The voice of the Church in the life of a country must not be perceived as exerting “undue pressure” on the State. It’s part of the “free democratic process”: so said Archbishop Jean-Pierre Ricard of Bordeaux, president of the French Episcopal Conference, in his closing address to the bishops’ general assembly on 10 November. During their assembly the bishops devoted lengthy reflection to the relation between Church and society. In his concluding speech, Ricard once again underlined the French Church’s recognition of the secular State and added: “This independence, however, does not mean that no relation should exist between Church and State, or that religion should be relegated to the sphere of personal convictions”. “The rightful autonomy between State and religious community explained Ricard with everything that implies, such as the rejection of reciprocal interference, does not mean that the Church should remain silent about proposed legislation or situations that may seriously threaten man and respect for his rights. The Church’s intervention in such cases must not be perceived as undue pressure but as the offer of a reflection that forms part of the free democratic process”. The bishops therefore ask that “the practice of secularism” by the State be “vigilant and receptive”: vigilant because “it is the responsibility of the State” to protect “peaceful social co-existence between all the members of society”; receptive because “this vigilance must not fuel distrust but, on the contrary, favour the acceptance of the various spiritual and religious families”. “Fear of certain forms of Islamic expressions or of the sects added Ricard risks spreading a generalised distrust of every form of religious expression. The proposal, for example, to prohibit the adoption or display of any religious symbol in schools seems to us a regression of religious freedom”. “True secularism concluded Ricard is what helps to promote better co-existence between all the members of society”.
