Church’s role in democratic society

Angele Deguara’s contribution, Let’s Give Caesar His Due (March 16) needs to be discussed further. She states “as Malta moved forward in its journey towards a modern, democratic and pluralistic state the Church’s role as the main moral arbiter of society started being questioned as has its role in the political arena”.

In a democratic society various forces are competing with each other and the Church is one of these forces. In politics policies are formulated and laws promulgated in view of the good of society as a whole. The Church, with her teachings, has as her main goal the dignity of the human person and the common good of society. That the Church is a moral force that may influence decisions taken by the powers that be should be regarded as an asset in a democratic society and not a hindrance.

Ms Deguara, in her comments, agrees with the good that the Church is doing in our society but she wants to limit her influence.

The Church is still needed today

Today, more than ever, because of the various means and influences of mass communications, we need to listen to the voice of the Church which is, as the Psalmist says, “a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).

Ms Deguara also states that “the Church has for centuries had the privilege of setting the standards of morality for society and expected the state to observe and respect these standards”. How misleading is such reasoning! Is it the Church that has the privilege of setting the standards or is it our society that is being privileged for having such organisations as the Church to set moral standards?

Should we throw everything on board because we are a modern, pluralistic, democratic society? Why should we be guided by universal ethical principles, as Ms Deguara suggests, rather than by the moral standards of the Church once such standards are for the common good of society as a whole?

Since the teachings of the Church deal with the human person her role as a moral force cannot but affect all spheres of society including the economical and political levels. The reason why the world at large is passing through an economical crisis is mainly the lack of moral standards when dealing with profits and expansions of certain economies.

We still need the Church today to be our beacon of light especially when we are confused. We need the Church to be our moral force that sets the right standards for our modern, pluralistic and democratic society.