Then, the Pope spoke of the "challenges that today’s global society throws at the announcement and consistent practice of Christian life", recalling that "worrying phenomena, which seriously endanger security and peace, can be observed virtually anyywhere in the world. I am speaking in particular he said to the Central Asian Bishops of the plague of violence and terrorism, the spreading of extremism and fundamentalism. Of course, such plagues need to be fought with legal measures. However, by no means may the force of law turn into iniquity; nor may the free practice of religions be limited, since freely professing one’s faith is one of the fundamental and universally-acknowledged human rights". In this respect, he explained that "the Church does not impose but freely proposes the Catholic faith, well aware that conversion is the mysterious fruit of the action of the Holy Spirit. Faith is God’s gift and work. That’s why any form of proselytism that forces or induces or leads one, with inappropriate tricks, to embrace faith is forbidden". A conditioning-free spiritual life, according to Benedict XVI, "is beneficial not only to the individual but to the whole of society, because the faithful obeisance of God’s precepts helps build a fairer and more charitable cohabitation".
