Spanish archbishop warns against replacing morality with political correctness

Mar 19, 2007 / 10:09 am

Spanish archbishop warns against replacing morality with political correctness

In his weekly pastoral letter, Archbishop Agustin Garcia-Gasco of Valencia warned this week against replacing morality in public life with political correctness.

In a letter entitled, “In Response to the Current Situation in Spain,” the archbishop warned that “morality can never be substituted by other concepts that, in the end, are nothing more than a particular ideological doctrine, sometimes even designed to go against morality.”

“Perhaps what our society urgently needs is that we speak about morality; about good and evil, because relativism and so-called pragmatism must not confuse us,” he said.  “We Christians share the concern for freedom and justice because we do not live in a spiritual world that is foreign to society.”

For this reason, he went on, “the bishops’ opinions are not impositions, but rather the pure exercise of the freedom that belongs to the work of our ministry.  Therefore no one who is of a truly democratic frame of mind ought to be concerned about the bishops offering their considerations in benefit of the common good.”

Archbishop Garcia-Gasco said the bishops feel encouraged by the common ground they share with people who “do not share the gift of faith with us, but yet recognize our concern for the good of humanity and agree with our calls for a greater commitment to the dignity of all without ideological or partisan based discrimination.”

In conclusion the archbishop of Valencia encouraged all Spaniards to actively participate in public and social life with integrity and consistency.