Genoa, Italy, Jan 22, 2008 / 12:26 pm
Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, Archbishop of Genoa and President of the Italian Bishops' Conference, said in an interview that Catholics should have a more courageous and coherent presence in the public square.
"Catholics must bring the contribution of spiritual and ethical values into the public square," said Cardinal Bagnasco during the interview published on Tuesday by L'Osservatore Romano.
"The presence (in the public square) must be assumed by Catholics with greater persuasiveness and a greater capacity to respectfully explain our convictions, knowing that they come both from the Gospel and from a common understanding of the value of life," he added.
The Cardinal said that Catholics "do not want to impose a religious vision of society, but to propose universal values," and said that "the most credible argument, of course is the witness of our own personal life."