GEORGIA BULLETIN
THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 1963
Supernation Proposed To Guard Rights
POPE JOHN XXIII chose for his papal coat of arms his
family insignia of a tower flanked by two lilies, with the
addition of the Lion of St. Mark. The Lion of St. Mark is
the emblem of Venice, where the new Pope, as Angelo Cardi
nal Giuseppe Roncalli, had been Patriarch since 1953. An open
book held by the lion has the Latin inscription; “Peace to
you, Mark my evangelist.” Completing the design are the
Papal tiara and the keys of St. Peter.
societies on their own initiative
and on their mvn responsibility
in order to achieve their desired
objectives. (20»
We ourselves stated in the
encyclical "Mater et Magistra"
that, for the achievement of
ends which individual human
beings cannot attain except by
association, it is necessary and
indispensable to set up a great
variety of such intermediate
groups and societies in order to
guarantee for the human person
a sufficient sphere of freedom
and responsibility. (21)
The Right to Emigrate
and Immigrate
Every human being has the
right to freedom of movement
and of residence within the con-
i.ncs of his own country; and,
when there are just reasons for
it, the right to emigrate to
other countries and take up
residence there. (22) The fact
that one is a citizen of a par
ticular state does not detract
in any way from his membership
of the human family as a whole,
nor from his citizenship of the
world community.
Political Rights
The dignity of the human
person involves the right to
takp an active part in public
affairs and to contribute one's
part to the common good of
the citizenry. For, as our prede
cessor of happy memory. Pius
XII, pointed out: The human
individual, far from being an
object and, as it were, a merely
passive element in the social
order, is in fact, must be and
must continue to be, its subject,
its foundation and its end. (23)
The human person is also en
titled to a juridical protection
of his rights, a protection that
should be efficacious, impartial
and inspired by the true norms
of justice.
As our predecessor Pius XII
teaches: That perpetual privi
lege proper to man, by which
every individual has a claim to
the protection of his rights, and
by which there is assigned to
each a definite and particular
sphere of rights, immune from
all arbitrary attacks, is the
logical consequence of the order
of justice willed by God. (24)
Rights and Duties Necessar*
il.v Linked in the One Per
son
The natural rights with which
we have been dealing are, how
ever, Inseparably connected, in
the very person who is their
subject, with just as many re
spective duties; and rights as
well as duties find their source,
their sustenance and their in
violability in the natural law
which grants or enjoins them.
For example, the right of
every man to life is correlative
with the duty to preserve it:
his right to a decent standard
of living with the duty of living
it becomingly; and his right to
investigate the truth freely,
with the duty of seeking it arid
of possessing it ever more com
pletely and profoundly.
Reciprocity of Rights and
Du! os Beiwc 'n Persons
Once this Is admitted, it is
also clear that in human society
to one man’s right there corre
sponds a duty in all other per
sons: the duty, namely, of ac
knowledging and respecting the
right in question. For every
fundamental human right
draws its indestructible moral
force from the natural law.
which, in granting it. imposes
a eon responding obligation.
Those, therefore, who claim
their own rights, yet altogether
forget or neglect to carry out
their respective duties, are peo
ple who build with one hand
and destroy with the other
Mutual Collaboration
Since men are social by na
ture they are meant to live with
others and to work for one an
other's welfare. A well-ordered
human society requires that
men recognize and observe their
mutual rights and duties. It
also demands that each con
tribute generously to the estab
lishment of a civic order in
which rights and duties are pro
gressively more sincerely and
effectively acknowledged and
fulfilled.
It is not enough, for example,
to acknowledge and respect
every man’s right to the means
of subsistence: One must also
strive to obtain that he actu
ally has enough in the way of
food and nourishment.
The society of men must not
only be organized but must
also provide them with abun
dant resources. This certainly
requires that they observe and
recognize their mutual rights
and duties: It' also requires that
they collaborate together in the
many enterprises that modern
civilization either allows or en
courages or even demands.
