Pope Benedict XVI's Discourse to Civil Authorities and the Diplomatic Corps
Discourse of Pope Benedict XVI Visit to the Prague Castle - (The Spanish Hall -
Prague Castle, 26 September 2009)
Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I
am grateful for the opportunity to meet, in such a remarkable setting, the political
and civil authorities of the Czech Republic and the members of the diplomatic community.
I warmly thank President Klaus for his kind words of greeting in your name. I also
express my appreciation to the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra for the musical performance
which opened our gathering, and which eloquently expressed both the roots of Czech
culture and the outstanding contribution which this nation has made to European culture. My
pastoral visit to the Czech Republic coincides with the twentieth anniversary of the
fall of the totalitarian regimes in Central and Eastern Europe, and the “Velvet Revolution”
which restored democracy to this nation. The euphoria that ensued was expressed in
terms of freedom. Two decades after the profound political changes which swept this
continent, the process of healing and rebuilding continues, now within the wider context
of European unification and an increasingly globalized world. The aspirations of
citizens and the expectations placed on governments called for new models of civic
life and solidarity between nations and peoples without which the long desired future
of justice, peace and prosperity would remain elusive. Such desires continue to evolve.
Today, especially among the young, the question again emerges as to the nature of
the freedom gained. To what end is freedom exercised? What are its true hallmarks? Every
generation has the task of engaging anew in the arduous search for the right way to
order human affairs, seeking to understand the proper use of human freedom (cf. Spe
Salvi, 25). And while the duty to strengthen “structures of freedom” is vital,
it is never enough: human aspirations soar beyond the self, beyond what any political
or economic authority can provide, towards a radiant hope (cf. ibid., 35) that
has its origin beyond ourselves yet is encountered within, as truth and beauty and
goodness. Freedom seeks purpose: it requires conviction. True freedom presupposes
the search for truth – for the true good – and hence finds its fulfilment precisely
in knowing and doing what is right and just. Truth, in other words, is the guiding
norm for freedom, and goodness is freedom’s perfection. Aristotle defined the good
as “that at which all things aim”, and went on to suggest that “though it is worthwhile
to attain the end merely for one man, it is finer and more godlike to attain it for
a nation or for city-states” (Nicomachean Ethics, 1; cf. Caritas in Veritate,
2). Indeed, the lofty responsibility to awaken receptivity to truth and goodness
falls to all leaders – religious, political and cultural, each in his or her own way.
Jointly we must engage in the struggle for freedom and the search for truth, which
either go together hand in hand or together they perish in misery (cf. Fides et
Ratio, 90). For Christians, truth has a name: God. And goodness has a face:
Jesus Christ. The faith of Christians, from the time of Saints Cyril and Methodius
and the early missionaries, has in fact played a decisive role in shaping the spiritual
and cultural heritage of this country. It must do likewise in the present and into
the future. The rich patrimony of spiritual and cultural values, each finding expression
in the other, has not only given shape to the nation’s identity but has also furnished
it with the vision necessary to exercise a role of cohesion at the heart of Europe.
For centuries this territory has been a meeting point between various peoples, traditions,
and cultures. As we are all aware, it has known painful chapters and carries the
scars of tragic events born of misunderstanding, war and persecution. Yet it is also
true, that its Christian roots have nourished a remarkable spirit of forgiveness,
reconciliation and cooperation which has enabled the people of these lands to find
freedom and to usher in a new beginning, a new synthesis, a renewal of hope. Is it
not precisely this spirit that contemporary Europe requires? Europe is more than
a continent. It is a home! And freedom finds its deepest meaning in a spiritual
homeland. With full respect for the distinction between the political realm and that
of religion – which indeed preserves the freedom of citizens to express religious
belief and live accordingly – I wish to underline the irreplaceable role of Christianity
for the formation of the conscience of each generation and the promotion of a basic
ethical consensus that serves every person who calls this continent, “home”! In this
spirit, I acknowledge the voice of those who today, across this country and continent,
seek to apply their faith respectfully yet decisively in the public arena, in the
expectation that social norms and policies be informed by the desire to live by the
truth that sets every man and woman free (cf. Caritas in Veritate, 9). Fidelity
to the peoples whom you serve and represent requires fidelity to the truth which alone
is the guarantee of freedom and integral human development (cf. ibid., 9).
