French secularism allows the Church a place in society. The recent controversy over crucifixes in Italian schools has raised the question: At what point do the Church and State meet? According to Canon …More
French secularism allows the Church a place in society.
The recent controversy over crucifixes in Italian schools has raised the question: At what point do the Church and State meet? According to Canon Law professor Father Valdrini of Rome's Pontifical Lateran University, France seems to have found a certain balance to this debate in the concept of secularism. This is, in itself, a very French notion, an idea which originates historically in philosophy, politics, and the Enlightenment and which insists on the separation of Church and State.
“French secularism is defined above all by the state's neutrality. Historically, it is a relatively new idea that the state is absolutely free in terms of religion. There is no state religion in France, which is why it accepts religious pluralism. On the other hand, religions are absolutely free in the French state, except in respect to the public arena.”
During a speech at St. John Lateran Basilica in December of 2007, French President Nicolas Sarkozy tried to explain the meaning of secularism, adding to it the adjective ¨positive¨. It was a change of vocabulary that better reflects the true nature of French secularism.
“Non-positive secularism, an empty form of secularism, allowed the Churches to exist within the country, but only allowed it to move and teach within the private sector. It is here that we realize that they can have an importance in the social debate, with perspectives, for example, on ethics, morality, and above all on the things we desire most.”
For Fr. Valdrini, if secularism as it is lived in France cannot be a model for other European countries, it can still positively inspire the relations between Church and State, trying to pacify their sometimes complex relationships.
“In Europe, the majority of countries have completely distinct laws. Secularism is lived as the neutrality of the state; yet it is lived in very diverse ways, meaning, in its tradition, history, and the peoples' own identity, as one sees in Italy with the issue of the crucifix. There is a kind of uplifting, I would say [a type] of ascent, a response that does not accept that the crucifixes be taken out of the schools or the courts. While in France, it is a problem that is not considered at all. This is a good example of how each country has its own identity that secularism must respect.”
The recent controversy over crucifixes in Italian schools has raised the question: At what point do the Church and State meet? According to Canon Law professor Father Valdrini of Rome's Pontifical Lateran University, France seems to have found a certain balance to this debate in the concept of secularism. This is, in itself, a very French notion, an idea which originates historically in philosophy, politics, and the Enlightenment and which insists on the separation of Church and State.
“French secularism is defined above all by the state's neutrality. Historically, it is a relatively new idea that the state is absolutely free in terms of religion. There is no state religion in France, which is why it accepts religious pluralism. On the other hand, religions are absolutely free in the French state, except in respect to the public arena.”
During a speech at St. John Lateran Basilica in December of 2007, French President Nicolas Sarkozy tried to explain the meaning of secularism, adding to it the adjective ¨positive¨. It was a change of vocabulary that better reflects the true nature of French secularism.
“Non-positive secularism, an empty form of secularism, allowed the Churches to exist within the country, but only allowed it to move and teach within the private sector. It is here that we realize that they can have an importance in the social debate, with perspectives, for example, on ethics, morality, and above all on the things we desire most.”
For Fr. Valdrini, if secularism as it is lived in France cannot be a model for other European countries, it can still positively inspire the relations between Church and State, trying to pacify their sometimes complex relationships.
“In Europe, the majority of countries have completely distinct laws. Secularism is lived as the neutrality of the state; yet it is lived in very diverse ways, meaning, in its tradition, history, and the peoples' own identity, as one sees in Italy with the issue of the crucifix. There is a kind of uplifting, I would say [a type] of ascent, a response that does not accept that the crucifixes be taken out of the schools or the courts. While in France, it is a problem that is not considered at all. This is a good example of how each country has its own identity that secularism must respect.”