The dignity of the human per
son also requires that every man
enjoy the right to act freely and
responsibly. For this reason,
therefore, in social relations
man should exercise his rights,
fulfill his obligation: and, In
the countless forms of collabo
ration with others, aat chiefly
on his own respnsibility and
initiative. This is to be done in
such a way that each one sets
on hi3 own decision, of set pur
pose and from a conciousness of
his obligation, without being
moved by force or pressure
brought to bear on him exter
nally. For any human society
that is established on relations
of force must be regarded as in
human, inasmuch as the person
ality of its members is repressed
or restricted, when in fact they
should be provided wjith ap
propriate incentives and means
for developing and perfecting
themselves.
Social Life in Truth. Justice,
Charity and Freedom
A political society is to be
considered well-ordered, benefi
cial and in keeping with human
dignity if it is grounded on
truth. As the Apostle Paul ex
horts us: "Away with falsehood
then; let everyone speak out
the truth to his neighbor; mem
bership of the body binds us to
one another.’’ (25) This demands
that reciprocal rights and du
ties be sincerely recognized.
Furthermore, human society
will be such as we have just
described It, if the citizens,
guided by Justice, apply them
selves seriously to respecting
the rights of others and dis-
charging their own duties; if
they are moved by such fervor
of charity as to make their own
the needs of others and share
with others their own goods:
If, finally, they worlc for a pro
gressively closer fellowship in
the world of spiritual values.
Human society is realized in
freedom, that is to say, in ways
and means in keeping with the
dignity of its citizens, who ac
cept the responsibility of their
actions, precisely because they
are by nature rational beings.
Human society, venerable
brothers and beloved children,
ought to be regarded above all
as a spiritual reality: in which
men communicate knowledge to
each other in the light of truth:
in which they .can enjoy their
rights and fulfil their duties,
and are inspired to strive for
moral good. Society should en
able men to share in and enjoy
every legitimate expression of
beauty, and encourage them
constantly to pass on to others
all that is best in themselves,
while they strive to make their
own the spiritual achievements
of others. These are the spiritual
values which continually give
life and basic orientation to
cultural expressions, economic
and social institutions, political
movements and forms, laws, and
all other structures by which
society is outwardly established
and constantly developed.
God and the Moral Order
The order which prevails in
society is by nature moral.
Grounded as it is in truth, it
must function according to the
norms of justice, it should be
inspired and perfected by mu
tual love, and finally it should
be brought to an ever more re
fined and human balance in
freedom.
Now an order of this kind,
whose principles are universal,
absolute and unchangeable, has
its ultimate source in the one
true God, who is personal and
t ranscends human nature. Inas
much as God is the first truth
and the highest good. He alone
is that deepest source from
which human society can draw
its vitality, if that society is to
be well-ordered, beneficial, and
in keeping with human dig
nity. (26) As St. Thomas Aqui
nas says: "Human reason is
the norm of the human will,
according to which is goodness
is measured, because reason de
rives from the eternal law which
is the divine reason itself. It is
evident then that the goodness
of the human will depends much
more on the eternal law than
on human reason." f 27j
Characteristics of the
Present
Our age has three distinctive
characteristics. First of all, the
working classes have gradually
gained ground in economic and
public affairs. They began by
claiming their rights in the so
cio-economic sphere; they ex
tended their action then to
claims on the political level; and
finally applied themselves to
the acquisition of the benefits of
a more refined culture. Today,
therefore, workers all over the
world refuse to be treated as if
they were irrational objects
without freedom, to be used at
the arbitrary- disposition ot
others. They insist that they
be always regarded as men with
a share in every sector of hu
man society: in the social and
economic sphere, in the fields of
learning and culture, and in
public life.
Secondly, it is obvious to
everyone that women are now
taking & part in public life. This
is happening more rapidly, per
haps, in nations of Christian
civilization, and, more slowly
but broadly, among peoples who
have inherited other traditions
or cultures. Since women are be
coming ever more conscious of
their human dignity, they will
not tolerate being treated as
mere material instruments, but
demand rights befitting a hu
man person both in domestic
and in public life.
Finally, the moncm world, as
compared with the recent past,
has taken on an entirely new
appearance in the field of social
and political life. For since all
nations have either achieved or
are on the way to achieving
independence, there will soon no
longer exist a world divided into
nations that rule others and na
tions that are subject to others.
