Religion & Law

As I mentioned earlier this week, the International Theological Commission (ITC) has been meeting in its final session and met earlier today with Pope Benedict. As you may recall, the ITC has been working on a document concerning a search for a universal ethics that brings a new examination into the moral natural law. The address of the Holy Father is here, however it is still only available in Italian (versione originale). As I previously mentioned, it will be some time before the final text is released by the ITC, and this was confirmed by the pope when he stated (my translation), ?it must still be subject to the final review of the ITC according to its norms.? However, the Holy Father hastened to add that this work must be done expeditiously for there is necessity and urgency to make the ITC?s work accessible in order ?to create in the civil culture and political society a consciousness that makes the value of the moral natural law indispensable.? He added that ?the natural law constitutes the authentic guarantee to everyone for living in freedom and receiving respect in human dignity knowing that they are defended from any ideological manipulation and any abuse perpetrated by the law of might? (versus the law of right).

As I previously stated, I shall be on the lookout for the release of the ITC?s final text. But, in the meantime, I thought that MOJ contributors and readers would be interested in this development.

RJA sj