3.5. What is “religious liberty,” and why is it a heresy?
“Religious liberty” as taught by Vatican II—that every person has a natural right to publicly practice any religion, even a false one—is a grave error condemned by the Catholic Church.
The Catholic Faith alone is true, because it was revealed by God Himself and entrusted to one Church—the Catholic Church—for the salvation of all men. No one has the right to error. While the Church may prudently tolerate false religions for civil peace, it has always insisted that error has no rights, and that the State has a duty to recognize and promote the true religion.
This was defined clearly by Pope Pius IX in Quanta Cura (1864), where he condemned the idea that every person has “the right to freedom of conscience and worship” as if false religions were on equal footing with the Catholic Faith.
Yet Vatican II’s Dignitatis Humanae (1965) taught the opposite: that all people have a civil right to religious liberty, even if their religion is false. This is not a development of doctrine—it is a contradiction. No Council or pope has the authority to overturn infallible Catholic teaching handed down by previous magisterium.
The error of religious liberty undermines the social Kingship of Christ, introduces religious indifferentism, and leads souls away from the one true Church established for salvation. That is why the Church has always rejected it—and why Catholics must reject it today.
| Category | Traditional Catholic Teaching | Vatican II Teaching | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nature of Truth | Only one true religion: the Catholic Faith | All religions contain some truth and deserve freedom | This leads to religious relativism |
| Right to Worship | No one has a right to publicly spread religious error | All persons have a civil right to religious liberty | Condemned explicitly by Pope Pius IX in Quanta Cura |
| Role of the State | Must recognize and support the true religion | Must be neutral and give equal protection to all religions | Denies Christ’s Kingship over nations |
| Religious Error | Can be tolerated for peace, not promoted as a right | Error given the same rights as truth | Violates the duty to protect the common good |
| Mission of the Church | To convert all nations to the Catholic Faith | To promote peace, dialogue, and religious coexistence | Destroys missionary zeal and salvation of souls |
Summary:
“Religious liberty” as proposed by Vatican II is a heresy because it contradicts infallible Catholic teaching on truth, salvation, and the kingship of Christ. The Church cannot grant a divine “right” to error, nor can it treat false religions as if they were equally pleasing to God.
Only the Catholic Church teaches the fullness of truth, and only through Her can man be saved. The promotion of religious liberty by Vatican II is not an act of mercy—it is a betrayal of souls.