Courage to articulate the truth in fact serves all members of society by shedding
light on the path of human progress, indicating its ethical and moral foundations,
and ensuring that public policy draws upon the treasury of human wisdom. Sensibility
to universal truth should never be eclipsed by particular interests, important though
they may be, for such would lead only to new examples of the social fragmentation
or discrimination which those very interest or lobby groups purport to overcome.
Indeed, far from threatening the tolerance of differences or cultural plurality, the
pursuit of truth makes consensus possible, keeps public debate logical, honest and
accountable, and ensures the unity which vague notions of integration simply cannot
achieve. In the light of the Church’s tradition of temporal, intellectual, and spiritual
charity, I am confident that members of the Catholic community – together with members
of other Churches, ecclesial communities, and religions – will continue to pursue
development goals that possess a more humane and humanizing value both in this nation
and beyond (cf. ibid., 9). Dear friends, our presence in this magnificent
capital, which is often spoken of as the heart of Europe, prompts us to ask in what
that “heart” consists. While there is no simple answer to that question, surely a
clue is found in the architectural jewels that adorn this city. The arresting beauty
of its churches, castle, squares and bridges cannot but draw our minds to God. Their
beauty expresses faith; they are epiphanies of God that rightly leave us pondering
the glorious marvels to which we creatures can aspire when we give expression to the
aesthetic and the noetic aspects of our innermost being. How tragic it would be if
someone were to behold such examples of beauty, yet ignore the transcendent mystery
to which they point. The creative encounter of the classical tradition and the Gospel
gave birth to a vision of man and society attentive to God’s presence among us. In
shaping the cultural patrimony of this continent it insisted that reason does not
end with what the eye sees but rather is drawn to what lies beyond, that for which
we deeply yearn: the Spirit, we might say, of Creation. At the present crossroads
of civilization, so often marked by a disturbing sundering of the unity of goodness,
truth and beauty and the consequent difficulty in finding an acceptance of common
values, every effort for human progress must draw inspiration from that living heritage.
Europe, in fidelity to her Christian roots, has a particular vocation to uphold this
transcendent vision in her initiatives to serve the common good of individuals, communities,
and nations. Of particular importance is the urgent task to encourage young Europeans
with a formation that respects and nurtures their God-given capacity to transcend
the very limits which are sometimes presumed to entrap them. In sports, the creative
arts and academic pursuit, young people welcome the opportunity to excel. Is it not
equally true that when presented with high ideals they will also aspire to moral virtue
and a life of compassion and goodness? I warmly encourage parents and community leaders
who expect authorities to promote the values which integrate the intellectual, human
and spiritual dimensions of a sound education worthy of the aspirations of our young. “Veritas
vincit”. This is the motto that the flag of the President of the Czech Republic
bears: In the end, truth does conquer, not by force, but by persuasion, by the heroic
witness of men and women of firm principle, by sincere dialogue which looks beyond
self-interest to the demands of the common good. The thirst for truth, beauty and
goodness, implanted in all men and women by the Creator, is meant to draw people together
in the quest for justice, freedom and peace. History has amply shown that truth can
be betrayed and manipulated in the service of false ideologies, oppression and injustice.
But do not the challenges facing the human family call us to look beyond those dangers?
For in the end, what is more inhuman, and destructive, than the cynicism which would
deny the grandeur of our quest for truth, and the relativism that corrodes the very
values which inspire the building of a united and fraternal world? Instead, we must
reappropriate a confidence in the nobility and breadth of the human spirit in its
capacity to grasp the truth, and let that confidence guide us in the patient work
of politics and diplomacy. Ladies and Gentlemen, with these sentiments I offer
prayerful good wishes that your service be inspired and sustained by the light of
that truth which is a reflection of the eternal Wisdom of God the Creator. Upon you
and your families I cordially invoke an abundance of divine blessings.