I have come across numerous articles that describe a similar situation: A secular institution passes a law or rule that directly goes against catholic teaching. This rule/law is enforced against catholic organizations/people/groups which forces them to be punished or act against the church teaching.
ex (because ive seen it on here before): A wedding planner is asked to work on a wedding for a homosexual couple, and it is illegal to refuse service based on ones sexual orientation.
How are we called to respond to these situations?
** 399. *
Citizens are not obligated in conscience to follow the prescriptions of civil authorities if their precepts are contrary to the demands of the moral order, to the fundamental rights of persons or to the teachings of the Gospel.[820] Unjust laws pose dramatic problems of conscience for morally upright people: * when they are called to cooperate in morally evil acts they must refuse.[821] Besides being a moral duty, such a refusal is also a basic human right which, precisely as such, civil law itself is obliged to recognize and protect. “Those who have recourse to conscientious objection must be protected not only from legal penalties but also from any negative effects on the legal, disciplinary, financial and professional plane”.[822]
- It is a grave duty of conscience not to cooperate, not even formally, in practices which, although permitted by civil legislation, are contrary to the Law of God*. Such cooperation in fact can never be justified, not by invoking respect for the freedom of others nor by appealing to the fact that it is foreseen and required by civil law. No one can escape the moral responsibility for actions taken, and all will be judged by God himself based on this responsibility (cf.* Rom* 2:6; 14:12).
** 400. **Recognizing that natural law is the basis for and places limits on positive law means admitting that it is legitimate to resist authority should it violate in a serious or repeated manner the essential principles of natural law. Saint Thomas Aquinas writes that “one is obliged to obey … insofar as it is required by the order of justice”.[823] Natural law is therefore the basis of the right to resistance.
There can be many different concrete ways this right may be exercised; there are also many different ends that may be pursued. Resistance to authority is meant to attest to the validity of a different way of looking at things, whether the intent is to achieve partial change, for example, modifying certain laws, or to fight for a radical change in the situation.
End Notes:
[820] Cf.
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2242.
[821] Cf. John Paul II, Encyclical Letter* Evangelium Vitae*, 73:
AAS 87 (1995), 486-487.
[822] John Paul II, Encyclical Letter
Evangelium Vitae, 74:* AAS* 87 (1995), 488.
[823] Saint Thomas Aquinas, * Summa Theologiae*, II-II, q. 104, a. 6, ad 3um: Ed. Leon. 9, 392: “principibus saecularibus intantum homo oboedire tenetur, inquantum ordo iustitiae requirit”.
Hope the above answers your question.
