Pope says that the separation between State and Church does not mean that it should shut up

Pope Benedict XVI reported today that radical secularism is threatening the fundamental values of society and ensured that the legitimate separation between Church and State can not be understood as you first have to remain silent before certain items.

The Pope thus said in the speech addressed to a group of Bishops of United States, found in the Vatican for the traditional "ad limina apostolorum" visit, which are required to perform all the prelates of the world the Pope every five years and that you have the situation and problems of their dioceses.

The Bishop of Rome urged the bishops to maintain a key role to counter cultural currents "that on the basis of an extreme individualism aim to promote notions of liberty separated from moral truth".

The Pope pointed out that the vision of the world historically formed in faith and ethical principles derived from nature and u000aGod is being "eroded" by "powerful cultural currents that are not only opposed to the teachings of the judeo-Christian tradition, but they increasingly are more hostile to Christianity as".

The Pope added that these trends are trying to "reduce" the proclamation of the truth "in the name of a purely scientific rationality or try to delete it on behalf of political power".

"These cultural trends represent not only a threat to Christianity, but also for all mankind," denounced the Pope.

The Pope said that when a culture tries to delete the last mystery dimension, closing the doors to the transcendent truth, be it impoverishes and "is prey of reductionist readings and totalitarian".

Benedict XVI assured the defence that the church made of natural law is based on the conviction that this is not a threat to the freedom that allows us to form a world more just and humane, at the same time u000awho claimed the "public" nature of the testimony of the Church

"Her legitimate separation between Church and State does not mean that the Church should remain silent on certain topics, nor that the State can decide not to commit itself to certain values that form the nation", said Pope.

The Bishop of Rome added the Catholic community, in this case of United States, must be aware of the serious threats to the moral public witness of the Church presents radical secularism that is squeezed more and more in the political and cultural".

Benedict XVI urged the bishops to committed, so that human life is respected from the moment of conception until natural death, in the protection of the dignity of human beings and the promotion of human rights.

Also invited them to give coherent testimony, stating that it would be an important contribution to the total renovation of the u000asociety.

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