President Nicolas Sarkozy of France rejected calls for secular values to be enshrined in his country’s constitution and urged religious leaders to do more to spread their message in the country. “A secular society is one which has decided to separate churches from the state, so the state doesn’t have to account for its choices to churches, and churches don’t depend on the state to live and organize—this is secularity, a secular republic,” he told religious leaders at a traditional New Year meeting on Jan. 25. “But this doesn’t mean churches, respecting the law, are forbidden from speaking. Nor does it mean your words shouldn’t go beyond the walls of your places of worship. That would be a strange idea of democracy: Everyone has a right to speak, except you.” He said it would be a “strange schizophrenia” to preserve France’s religious heritage while insisting religions had “nothing more to say, offer and impart.”
Sarkozy on Secularity
Show Comments (
)
Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.
The latest from america
Is the pope out of danger? No. Is he in danger of death right now? Also no.
The White House began an effort to restore relations with Russia as President Trump repeats Russia’s narrative and talking points about the origins of the war on Ukraine.
Joining Ashley and Zac to cover the cosmos on this week’s episode of “Jesuitical” is Guy Consolmagno, S.J., the director of the Vatican Observatory and author of the new book, A Jesuit’s Guide to the Stars: Exploring Wonder, Beauty, and Science.
The stories about Catholics that Hollywood tells—and awards—has as much to do with what is happening with the church off-screen as what is shown on-screen.