact that on admittedly different paths, but as if in one direction, progresses that deepest aspiration of the human spirit, which is expressed in the search for God - and at the same time in the search through the search for God - the full dimension of humanity, the full meaning of human life. The Council paid separate attention to the religion of Israel, mentioning the immense spiritual heritage shared by Christians and Jews. He referred with respect to the followers of Islam, whose faith readily refers to Abraham.” John Paul II, Encyclical Redmptor hominis, 11.
[3] The community of the faithful listens attentively to Jesus' teaching, reads it again and again, recreates every detail of his life with the greatest reverence. But after all, these words are not only listened to by Christians. This life speaks at the same time to so many people who can't for the moment say with Peter: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). “Christ, the Son of the living God,” speaks to people simultaneously as a Man. He speaks His life, His humanity, His faithfulness to the truth, His all-embracing love.” John Paul II, Encyclical Redmptor hominis, 7.
[4] “Faith and the search for holiness is a private matter only in the sense that no one can replace man in his personal encounter with God, that it is impossible to seek and find God except in true interior freedom. But God tells us: “Be holy, for I myself am holy!” (Leviticus 11:44). He wants to embrace with His holiness not only the individual person, but also whole families and other human communities, also whole nations and societies. Therefore, the postulate of worldview neutrality is correct mainly to the extent that the state should protect the freedom of conscience and religion of all its citizens, regardless of what religion or worldview they profess. But the demand that the dimension of holiness should not be allowed into social and state life in any way is a demand to atheize the state and social life, and has little to do with worldview neutrality. It takes a lot of mutual goodwill and goodwill to work out such forms of the presence of the sacred in social and state life that will not hurt anyone and will not make anyone a stranger in their own homeland, which is unfortunately what we have experienced over the past several decades. We experienced this great Catholic ghetto, a ghetto to the measure of the nation. At the same time, then, we Catholics ask you to consider our point of view: that very many among us would feel uncomfortable in a state from whose structures God would be expelled, and this under the guise of worldview neutrality.” John Paul II, Homily during Mass , Lubaczow, June 3, 1991, 6, in: https://konkatedra.zamojskolubaczowska.pl/przemowienia-w-lubaczowie/ (accessed 20.10.2024).
[5] John Paul II, Message for the XXI World Day of Peace (December 8, 1987): AAS 80 (1988), 278 and 280
[6] E. Babbie, Social research in practice, Warsaw 2003, p. 111.
[7] According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “faith is possible only by the grace of God and the inner help of the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, it is true that faith is an authentically human act. The demonstration of trust in God is opposed neither to freedom nor to human reason” (n. 154).
[8] St. Thomas, Summa Theologiae, I a, q. 1, art. 4. Benedict XVI, The Theology of St. Bonaventure. Catechesis at the General Audience 17.03.2010, in: https: //opoka.org.pl/biblioteka/W/WP/benedykt_xvi/audiencje/ag_17032010 (accessed 20.10.2024).
[9] “The truth of God is His wisdom, which guides the whole order of creation and the governing of the world. Only God, who created the heavens and the earth' (Psalm 115:15), can alone give true knowledge of every created thing in its relation to Him” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 216).
[10] Ut boni fiamus. Cf. St. Bonaventure, Breviloquium, Prologus, 5.
[11] St. Bonaventure, Proemium in I Sent., q. 3. Benedict XVI, The Theology of St. Bonaventure. Catechesis at the General Audience 17.03.2010, in: https: //opoka.org.pl/biblioteka/W/WP/benedykt_xvi/audiencje/ag_17032010 (accessed 20.10.2024).
[12] When St. Francis of Assisi saw that some of his disciples were teaching doctrine, he wanted to avoid the temptation of Gnosticism. So he wrote to St. Anthony of Padua as follows: “I consider it good that you are lecturing on sacred theology to the lambs, so long as, during this study, you do not extinguish the spirit of prayer and piety” (Letter to St. Anthony, 2: FF 251). See Francis, Exhortation Gaudete et exultate, 46.
[13] John Paul II, in his encyclical Fides et ratio, puts it this way: “human reason does not have to contradict itself or humble itself in order to accept the content of faith; in any case, man arrives at it by virtue of a voluntary and conscious choice” (n. 43).
