Bishop Crepaldi: Benefits and Limits of Western Democracies

Bishop Crepaldi: Benefits and Limits of Western Democracies July 11, 2007

Source: Zenit

Bishop Giampaolo Crepaldi, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, said at the end of a symposium on Trinitarian theology that “[d]emocracy is an instrument at the service of communion among people and, to be able to exercise this role, it must relate to something other than itself.”

The bishop considered two elements that characterize democracies: “access to free elections” and “public debate.” He did not think these were sufficient because “non-manipulated public dialogue and participation in the debate on political issues” are guaranteed, the value of democracy is kept to “the procedural.”

So what is a true democracy according to Bishop Crepaldi?

“Truly useful democracy for the maturation of a universally human community is, therefore, the one understood not only as political and electoral freedom, not only as equality in the public debate, but also and above all as protection and development of the person.”


For the complete discussion on democracy and the dual vision of the human person adopted by Western democracies, visit Zenit.


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