Costa Rican bishops reaffirm Church’s right to educate the faithful for public life

San José, Costa Rica, Aug 28, 2008 / 09:09 am

In a new directive from the Bishops’ Conference of Costa Rica, the Church has reaffirmed her right to educate the faithful in moral and doctrinal questions so that when they intervene in public life, they do so in a way that is consistent with their faith.
 
In a letter to the President of Costa Rica, Oscar Arias, the bishops said, “It is not the intention of the Church that her actions be confused with political activity,” as she has no desire to exercise “political power or abolish the freedom of opinion of Catholics regarding current affairs.”
 
In their letter, the bishops said that when the Church has “intervened in matters inherent to social and political life,” she has done so “in fulfillment of her duty” to educate and enlighten the consciences of her faithful, “above all those who are devoted to political life,” so that they may always be at the service of the person and the common good.
 
In noting the value of the democratic system, the bishops pointed out that “the Church is free to preach the faith, teacher her social doctrine and exercise her mission among mankind without any kind of hindrance.”
 
“As the Church we value this system and we know that authentic democracy is possible only in a Constitutional regime and on the basis of an upright concept of the human person,” they said.