Men all over the world have
today—or will soon have—the
rank of citizens in independent
nations. No one wants to fee!
subject to political powers lo
cated outside his own country
or ethnic group. Thus in very-
many human beings the inferi
ority complex which endured
for hundreds and thousands o.
years is disappearing, while in
others there is an attenuation
and gradual fading of the cor
responding superiority complex
which had its roots in social-
economic privileges, sex or po
litical standing.
On the contrary, the con
viction that all men ar© equal
by reason of their natural dig
nity has been generally ac
cepted. Hence racial discrimi
nation ran no longer be jus
tified, at least doctrinally or
m theory. And this is of funda
mental importance and signifi
cance for the formation of hu
man society according to those
principles which we have out
lined above. For, if a man be
comes conscious of his rights,
he must become equally aware
of his duties. Thus he who pos
sesses certain rights has like
wise the duty to claim those
rights as marks of his dignity,
while all others have the ob
ligation to acknowledge those
rights and respect them.
When the relations of human
society are expressed in terms
of rights and duties, men be
come conscious of spiritual val
ues. understand the meaning
and significance of truth, jus
tice, charity and freedom, and
become deeply aware that they
belong to this world of values.
Moreover, when moved by such
concerns, they are brought to
a better knowledge of the true
God who is personal and trans
cendent, and thus they make
the ties that bind them to God
the solid foundations and su
preme criterion of their lives,
both of that life which the;
live interiorly in the depths o'
their own souls and of that in
which they are united to other
men in society.
Human society can be
neither well-ordered nor pros
perous unless it has some peo
ple invested with legitimate au
thority to preseve its institu
tions and to devote themselves
as far as is necessary to work
and care for the good of all.
Those, however, derive their
authority from God. as St.
Paul teaches in the words,
"Authority comes from God
alone.’’ (28) These words of St.
Paul are explained thus by St.
John Chrysostom:'What are you
saying? Is every ruler appoint
ed by God? I do not say that,
he replies, for I am not deal
ing now with individual rulers,
but with authority itself. What
I say is, that it is the divine
widsom and not mere chance
that has ordained that there
should he government, that
some should command and
others obey. (29) Moreover,
since God made men social by
nature, and since no society can
hold together unless some one
be over all, directing all to
strive earnestly for the com
mon good, every civilized com
munity must have a ruling au
thority, and this authority, no
less than society itself, has its
source in nature, and has, con
sequently, God for its au-
self. (31)
But authority is not to be
thought of as a force lacking
all control. Indeed, since it is
the power to command accord
ing to right reason, authority
must derive its obligatory force
from the moral order, which
in turn has God for its first
source and final end. Where
fore our predecessor of happy
memory, Pius XII. said: "That
same absolute order of beings
and their ends .which presents
man as an autonomous person,
that is, as the subject of in
violable duties and rights, and
as at once the basis of society
and the purpose for which it
exists, also includes the state
as necessary society invested
"‘ith the authority without
which it could not come into
being or live. . . . And since
this absolute order, as we learn
from sound reason, especially
from the Christian faith, can
have no origin save in a per
sonal God who is our Creator,
it follows that the dignity of
the state’s authority is due to
its sharing to some extent in
the authority of God him
self. 31
Where the civil authority
uses as its only or its chief
means either threats and fear
of punishment or promises of
rewards, it cannot effectively
move men to promote the com
mon good of all. Even if it
did so move them, this would
be altogether opposed to their
dignity as men, endowed with
reason and free will. As au
thority is chiefly concerned
wiWi moral force, it follows
that civil authority must ap
peal primarily to the conscience
of individual citizens. th?J is, to
each one’s duty to collaborate
readily for the common good
of all. Since by nature all men
are equal in human dignity, it
follows that no one may be
coerced to perform interior acts.
That is in the power of God
alone, who secs and judges the
hidden designs of men's hearts.
Those therefore who have au
thority in the state may oblige
men m conscience only if their
authority is intrinsically relat
ed with the authority of God
and shares in it. 132)
By this principle the dignity
<>f the citizens is protected.
When, in fact, men obey their
rulers, it is not all as men
that they obey them, but
through tlicir obedience it is
