God-given gift of freedom works when exercised sensibly

Article 132 - Catechism of
the Catholic Church Series
Paragraphs 1730 -1742

Did you know that it is a capital offense to practice the Catholic faith in places like Afghanistan, Iran and Saudi Arabia? It is no exaggeration to say that “freedom,” a gift given to us by God, is something that citizens of certain countries are prohibited from exercising, especially with regard to their religious faith. In fact, some national leaders insist that freedom is not a right that people have, but a privilege given to them by the state. There is no real semblance of “freedom” in these countries nor in others like them, especially regarding the practice of Christianity.
The truth is that Christianity is the world’s most persecuted faith. In Nigeria, Africa 120 Christians were killed by an extremist group known as Fulani Jihadists over a two week period in early 2019. Christians lose their lives in Nigeria, perhaps more than in any other country. There are hundreds of examples that can be cited. In India, for example, the persecution of Christians (killing and injuring) is up 57 percent in 2019. In Afghanistan, a June 2001 decree stated that proselytizing by non-Muslims was punishable by death. As well, a 1998 law states that television sets, videocassette recorders, videocassettes, audiocassettes, and satellite dishes were outlawed. And, only Muslims are allowed to become the president of Afghanistan!
In Saudi Arabia, public practice of any form of religion other than Islam is illegal; as is an intention to convert others from Islam. In 2006 a Catholic priest, Father George Joshua, was even arrested while offering Mass in a private home in Saudi Arabia.
In Iran, there are about 21,380 Catholics out of a total population of 78.9 million; a small minority, although Catholics have been in Iran since the first days of the Church.
The leaders of these, as well as other countries, reject the premise that the freedom to live our lives according to our own interests, and to practice our faith, is a gift that comes to us from one source…and that single source is Almighty God. The Catechism insists: “The right to the exercise of freedom, especially in moral and religious matters, is an inalienable requirement of the dignity of the human person. This right must be recognized and protected by civil authority within the limits of the common good and public order” (ccc 1738). St. Paul says it this way: “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Cor 3:17). And, where is the Spirit of the Lord? In each and every one of us.
Of course, with our God-given gift of freedom comes the responsibility to use it correctly. The Catechism states: “God willed that we should be ‘left in the hand of our own counsel,’ so that we might of our own accord seek our Creator and freely attain our full and blessed perfection by cleaving to him” (ccc 1730). Responsibility is key when considering the God-given gift of freedom. The Catechism explains: “Freedom is the power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, to do this or that, and so to perform deliberate actions on one’s own responsibility. By free will one shapes one’s own life” (ccc 1731).
The Catechism continues: “As long as freedom has not bound itself definitively to its ultimate good which is God, there is the possibility of choosing between good and evil, and thus of growing in perfection or of failing and sinning” (ccc 1732). Therefore, it follows that “the more one does what is good, the freer one becomes. “There is no true freedom except in the service of what is good and just. The choice to disobey and do evil is an abuse of freedom and leads to ‘the slavery of sin’” (ccc 1733).
Unfortunately, when we consider the countries mentioned above (and others), it is immediately apparent that not all civil authorities protect the right of their citizens to exercise true freedom and responsibility or to see freedom as an “inalienable requirement of the dignity of the human person” (ccc 1738). Rather, these countries insist that every aspect of freedom remains the purview of the state alone. Being born into such countries ordinarily means that its citizens become indoctrinated into that system and falsely believe that the government has their best interests at heart.
The only way freedom really works, however, is when it is responsibly exercised. And, circumstances are slim, if present at all, when “freedom is responsibly exercised” under “ignorance, inadvertence, duress, fear, habit, inordinate attachments, and other psychological or social factors” (ccc 1735), something most apparent in countries like Afghanistan, Iran and Saudi Arabia, where the practice of one’s Christian faith is not permitted.
“From its outset, human history attests [to] the wretchedness and oppression born of the human heart in consequence of the abuse of freedom” (ccc 1739), which points to many circumstances still present in our world. In fact, in our world today, freedom and liberty have arrived at a crossroads of sorts where we can no longer assume that freedom is assured, even in our own country.
By the Catechism, we can assert that “every human person, created in the image of God, has the natural right to be recognized as a free and responsible being. All owe to each other this duty of respect. The right to the exercise of freedom, especially in moral and religious matters, is an inalienable requirement of the dignity of the human person. This right must be recognized and protected by civil authority within the limits of the common good and public order” (ccc 1738).
But, we must remember that “the exercise of freedom does not imply a right to say or do everything” (ccc 1740). The exercise of freedom means that we each have the right to say or do most anything and everything in a responsible way. Again, the only way freedom really works is when it is responsibly exercised.
Father Hillier serves as Director of the Diocesan Office of the Pontifical Missions, the Office for Persons with Disabilities, and Censor Librorum