Vatican City, Apr 26, 2010 / 18:44 pm
On Saturday, Pope Benedict received the Letters of Credence of Charles Ghislain, the new ambassador of Belgium to the Holy See. The Holy Father called on Belgian society to allow the Church and its members to express their beliefs freely, without fear of condemnation.
In his address welcoming the ambassador, the Holy Father stated that the Church “is happy to serve all sectors of Belgian society” and also emphasized that “human life and dignity are a precious resource to be defended and promoted resolutely, especially on the basis of natural law.”
The Church, he noted, “wishes to be a factor of harmonious coexistence among all peoples. To this end she makes her own active contribution, especially through her numerous educational institutions, her social activities and the commitment of many of her faithful to voluntary work.”
Pope Benedict also asserted that “it is worth pointing out that the Church, as an institution, has the right to express herself in public. ... She respects the right of everyone to think differently from herself, and would like to see her own right to expression respected. ... The Church, having the common good as her objective, wants nothing other than the freedom to be able to present this message, not imposing it on anyone, and respecting people's freedom of conscience.”