[14]Sed propter amorem eius cui assentit (St. Bonaventure, Proemium in I Sent., q. 2).
[15] Benedict XVI, The Theology of St. Bonaventure. Catechesis at General Audience 17.03.2010, in: https: //opoka.org.pl/biblioteka/W/WP/benedykt_xvi/audiencje/ag_17032010 (accessed 20.10.2024). St. Bonaventure warned that true Christian wisdom should not be separated from charity toward one's neighbor: “The greatest wisdom that can exist is to give fruitfully what one has to give, what one has been given precisely to give away. [...] Therefore, just as mercy is the friend of wisdom, greed is its enemy” (De septem donis, 9,15). “There is such activity which, uniting itself with contemplation, does not hinder it, but facilitates it as works of mercy and piety” (St. Bonaventure, In IV Sent. 37, 1, 3, ad 6). See Francis, Exhortation Gaudete et exultate, 46.
[16] Benedict XVI, The Theology of St. Bonaventure. Catechesis at General Audience 17.03.2010, in: https: //opoka.org.pl/biblioteka/W/WP/benedykt_xvi/audiencje/ag_17032010 (accessed 20.10.2024).
[17] Benedict XVI, The Theology of St. Bonaventure. Catechesis at the General Audience 17.03.2010, in: https: //opoka.org.pl/biblioteka/W/WP/benedykt_xvi/audiencje/ag_17032010 (accessed 20.10.2024). However, it should be emphasized that applied theology respects the principle that in order to know man, true man, integral man, one must know God according to the words of St. Catherine of Siena, who expressed the same thought in prayer: “In your nature, eternal Deity, I will know my nature.” Paul VI, Homily at the Last Public Session of the Second Vatican Council on December 7, 1965, AAS 58(1966), p. 58.
[18] “As in past ages, so now - and even more so - it is the vocation of theologians and all men of science in the Church to unite faith with knowledge and wisdom, to contribute to their mutual penetration (...).” John Paul II, Encyclical Redmptor hominis, 19.
[19] “Responsibility for God's truth means at the same time loving it and striving to understand it in such a way that we ourselves, as well as others, can bring that truth closer to us in all its saving power, in its grandeur, in all its depth and simplicity at the same time. This love and striving for understanding must go hand in hand, as the history of the Church's Saints testifies. The most authentic light illuminating God's truth, bringing God's Reality itself closer, was always had by those who approached this truth with reverence and love. It was, above all, love for Christ, the living Word of God's Truth; it was, in turn, love for its human expression in the Gospel, in Tradition, in Theology. And today, too, this understanding and this interpretation of God's Word is what it is all about: this theology. Theology has always been and continues to be of great importance for the Church - the People of God - to participate creatively and fruitfully in the prophetic mission of Christ.” John Paul II, Encyclical Redmptor hominis, 19.
[20] “... the sons of this world are more prudent in their dealings with their own kind than the sons of light” (Luke 16:8).
[21] “No human law can protect the personal dignity and freedom of man as perfectly as the trust of the Gospel, entrusted to the Church of Christ. For this Gospel heralds and proclaims the freedom of the children of God, firmly rejects all bondage ultimately flowing from sin, sacredly respects the dignity of the conscience and its free decision, and constantly exhorts to constantly multiply all human talents for the service of God and the good of men, and finally entrusts everyone to the love of all.” Vatican II, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Gaudium et spes, 41.
[22] Spiritual wisdom is available to every person, regardless of their level of spiritual life. For the Gospel belongs both to the great and to the “little people.” “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have covered these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them to the simple. Yes, Father, for this was Your pleasure” (Matthew 11:25-26). Spiritual wisdom does not require human dignity, but it does require personal credibility to receive it. Therefore, spiritual wisdom is born in the heart of a simple man, but not a simpleton (boor), a truthful man, but not uncritical, an emotional man, but not infantile, a good man, but not naive. Evangelical wisdom can be received by people who are poor in spirit, afflicted (sorrowful), meek, just, merciful, pure in heart, bring peace, suffer persecution for righteousness' sake, and are persecuted for Christ's sake (cf. Matthew 5:3-12).
