8.48. Isn’t it a beautiful thing that the Church now supports religious freedom and respects all faiths?
Since Vatican II, many Catholics have come to believe that religious liberty—the idea that every person has a natural right to follow and publicly express any religion—is a sign of the Church’s “maturity,” “openness,” or “respect for conscience.” They praise Dignitatis Humanae (1965) for finally bringing the Church “in line” with modern democratic values.
But this idea is not Catholic—it is a condemned heresy. The true Church has always taught that only the Catholic religion is true, and only it has the right to be publicly promoted and protected. False religions are immoral, because they deny Christ, promote error, and endanger souls. The state has the duty, when possible, to recognize the Catholic Church as the one true religion and to restrain the public spread of heresy and blasphemy. The new doctrine of religious liberty contradicts the consistent magisterium of the Church, which always taught that truth alone has rights—not error.
Below is a clear doctrinal comparison.
| Category | Traditional Catholic Doctrine | Vatican II / Novus Ordo Teaching | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fundamental Principle | Truth has rights; error has none | Every person has a natural right to publicly profess any religion | Condemned by *Quanta Cura* (Pope Pius IX) and *Libertas* (Pope Leo XIII) |
| Purpose of the Church | To convert all peoples to the one true Faith | To promote mutual respect and religious pluralism | The Church cannot “respect” religions that deny Christ and the sacraments |
| State’s Role | Should recognize the Catholic religion as the true one and support it | Must remain neutral and allow public worship of all religions equally | State neutrality was condemned by popes such as Pius XI (*Quas Primas*) |
| False Religions | Are “pernicious sects” (Pius IX), sources of error, and cannot lead to salvation | Contain “elements of truth” and can contribute to the good of society | This contradicts *Mortalium Animos* and *Syllabus of Errors* (error #15) |
| Human Dignity | Rooted in man’s creation in the image of God—but always subject to truth and divine law | Used as justification for freedom of conscience, even to reject truth | Misuse of “dignity” elevates man’s will over God’s revealed truth |
| Public Worship | Only the Catholic religion may be promoted or practiced publicly with state support | All religions have the right to public expression and propagation | This was formally condemned by the Church (*Syllabus of Errors*, #77–79) |
| Ecumenical Outcome | Call all non-Catholics to conversion and renunciation of error | Promote religious harmony without requiring conversion | False unity without truth leads souls away from Christ and the Church |
| Scriptural Basis | “Go, teach all nations… teaching them to observe all things” (Matt. 28:19–20) | “God respects freedom of conscience”—(selectively quoted and misapplied) | Scripture teaches **obedience to truth**, not freedom to reject it |
| Fruits | Conversion of nations, Catholic confessional states, Christian civilization | Indifferentism, apostasy, rise of Islam and paganism, anti-Christian governments | “By their fruits you shall know them” (Matt. 7:16)—the new doctrine leads to apostasy |
Summary:
The true Catholic Church has always taught that only the Catholic Faith is true, and that governments and societies have a duty to support and protect it, while restricting the public spread of error. This does not mean coercing belief, but it rejects the idea that man has a natural right to spread heresy or blasphemy.
Vatican II’s Dignitatis Humanae promotes a heretical view of religious liberty, condemned by numerous popes. It elevates human autonomy above divine revelation, and replaces the social kingship of Christ with pluralism, secularism, and apostasy.
As Pope Pius IX infallibly taught:
“It is false to claim that liberty of conscience and worship is a right granted to man by nature... This is one of the errors most fatal to the Catholic Church and to the salvation of souls.”