Dignitatis Humanae

[lethalbean95]

Does Dignitatis Humanae contradict The Syllabus of Errors?

 

[dmar198]

Does Dignitatis Humanae contradict The Syllabus of Errors?

Short answer: no.

Long answer: There is only a Seeming contradiction, not a Real contradiction. Quanta Cura, which was an encyclical issued together with the Syllabus, and the Syllabus itself, are condemnations only of specific interpretations of “freedom of conscience” that involved an assumption of religious indifference and a State-backed policy of secularism. Quanta Cura and the Syllabus of Errors both refer the reader to the specific documents in which the false interpretation of religious liberty is espoused, and both Pius IX (who issued the document) and, especially, his successor Pope Leo XIII, were clear in other contexts that the Church was not opposed to Catholic states extending religious tolerance to non-Catholics – Pope Leo XIII even said that “true” liberty in matters of religion comes from this context.

Other faithful Catholics from that period who defended of the “true” interpretation of freedom of conscience were St. John Henry Newman and Archbishop Gibbons of Maryland. St. John Henry Newman is specially of note here because of a response he wrote to the Duke of Norfolk in reaction to his criticism of the Syllabus of Errors and Quanta Cura over their condemnation of “freedom of conscience.” St. John Henry Newman’s response proves what interpretation was being condemned and explains why the true interpretation of “freedom of conscience” should be defended. This appears in Sections 6 and 7 of his book “Letter to the Duke of Norfolk”. These sections can be read here. (Other helpful documents re: the Syllabus and modern Church doctrine are this and this.)

Archbishop Gibbons is also noteworthy on this account because he published his book “Faith of our Fathers” in this time period, which was widely translated and published in both Europe and America. In it, he devotes two chapters to the defense of the “true” understanding of religious liberty, and shows that it has been a part of the Church’s tradition since the beginning.

Here are some relevant quotes from Church History illustrating that:

Church Fathers and Medieval Doctors on Religious Liberty
historyandapologetics.com/2015/02/church-fathers-and-medieval-doctors-on.html

I hope that helps. Please let me know if it does. God bless!

 

[Memaw]

Short answer: no.

Long answer: There is only a Seeming contradiction, not a Real contradiction. Quanta Cura, which was an encyclical issued together with the Syllabus, and the Syllabus itself, are condemnations only of specific interpretations of “freedom of conscience” that involved an assumption of religious indifference and a State-backed policy of secularism. Quanta Cura and the Syllabus of Errors both refer the reader to the specific documents in which the false interpretation of religious liberty is espoused, and both Pius IX (who issued the document) and, especially, his successor Pope Leo XIII, were clear in other contexts that the Church was not opposed to Catholic states extending religious tolerance to non-Catholics – Pope Leo XIII even said that “true” liberty in matters of religion comes from this context.

Other faithful Catholics from that period who defended of the “true” interpretation of freedom of conscience were St. John Henry Newman and Archbishop Gibbons of Maryland. St. John Henry Newman is specially of note here because of a response he wrote to the Duke of Norfolk in reaction to his criticism of the Syllabus of Errors and Quanta Cura over their condemnation of “freedom of conscience.” St. John Henry Newman’s response proves what interpretation was being condemned and explains why the true interpretation of “freedom of conscience” should be defended. This appears in Sections 6 and 7 of his book “Letter to the Duke of Norfolk”. These sections can be read here. (Other helpful documents re: the Syllabus and modern Church doctrine are this and this.)

Archbishop Gibbons is also noteworthy on this account because he published his book “Faith of our Fathers” in this time period, which was widely translated and published in both Europe and America. In it, he devotes two chapters to the defense of the “true” understanding of religious liberty, and shows that it has been a part of the Church’s tradition since the beginning.

Here are some relevant quotes from Church History illustrating that:

Church Fathers and Medieval Doctors on Religious Liberty
historyandapologetics.com/2015/02/church-fathers-and-medieval-doctors-on.html

I hope that helps. Please let me know if it does. God bless!

Thanks, God Bless, Memaw