Pope Francis's Address to Diplomats

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Recently Pope Francis spoke to the Vatican Diplomatic Corps. One hundred and eighty states currently maintain full diplomatic relations with the Holy See. Every one has been anticipating what the Pope will contribute to The Church and the world. In his speech Pope Francis used the phrase " the tyranny of relativism." I have also heard the phrase “the dictatorship of relativism” which I believe refers to the same concept. What do you think this phrase refers to and why do you think the last two Popes along with Pope Francis have been so concerned about it? Thank you for your thoughtful consideration. Thank you also every one who read the previous post. I made a mistake and didn’t post the article address and had the wrong title. I hope this works better. Below is the article address and a quote of the part that contains the term in question. The speech to the diplomats was one of the first few of Pope Francis and was well covered.

“But there is another form of poverty! It is the spiritual poverty of our time, which afflicts the so-called richer countries particularly seriously. It is what my much-loved predecessor, Benedict XVI, called the “tyranny of relativism”, which makes everyone his own criterion and endangers the coexistence of peoples. And that brings me to a second reason for my name. Francis of Assisi tells us we should work to build peace. But there is no true peace without truth! There cannot be true peace if everyone is his own criterion, if everyone can always claim exclusively his own rights, without at the same time caring for the good of others, of everyone, on the basis of the nature that unites every human being on this earth.”
Pope Francis

catholicherald.co.uk/news/2013/03/22/full-text-pope-franciss-address-to-diplomats/
 
Here is some food for thought to get started on the “tyranny of relativism”.

Avery Dulles
The rootedness of freedom in the truth has been a constant and central theme in the writings of John Paul II. Already in 1964, as a young bishop at Vatican II, Karol Wojtyla criticized the draft of the declaration on religious freedom because it did not sufficiently emphasize the connection between freedom and truth. “For freedom on the one hand is for the sake of truth and on the other hand it cannot be perfected except by means of truth. Hence the words of our Lord, which speak so clearly to everyone: ‘The truth will make you free’ (John 8:32). There is no freedom without truth.”

spirituality.ucanews.com/2013/03/20/john-paul-ii-on-truth-and-freedom/
 
Paragraph 96 Evangelium Vitae
Any thoughts about this?
all.org/upload/2011/04/14/EVstudyguide.pdf
  1. The first and fundamental step towards this cultural transformation consists in forming consciences with regard to the incomparable and inviolable worth of every human life. It is of the greatest importance to re-establish the essential connection between life and freedom. These are inseparable goods: where one is violated, the other also ends up being violated. There is no true freedom where life is not welcomed and loved; and there is no fullness of life except in freedom. Both realities have something inherent and specific which links them inextricably: the vocation to love. Love, as a sincere gift of self, is what gives the life and freedom of the person their truest meaning.
    No less critical in the formation of conscience is the recovery of the necessary link between freedom and truth. As I have frequently stated, when freedom is detached from objective truth it becomes impossible to establish personal rights on a firm rational basis; and the ground is laid for society to be at the mercy of the unrestrained will of individuals or the oppressive totalitarianism of public authority.
 
This is from paragraph 20 of Evangelium Vitae. I think paragraphs 18, 19, and 20 all help in the understanding of relativism and how it becomes a tyranny. What do you think? Peace be with you, LHJ

This is what is happening also at the level of politics and government: the original and inalienable right to life is questioned or denied on the basis of a parliamentary vote or the will of one part of the people — even if it is the majority. This is the sinister result of a relativism which reigns unopposed: the “right” ceases to be such, because it is no longer firmly founded on the inviolable dignity of the person, but is made subject to the will of the stronger part. In this way democracy, contradicting its own principles, effectively moves towards a form of totalitarianism. The State is no longer the “common home” where all can live together on the basis of principles of fundamental equality, but is transformed into a **tyrant State, **which arrogates to itself the right to dispose of the life of the weakest and most defenceless members, from the unborn child to the elderly, in the name of a public interest which is really nothing but the interest of one part. The appearance of the strictest respect for legal- ity is maintained, at least when the laws permitting abortion and euthanasia are the result of a ballot in accordance with what are generally seen as the rules of democracy.

all.org/upload/2011/04/14/EVstudyguide.pdf
 
Truth,Justice, and the American Way. Why there is no freedom without truth.

If truth is relative then in reality there is no truth. If each individual has their own truth and their own vision of right and wrong the persons with the most power, money , influence ,votes will make the rules. Without a transcendent order or an objective truth freedom will rest on the shifting sands of popular opinion or the whim of the powerful. This is the “tyranny of relativism.” In the Declaration of Independence is stated, “we hold these truths to be self evident… that we are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights among these are life,liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” These self evident truths support freedom. Self evident means that they are intrinsically true just by their statement and understood by all. Human beings by their very nature and by the fact they were created in the image of God are deserving of the rights founded on these truths. These are truths whether or not everyone or anyone agrees. They are true for all time, everywhere for all people and without these truths there is no real foundation for human rights. These are called transcendent truths. They are written on the heart of mankind. There ought never to be written any law contrary to these truths. These are the laws of nature and of nature’s God written about in the Declaration. If God is not the author of our rights then our rights must come from a human source and whoever that might be could and would arbitrarily give them and take them away. There could be no “inalienable rights” which are rights that ought never be taken away by a human source. God the author and giver of life is the only one who can take life away. That is why the right to life is the freedom on which all others depend. This is also why the abortion issue is now and will remain the definitive issue of our time. Unborn children are being denied their inalienable right to life by an unjust law contrary to the laws of nature and natures God. Once the most innocent in society are denied an inalienable right no one is safe it is only a matter of time before the rest of the dominoes start to fall. No God, no truth, no truth, no freedom or know God, know truth, know freedom. Peace be with you,LHJ

“Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32

To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. John 18:37

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life… John 14:6

Romans 2:14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts,

This law of nature, being coeval with mankind and dictated by God himself, is of course superior in obligation to any other-It is binding over all the globe in all countries, and at all times; no human laws are of any validity, if contrary to this: and such of them as are valid derive all their force, and all their authority, mediately or immediately, from this original. William Blackstone
lonang.com/exlibris/blackstone/bla-002.htm
 
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