Truth does not depend on the majority, Spanish archbishop says

Dec 5, 2004 / 22:00 pm

In his traditional weekly letter, Archbishop Agustin Garcia-Gasco of Valencia, Spain, called on Catholics to “awaken their sleeping consciences” in response to “essential” questions such as the defense of live, love, God, freedom and marriage, among others.

The archbishop warns in his letter, “We no longer know how to defend the right to life of each human being from the moment of conception to the last moment of his or her existence.”  He also observed that there is even hesitation “to defend the family based on marriage as the foundation of a civilized society with aspirations for the future,” and at the same time, many “question whether religion is beneficial for people and for the building of a modern and progressive society.”

In response to those who claim that “we only have the majority left as a criterion for truth,” Archbishop Garcia-Gasco recalled that “the great ethical issues of humanity do not depend on the majority,” as the history of the 20th century has shown, with “too many cruel examples.”

The archbishop exhorted Catholics of the need to “awaken our sleeping consciences,” but he recalled as well that this “does not depend on our personal tastes or whims, but rather it stems from a grasp of reality,” and consequently, “it is not dependent on the majority.”

“When consciences are in the dark,” he warned, “when people are not educated towards a properly formed conscience, it is difficult to live in freedom.”

“The stubborn rejection of the teaching of religion in schools, the omission of our Christian roots, the attempt to lock the Church up in the sacristy, the manipulation of the Christian message—isn’t the intention here to keep one’s conscience asleep?  Who is it that is interested in young people losing sight of the evident certainties that make peace and true democracy possible?” he asked.

The archbishop also underscored in his letter that in order to awaken consciences, the best thing is “draw close to the light of the Gospel, which provides marvelous perspectives to human reason in this area.”

The Gospel “offers certainties for defending life fearlessly, with joy; it helps us understand the beauty of marriage and the family; it drives out fear and channels true religious sentiments,” he added.

Christian faith “is a treasure for society and culture,” the archbishop argued.  Without it, “our horizon is darkened,” he concluded.