CL Module 8 - Freedom of The Church Lecture

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WHAT IS FREEDOM?

FREEDOM
It is the power of the will to determine itself and to enact itself without external
or internal influence, and to not act with coercion or force from anybody.

Religious Freedom

This is the freedom to worship God according to the dictates of one’s own
conscience. Specifically, it points to freedom from constraint by the civil law.
The Second Vatican Council declared that:

“The private and public acts of religion by which men direct themselves to God
according to their conscience transcend by their very nature the earthly and
temporal order of things.

“Therefore the civil authority, the purpose of which is the care of the common
good in the temporal order, must recognize and look with favor on the
religious life of the citizens. But if it presumes to control or restrict religious
activity, it must be said to have exceeded the limits of its power.” (Vatican II
document)

Religious Freedom in the Constitution

“No law shall be made respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting


the free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without
discrimination or preference, shall forever be allowed. No religious test shall
be required for the exercise of civil or political rights” ( Article III, Section 5, Bill
of Rights)

CCC 2108 The right to religious liberty is neither a moral license to


adhere to error, nor a supposed right to error, but rather a natural right
of the human person to civil liberty, i.e., immunity, within just limits,
from external constraint in religious matters by political authorities. This
natural right ought to be acknowledged in the judicial order of society in
such a way that it constitutes a civil right.

Start of Freedom for Christianity

The issuance of the Edict of Milan by Emperor Constantine, which declared


toleration of Christianity and other religions to exist in the empire, began the
freedom that the Christians had been longing for a long time.

Starting year 312, Constantine openly favored Christian religion, which


resulted in the following:
1. Clerics enjoyed tax exemption just like the pagan priests in the empire.
2. Crucifixion as punishment was abolished.
3. Church leaders were permitted to acquire properties.
4. Sunday was declared as a public holiday for all.
5. Gladiatorial combat was abolished as punishment for offenders.
6. Beautiful church structures reflected the emperor’s recognition of
Christianity.
Furthermore, Christians exercised their complete freedom when Emperor
Theodosius
Declared Christianity as the official religion of the empire.

MORALS

 JOHN 8:32- "You will know the truth shall set you free."

True freedom is what all people long for. Most of us appreciate the fact that
we enjoy some freedom in a democratic society. We are able to live a
comfortable life.

With regard to speech, lifestyle, and religious beliefs, we have a lot of


freedom. Freedom of religion, makes our country freer than many other
countries in the world. To live in a country where we have the freedom to
practice the religion, is quite a rare situation in this world. This kind of freedom
cannot be found in the Islamic world and Communist countries where practice
of Christianity means death.

As individuals, we have the right to lead the lifestyle that we prefer. We can
come and go as we please, we can get married or remain single, we can have
families or choose not to have families, we can work or choose not to work;
we are free to live our lives as we wish.

Our ignorance, greed, selfishness, desires, and the creations of our minds are
the things that oppress us.

From the Christians point of view, we are not free. Most of us are still very
much slaves tour own desires and wants, obsessive anxieties, fears, and
thoughts. We are slaves of technology and fashion too. People nowadays
could not live without the latest gadgets in the market. And we think that not
having fashionable clothes, high-tech cellphones, and fancy cars would render
us useless and less human in society.

What is even worse is that we are slaves of our sinfulness. We continue to


participate in spreading injustice in the community by our silence; we praise
ourselves by saying bad things against another; we promote the culture of
cheating by not reporting cheaters to the authorities, and sell our votes during
elections. Sometimes , we are the cause of other people’s sinfulness. We are
good people doing bad things.One man summarized all of these when he
said, “For evil to thrive, let good men do nothing.”

Unless we change and do things in accordance with God’s command, we


cannot achieve genuine freedom. Are you up to the challenge to change now?

-Author's Reflection

ST.JOAN OF ARC

Burned at the stake as a heritic after a politically motivatd trial, Joan was
beatified in 1909 and canonized in 1920.

Born of a fairly well-to-do couple in Domremy-Greux (southeast of Paris),Joan


was twelve when she experienced a vision and heard voices that she later
identified as St. Michael the Archangel, Catherine of Alexandria, and Margaret
of Antioch.

During the Hundred Years War, she led French troops against the English and
recaptured the cities of Orleans and Troyes. This enabled Charles VII to be
crowned as king in Reims in 1429. Captured near Compiegne the following
year, she was sold to the English and placed on trial for heresy and witchcraft.
Professors at the University of Paris supported Bishop Pierre Cauchon of
Beauvis, the judge at her trial; Cardinal Henry Beaufort of Winchester,
England, participated in the questioning of Joan in prison. In the end, she was
condemned for wearing men’s clothes. The English resented France’s military
success--- to which Joan contributed.

In 1431, she was burned at the stake in Rouen, and her ashes were scattered
along the Seine River. A second church trial 25 years later nullified the earlier
verdict, which was reached under political pressure.

Remembered by the most people for her military exploits, Joan had a great
love for the sacraments, which strengthened her compassion toward the poor.
Popular devotion to her increased greatly in nineteenth century in France and
later among French soldiers during World War I. Theologian George Tavard
wrote that her life “offers a perfect example of the conjunction of
contemplation and action” because her spiritual insight showa that there
should be a “unity of heaven and earth.”

Joan of Arc has been the subject of many books, plays, operas, and movies.

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