[23] “Therefore, theologians, as servants of God's truth, devoting their studies and works to an ever more insightful understanding of it, must never lose sight of this meaning of their ministry in the Church, which is contained in the concept of ”intellectus fidei.” This notion functions as if in a two-way rhythm of 'intellege, ut credas; crede, ut intellegas,' and it functions properly when it seeks to serve the teaching (magisterium) whose duty rests in the Church on the Bishops united by the knot of hierarchical communion with the Successor of Peter, and, following this, when it seeks to serve the teaching and pastoral care of them and the apostolic tasks of the whole People of God.” John Paul II, Encyclical Redmptor hominis, 19.
[24] Christianity is a path that we should also follow against the current! With Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, President of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, interviewed by Marek Lehnert, Bogumił Łoziński, Marcin Przeciszewski (KAI - July 2004). http://niedziela.pl/artykul/1491/Chrzescijanstwo-jest-droga-ktora-winnismy (accessed 20.10.2024).
[25] John Paul II, Address to Rectors of Universities and Colleges in Poland, Toruń, June 7, 1999, 3.
[26] “The Beauty of God Being Love. Our European theological tradition has always focused primarily on the truth and goodness of God, while the aspect of his “beauty” has not played a deeper role. The Hexaemeron, i.e., the creation work of the Book of Genesis contains, starting on the third day, the statement: “God saw that (His created works) were good.” The Septuagint translation, on the other hand, reads that 'everything was very beautiful' (Genesis 1:12.31).” A. Nossol, The need for modernization of pastoral influence in the context of the European integration process, in: the scientific status of pastoral theology. Materials of the Symposium of Polish Pastoralists, Nysa, October 8-9, 2001.
[27] The world as I see it.
[28] Benedict XVI, Paths leading to God: the world, man, faith. Catechesis at the General Audience 14.11.2012, in: https: //opoka.org.pl/biblioteka/W/WP/benedykt_xvi/audiencje/ag_14112012 (accessed 20.10.2024).
[29] “However, if by the words ‘autonomy of temporal things’ is meant that created things do not depend on God and that man can use them without reference to the Creator, anyone who recognizes God feels how false such statements are. For creation without the Creator perishes. Besides, all believers, whatever religion they follow, have always seen in the language of creation the disclosure of God and heard His voice. Moreover, by forgetting God, creation itself becomes incomprehensible.” Vatican Council II, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Gaudium et spes, 36.
[30] Vatican II, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Gaudium et spes, 41.
[31] There is one form of atheism. “Those who profess such atheism, on the other hand, claim that freedom consists in man's being himself the goal, the sole author and creator of his own history, which, they maintain, is incompatible with the recognition of the Lord God as the author and goal of all things, or at least makes such a statement entirely superfluous. This doctrine can be fostered by the sense of power given to man by modern technological progress” (Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Gaudium et Spes, 20). This last sentence is also of great importance in refraining from making hasty judgments about people who “doubt” or “seek”. For these are often people who have been blinded by a sense of “technical” power, but whose hearts are still open to seeking answers to questions about ultimate things. “Modern man is on the path to a fuller development of his personality, as well as to an ever better understanding and reassertion of his rights. Since the Church has been entrusted with showing the mystery of God, who is the ultimate goal of man, she is at the same time showing the meaning of his own existence, that is, the deepest truth about man. The Church knows well that only God, whom she herself serves, responds to the deepest desires of the human heart. which can never sufficiently satiate itself with earthly goods. She also knows that man, constantly stimulated by the Spirit of God, will never be completely indifferent to religious problems, as is proven not only by the experience of centuries past, but also by the manifold testimony of our time. For man always wants to know, at least approximately, what is the meaning of his life, action and death. The very presence of the Church reminds him of these problems. And only God, who created man in his own likeness and redeemed him from sin, gives the fullest answer to these questions, and this through the revelation made in his Son, who became man. Whoever follows Christ, the perfect Man, also becomes more fully man himself” Vatican Council II, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Gaudium et spes, 41.
