Costa Rican Bishops
Reaffirm Church’s Right
To Educate The Faithful
For Public Life
(CNA).- In a new
directive from the
Bishops’ Conference of
Costa Rica, the Church
has reaffirmed her right
to educate the faithful
in moral and doctrinal
questions so that when
they intervene in public
life, they do so in a
way that is consistent
with their faith.
In a letter to the
President of Costa Rica,
Oscar Arias, the bishops
said, “It is not the
intention of the Church
that her actions be
confused with political
activity,” as she has no
desire to exercise
“political power or
abolish the freedom of
opinion of Catholics
regarding current
affairs.”
In their letter, the
bishops said that when
the Church has
“intervened in matters
inherent to social and
political life,” she has
done so “in fulfillment
of her duty” to educate
and enlighten the
consciences of her
faithful, “above all
those who are devoted to
political life,” so that
they may always be at
the service of the
person and the common
good.
In noting the value of
the democratic system,
the bishops pointed out
that “the Church is free
to preach the faith,
teacher her social
doctrine and exercise
her mission among
mankind without any kind
of hindrance.”
“As the Church we value
this system and we know
that authentic democracy
is possible only in a
Constitutional regime
and on the basis of an
upright concept of the
human person,” they
said. |
