Missionaries of the Sacred

Religious Freedom and Inter-religious Dialogue PDF Print

Religious freedom is a fundamental human right. It is grounded in the nature and dignity of human beings.  It is a freedom and duty which men and women are to express without coercion and includes the freedom to seek the truth.

The Declaration of the Relationship of the Church to Non Christian Relgions more fully explains the relationship of the Church to other religions.

Religious freedom essentially means that

all men [women] are to be immune from coercion on the part of individuals or of social groups and of any human power, in such wise that in matters religious no one is to be forced to act in a manner contrary to his own beliefs. Nor is anyone to be restrained from acting in accordance with his own beliefs, whether privately or publicly, whether alone or in association with others, within due limits. (Declaration on Religious Freedom, 2)

Solutions to religious intolerance must primarily rest upon acknowledging the dignity and worth of each human being. It is “our common human dignity which gives rise to universal human rights, they hold equally for every man and woman, irrespective of his or her religious, social or ethnic group.”1 This fundamental principle naturally carves a path to respect, acceptance and dialogue with each other. In this way the human community will be able to share similarities and differences among their creeds.

1. Pope Benedict, XVI, Meeting With. . . May 8, 2009.
 

Social Justice Resources

The Theology of Religious Freedom

Up until not too long ago, the Catholic Church did not have a brilliant track record in regard to religious freedom—except in reference to itself!  Based on the ideas that the Church has received the fullness of truth through revelation and that error has no right to exist, the Church often took a rather awkward if pragmatic stance. Read article

Catholic Social Teaching Links

Declaration on Religious Freedom (Dignitatus Humanae)

Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religious (Nostra Aetate)

Decree on Ecumenism (Unitatis Redintegratio)

USCCB's Secretariat for Ecumenical and Inter-religious Affairs

Learn More About

Fostering Inter-religious Dialogue

Find out more about some of the ways that MSC are promoting inter-religious dialogue in Indonesia and the Philippines.

Fostering Inter-religious Dialogue in Indonesia

Fostering Inter-religious Dialogue in Philippines

The point of religious freedom is to respect the beliefs and practices of others because we recognize their fundamental human dignity.  As missionaries we do not see our mission limited to any one group for it is a call to reach out to every person.  We are formed in the Spirituality of the Heart, and the Spirituality of the Heart is the basis of dialog with every person, regardless of their personal religious convictions. Read more.
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