[32] “Although the institutions of civilization are in the ascendancy, with great achievements in the field of knowledge and technology, and with the means to realize all intentions, they are often too poorly imbued with the Christian spirit. This raises the legitimate question, why is this the case, since to establish the foundations of this development have mostly contributed, and continue to contribute, those who consider themselves Christians and actually adapt, at least in part, their lives to the principles of the Gospel? Certainly, this state of affairs comes from the fact that these people do not align their conduct with the faith they profess. They should arrive at such a renewal of inner unity in themselves that their actions are guided by both the light of faith and the power of charity.” [33] John XXIII, Encyclical Pacem in Terris 11 April 1963, 4.
[33] Benedict XVI, Ways leading to God: the world, man, faith. Catechesis at the General Audience 14.11.2012, in: https: //opoka.org.pl/biblioteka/W/WP/benedykt_xvi/audiencje/ag_14112012 (accessed 20.10.2024). “In reality, man, separated from God, is reduced to only one dimension, the horizontal one, and this very reductionism is one of the root causes of the totalitarianisms that led to the tragic consequences in the last century, as well as the crisis of values that we see in the present reality. The removal into the shadows of the reference to God has resulted in the removal into the shadows of the ethical horizon as well, and its place has been taken by relativism and the ambiguous concept of freedom, which instead of liberating man, ties him to idols. The temptations that Jesus faced in the desert before beginning his public mission are well illustrated by these “idols” that fascinate man when he does not go beyond himself. If God loses his central place, man loses his proper place, he does not find himself in creation, in relations with others. It does not lose relevance what ancient wisdom reminds us in the myth of Prometheus: man thinks that he himself can become a 'god', the master of life and death.” Ibid.
[34] F . Znaniecki, Społeczne rola uczonych, Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, Warsaw 1984, ISBN 83-01-04851-4, p. 502.
[35] “In some cases, this interpenetration of culture and faith is so profound that particular elements of the Christian faith have become the integrating elements of the cultural identity of the peoples concerned” (Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Directory on Popular Piety and Liturgy. Principles and indications, Pallottinum 2003, 63).
[36] A . J. Nowak, Psychology XX-XY, Rzeszów 2011, p. 87. Religion is not just a church where a person goes occasionally to pray; religion is a world in which one must constantly live (Gilbert Keith Chesterton). See M. Żurawiecka, With Father Twardowski 2014, Wyd. Diecezjalne i Drukarnia w Sandomierzu, Sandomierz 2013, p. 208.
[37] Religion verifies itself, verifies itself through piety. If piety does not prove itself in life, especially if it is against love and mercy, it undermines the meaning of religion (Tommaso Campanella). See J. Budziło, S. Dybowski, Z dziejów postępu. Popular Outline, Warsaw 1960, p. 192.
[38] Benedict XVI, Paths leading to God: the world, man, faith. Catechesis during the general audience 14.11.2012, in: https: //opoka.org.pl/biblioteka/W/WP/benedykt_xvi/audiencje/ag_14112012 (accessed 20.10.2024).
[39] “Jesus Christ goes out to meet the man of every era, including our era, with the same words: “you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32); it will make you free. These words contain a basic requirement and a warning at the same time. It is the requirement of an honest attitude to the truth as a condition of true freedom It is also a warning against any apparent freedom, against freedom understood superficially, one-sidedly, without penetrating the whole truth about man and the world Christ therefore also today, after two thousand years, stands among us as the One who brings man freedom based on truth, who liberates man from what limits, diminishes and breaks this freedom at its very root, so to speak, in man's soul, in his heart, in his conscience. What a splendid confirmation of this has been and continues to be all those people who, through Christ and in Christ, have attained true freedom and have shown it, if only under conditions of external enslavement.” John Paul II, Encyclical Redemptor hominis, 12.
[40] John Paul II, Address to Students, Rome, December 17, 1991, “L'Osservatore Romano,” 1/1992, p. 63.
[41] J. Ratzinger, New Year's Eve Sermon on December 31, 1979, “L'Osservatore Romano” (18 I 1980), p. 9 (German edition).
[42] Vatican II, Declaration on Religious Freedom Dignitatis humanae, 8.
[43] Vatican II, Declaration on Religious Liberty Dignitatis humanae , 2.
[44] Cf. John Paul II, Address to the Participants in the International Law Colloquium, March 10, 1984, n. 5.
[45] John Paul II, Message for the World Day of Peace 1988, Introduction.
