Solidarity is a fundamental obligation in social life. Its indications are still relevant not only in welfare states but also poor and stratified societies. Active solidarity of individuals is a necessary condition of liveliness of the society and its autonomy in relation to the state. It constitutes an antidote to anonymity and mass culture and guarantees the subjectivity of the society. The society as a whole has to manifest solidarity with the weakest individuals. Solidarity, which prevents disintegration of the social space and division of society into several separate worlds, gives a chance for a peaceful social life and creates conditions for shaping loyalty and the sense of unity with the society and the state. Solidarity leads us from the individual towards the society. Solidarity in this particular aspect manifests itself through maintaining the common ”rules of the game”, which facilitate proper functioning of the society as a whole.
Scientific and technical development is a great ally for the mankind. It helps solve various problems such as hunger, diseases or acquire new energy sources. However, it may as well lead to captivating a person or treating them like objects. Thus, in self- development it’s essential to keep both- ethical and personal as well as technological perspective prior to any other. Owing to them personal development can be properly oriented and used in the interests of a human being.
Benedict XVI is a prominent theologian and an insightful observer of social life. One of the topics to which he devotes a great deal of attention is the presence of Christianity and the Church in the public sphere. The title of this article refers to a speech made by the pope during the ad lamina visit of the bishops of the United States, in which he explicitly states that “the Church’s witness is of its nature public.”1 This article aims to answer the question: What role do the Church and Christianity play in the public sphere? This is a very topical issue that is worth exploring more thoroughly. Particularly inspiring here is the teaching of Benedict XVI, who presents the topic in an interesting and original way. The descriptive analytical method was used in the preparation of the text. The following detailed issues will be submitted in the presentation of the topic: characterization of the public sphere, the place of the Church in this sphere, and the inspiring character of Christianity in the culture of nations that remain in an invigorating dialogue with Christianity and the Church. This article intends to shed light on the inalienability of Christianity in the socio-political culture of the West.
The common good, solidarity and subsidiarity are social principles of natural law. They thus apply to every form of social life. Common life of religious sisters and brothers should also be shaped in their spirit. The realization of the charism of the Congregation, appropriate formation for religious life, adherence to the rules of common life and the evangelical manner of exercising authority are important elements of the common good. Solidarity in the life of the community manifests itself in the mutual responsibility of persons and communities for each other, the assistance to vulnerable individuals and communities in need, and through a commitment to the community. Subsidiarity in its negative aspect calls for respect to the autonomy and subjectivity of individuals and communities. However, the positive aspect presupposes complementary support provided by superiors and the entire religious family to persons and communities found in difficult situations.
PL
Dobro wspólne, solidarność i pomocniczość są społecznymi zasadami prawa naturalnego. Dotyczą więc każdej formy życia społecznego. W ich duchu należy kształtować również życie wspólne sióstr i braci zakonnych. Ważnymi elementami dobra wspólnego jest realizacja charyzmatu zgromadzenia, odpowiednia formacja do życia zakonnego, zachowanie reguł wspólnego życia i ewangeliczny styl sprawowania władzy. Solidarność w życiu wspólnoty przejawia się we wzajemnej odpowiedzialności za siebie osób i wspólnot, pomocy słabszym i będącym w potrzebie osobom i wspólnotom, a także zaangażowanie na rzecz wspólnoty. Pomocniczość w jej aspekcie negatywnym postuluje szacunek dla autonomii i podmiotowości osób i wspólnot. Natomiast aspekt pozytywny zakłada uzupełniającą pomoc świadczoną przez przełożonych i całą rodzinę zakonną osobom i wspólnotom znajdującym się w trudnej sytuacji.
Warunkiem trwania demokracji jest powrót do wielkiej moralnej tradycji chrześcijaństwa oddziałującego przez wieki na kulturę i narody Europy i innych kontynentów. Depozytariuszem wyrosłej z chrześcijaństwa, ale należącej do kultury moralnej ludzkości tradycji, jest m.in. Kościół katolicki uznający autonomię porządku doczesnego, w tym politycznego, pełniący wobec demokracji i rzeczywistości politycznej rolę „korekcyjną” polegającą na oczyszczaniu rozumu, by ten nieustająco powracał do swego potencjału i mógł odczytać „gramatykę” norm moralnych zawartą w naturze.
EN
The condition for democracy to exist is the return to the great moral tradition of Christianity which has influenced the culture, European nations and countries of other continents for centuries. The depositary of the tradition which originates from Christianity but belongs to the moral culture of mankind is, among others, the Catholic Church, which recognizes the autonomy of the temporal order, including the political one. The Church plays a “corrective” role for democracy and political reality, which is based on purifying the reason so that it constantly returns to its potential and can interpret the “grammar” of moral norms contained in nature.
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