Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - The themes of peace, justice, solidarity and human rights and ecology, are given increasing emphasis in the media and in what is commonly referred to as “public opinion”, and then cleverly concocted by the usual few “maître à penser ”.
Even the authoritative word of the Church and the Magisterium receives very different amplification according to whether it treats one of these themes or announces the Gospel, the truth about Jesus of Nazareth, Lord and Christ, about the Church, mankind, the destiny of history. The mentioned “human values” cannot be renounced and their tenacious pursuit is an integral part of the attention the Church has for the whole person and for every person.
Nevertheless two questions face present day culture and the Church's awareness of self: the origin of these values and the specific duty of the mission given by Christ. Present day culture tends to affirm values, amply shareable, of which it is no longer able to “trace” or to remember the origin, the reason. And when the ultimate reason for a certain action or conviction is no longer understood or remembered, then there is a real danger that these, in the end, may disappear.
The Church always remembers, as all churchmen should, that her first task is not to promote “human justice”, perhaps obtained only apparently and at the high price of sacrifice of personal freedom. The task of the Church is to announce with apostolic frankness that only in the mystery of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ is "justice done", and mankind, freed from sin and death, in Christ rediscovers, or at least can rediscover, human dignity as creatures and with it the ultimate and unchangeable foundation of every other human value.
Social justice, human rights and all the other “sensible values” have their ultimate source in God's creation and in the consequent absolute dignity of the human being, the person, who is never a case to be exploited either scientifically or socially. Never forgetting that for the condition of human nature, limited and sinful, wounded by original sin, justice is more to be accepted as a gift than “autonomously” achieved by man. The Catechism of the Catholic Church gives the following definition: “ Justice is the moral virtue that consists in the constant and firm will to give their due to God and neighbour. Justice toward God is called the "virtue of religion." Justice toward men disposes one to respect the rights of each and to establish in human relationships the harmony that promotes equity with regard to persons and to the common good” (n. 1807).
In this sense, the first justice which comes before any other is to recognise God as Lord of history and Lord of mankind. Recognition of the “rights of God” can never be separated from recognition of the “rights of man”, indeed it constitutes the premise and the indispensable guarantee against all form of open or subtle attempts to exploit rights themselves, from a point of view of power and control of culture or society.
To look at the origin of values is, as St Augustine teaches, is the only way to avoid transforming them into dangerous idols. To recognise that all justice is achieved in Christ and is achieved by Him in the personal history of every person and in the whole history of humanity, is the best guarantee of freedom and democracy. For the whole of society. For everyone. (Agenzia Fides 22/11/2007; righe 43, parole 584)
