I’m not sure if this is what Bishop Fellay is objecting to either. But if it is, he’s read it differently than how it was said.
Let’s look at the pieces sytematically.
"What I find fascinating in the United States is that they began with a positive concept of secularity, because this new people was composed of communities and individuals who had fled from the State Church and wanted to have a lay, a secular State that would give access and opportunities to all denominations, to all forms of religious practice.
The Holy Father is expressing admiration for how justly the US has treated people of all religions. He’s not saying that other religions are the same a Catholicism. His statement is a compliment to our sytem of justice to people of all faiths. They are treated equally and they all have opportunities to prosper, regardless of their faith. This is an example of Christian justice. This is actually a very Catholic concept. No pope has ever denied that people of other faiths should not have “access and opportunities” which are the Holy Father’s words.
Thus, an intentionally secular new State was born; they were opposed to a State Church.
This goes back to not having an official state religion, which the Church has always taught. The Church wants governments and its citizens to embrace the truth taught through the Catholic Church, but not by force. It must be done through consent to the gift of grace. Again, the Holy Father praises the fact that our system leaves the door open for grace and for man to freely accept grace rather than impose a belief system that would not bear any fruit, even if it were Catholic, because it would not be freely embraced. This was a problem in the Catholic colonies, as it probably is in many Muslim countries. I wonder how many of these Muslims are really believers. It’s hard to tell when the State imposes the faith on you, such as was done to Iran.
But the State itself had to be secular precisely out of love for religion
What he is saying here is that our founding fathers actually loved and respected religion enough, not to interfere with it. Again, he is praising their respect for all things religious. Not supporting a faithless society. He is supporting a leadership that respects religion.
it its authenticity, which can only be lived freely.
This ties in again with the idea that the faith must be freely accepted. This is based on Pope Benedict’s strong belief that faith and reason cannot be separated. It is unreasonable to believe that faith can authentic, when there is not freedom to do otherwise, but to practice a particular faith, whatever that may be.
And thus, we find this situation of a State deliberately and decidedly secular but precisely through a religious will in order to give authenticity to religion, “
Here he is paying a very high compliment to people of faith in the United States. We have faith, not because it is imposed on us, but because we freely accept the gift. Therefore, our political system has served to authenticate our faith. Because those of us who have faith, have it through our own choice, not the choice of the State. Without meaning to do so, our political system has actually helped. People have had to think about matters of faith and make their own choices without some higher authority making it for them. Therefore, our faith has credibility, because it is free.
The Holy Father is praising this credibility and in a rather subtle way telling the government that they have really pomoted faith by staying out of the business of faith. He’s sending a message to other nations of the world to do the same. Let people discover faith on their own, because it has more credibility that way.
L’Osservatore Romano April 23,2008 pg. 22
Again, I’m not sure if this is the point that His Excellency is concerned about. But if it is, he missed the boat. There is no defence here of other faiths at the expense of the Catholic faith.
JR