[46] John Paul II, Message for the World Day of Peace. Respect for Everyone's Conscience as a Condition for Peace 8 December 1990, 5.
[47] See J. Przybyłowski, Wisdom, freedom and grace in the formation of the lay faithful, “Studia Włocławskie” 8(2005), pp. 139-155.
[48] John Paul II, Letter to the Young Parati semper (on the occasion of the International Year of Youth) 31 III 1985, 13.
[49] “And everyone will have to give an account of his own life before the tribunal of God, according to whether he has done good or evil” (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Gaudium et spes, 17).
[50] “The fact of faith by its very nature is voluntary, since man, redeemed by Christ the Savior and called by Christ to be adopted children of God, can adhere to the manifested God only when, drawn by the Father, he shows to God a reasonable and free obedience of faith” (Second Vatican Council, Declaration on Religious Liberty Dignitatis humanae,10).
[51] The apparent successes a person achieves by hating another person can be a challenge to hatred toward God. However, what man can do to another man is not a right in man's relationship to God. Hatred cannot reach God, nor can God be harmed by it. Those, therefore, who try to fight God with their hatred, acquired in human experience, hurt themselves, because hatred, born in the heart, also bears its poisonous fruit there: “what comes out of man makes him unclean. For from within, from the human heart, come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, greed, perversity, deceit, licentiousness, envy, insults, pride, foolishness. All these evils from within come and make a person unclean” (Mark 7:20-23).
[52] See J. Przybyłowski, Wisdom, freedom and grace in the formation of the lay faithful, “Studia Włocławskie” 8(2005), pp. 139-155.
[53] “This task today has expanded enormously due to the progress of human knowledge, its methods and achievements in the knowledge of the world and man. This applies to both the sciences (detailed sciences) and the humanities, as well as to philosophy, of whose close ties with theology the decrees of the last Council remind us. In this terrain of human cognition, which is constantly expanding and diversifying at the same time, faith must also constantly deepen by revealing the dimension of the revealed mystery, by understanding the truth that God himself, as it were, “shares” with man. If it is possible and even necessary to wish that the enormous work in this direction takes into account a certain pluralism of methods, it must not deviate from the essential unity of the Teaching of Faith and Morals as its proper goal. This is why it is so indispensable for theology to work closely with the Magisterium. And each theologian in a special way should be aware of what Jesus Christ himself expressed when he said: “the teaching which you hear is not mine, but of Him who sent me, the Father” (John 14:24). No one, therefore, can practice theology as a collection of his own mere opinions, but must be aware that he remains in special communion with that mission of Truth for which the Church is responsible.” John Paul II, Encyclical Redemptor hominis, 19.
[54] C . Sagan, The World Haunted by Demons, transl. Filip Rybakowski, Zysk i S-ka Publishers, ISBN 8371505155, p. 302.
[55] “The Second Vatican Council did a tremendous amount of work for the formation of that full and comprehensive consciousness of the Church that Pope Paul VI wrote about in his first Encyclical. This consciousness - or rather, the Church's self-consciousness - is formed simultaneously “in dialogue,” which, before it becomes a conversation, must first be an orientation of one's own attention toward the “other,” the very one with whom we are to speak. The Second Vatican Council did fundamental work for the formation of the Church's self-consciousness precisely by allowing us to look so aptly and competently at this vast area of humanity, which is covered by a “map” of various religions. He has also shown how this map of religions is overlaid with - a layer unknown before, but characteristic of modern times - the phenomenon of atheism in its various forms, above all programmatic atheism, which is a feature of certain political systems.” [56] John Paul II, Encyclical Redemptor hominis, 11.
[56] John Paul II, Encyclical Centesimus annus, 38. Cf. John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation Reconciliatio et paenitentia, (December 2, 1984), 16; Pius XI, Encyclical Quadragesimo anno, III, p. 219.
[57] D. von Hildebrand, The Desolate Vineyard, transl. Tomasz G. Pszczółkowski, Fronda, 3rd edition, pp. 167, 168.
[58] Vatican II, Declaration on Religious Liberty Dignitatis humanae, 8.
[59] John Paul II, Letter on Religious Freedom, L'Eglise catholique (to the signatories of the Final Act of the Helsinki Conference on Security and Cooperation) September 1, 1980, 6.