Our active participation
in public life is needed



THERE is a new document issued by the Vatican that I consider to be most relevant these days. It's entitled, "Doctrinal Note on some questions regarding the participation of Catholics in political life."

While it's mainly addressed to Catholics, its content, of course, is also useful to everybody else who realizes that public and political life should be an object of interest to all. Greater and better participation in it on the part of all citizens, regardless of creed, should be fostered.
I consider the document very significant at least for two reasons. First, it strongly reminds everyone of his duty to actively participate, to the extent and in the manner he is able, in shaping political life and social and public life in general to conform it to the objective dignity of men.

The Catechism says: "It is the duty of citizens to contribute along with the civil authorities to the good of society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity and freedom." (2255)

Second, and this is the more distinctive trait of this document, it again warns everyone of certain dangers in the forms of ideological tendencies, attitudes and mentalities that appear to be pervading in some parts of the world, and are clearly inimical to public life though they may offer certain advantages.

Again the Catechism says: "Citizens are obliged in conscience not to follow the directives of civil authorities when they are contrary to the demands of the moral order." (2256)

These are concerns that need to be attended to with certain urgency these days. On the one hand, there appears to be indifference and apathy on the part of many citizens in matters related to social and political life.

This could be due to ignorance, in which case education and formation are in order. Or worse, to lack of concern, in which case the more delicate task of correction and conversion is needed.

In both cases, the job is quite tremendous and daunting. That's why, those who are more able to undertake it -- the educated among us, the more intellectually inclined or the more talented, especially when they have the time -- should generously offer a helping hand.

I find it appalling that many people -- and they need not be the illiterates, but rather the educated class -- still do not realize that their lives by definition are not only private and personal, but also public and social. They do not realize that their decisions and actuation have a necessarily social impact and effect.

On the other hand, we cannot be blind to some emerging developments that are disturbing in the sense that they go against moral law, or at least undermine it.

In the erudite words of the document, "A kind of cultural relativism exists today, evident in the conceptualization and defense of an ethical pluralism, which sanctions the decadence and disintegration of reason and the principles of the natural moral law."

More simplistically said, it means that there is a certain ideology that distorts the objective meaning of freedom, democracy and truth. It dilutes if not empties the substance of values like order, authority, obedience, etc.

It spawns things like legalization of abortion, divorce, the so-called gay rights, the liberal and uncontrolled reproductive health, etc. It works for the public acceptance of unregulated safe-sex education and pornography. It approves or at least condones sin.

All these because reason is made to work without any further or higher source of reference other than itself. It is its own authority. It is self-justifying.

At best what it does is to appeal to some consensual agreement or to some survey results, again propelled more by reason than by anything else, to give a semblance of credibility to its declarations.

There is no reference to faith, especially to supernatural faith. There is hardly any consideration made for the contributions of tradition and other historical legacies. There is no place in its economy for values like piety.

Reason works only on its own and mainly for the present. Detached from a higher authority, it drifts to where the human passions and the wiles of the world would lead it.

Citizens should rise up to participate actively in the shaping of our society, making it more and more human, since we each are a human being, and more mature, since that is our goal.

Right now there is so much inhumanity and immaturity in it!