The Catholic Church has been deeply involved in promoting and defending human rights throughout its history, especially since the emergence of Catholic Social Teaching in the nineteenth century. Although its approach and strategies have evolved over time, its fundamental commitment to the person’s dignity has remained constant. This chapter explores how the Church has influenced the development of human rights, both theologically and in practice, and examines the contemporary challenges it faces in this field.
3.16.1 The Church as a Defender of Human Dignity: A Theological Perspective
Christian anthropology’s starting point is the belief that every person is created in God’s image and likeness (Genesis 1:27) and therefore possesses an innate dignity independent of social status, economic capacity, race, or gender. This concept has been fundamental to Catholic Social Teaching’s development and has served as a basis for its teachings on human rights. For the Church, defending human rights is not only an ethical imperative but also a requirement of faith.
Throughout history, the Church has contributed to developing an ethical framework that has influenced the understanding of human rights. From Saint Thomas Aquinas’s writings, which developed the concepts of natural law and the common good, to contemporary Vatican documents, the Church has defended a vision of human rights extending beyond simple individualism. For the Church, human rights make sense only in the context of communal responsibility and the pursuit of the common good.
Pope John XXIII, in his encyclical Pacem in Terris (1963), was among the first to articulate clearly the Church’s position on human rights in the modern era. Writing at the height of the Cold War, John XXIII defended the rights to life, religious freedom, work, and a dignified standard of living as fundamental elements of a just social order. This encyclical had a great impact not only on the Church but also on the ORGANIZATION-003, which incorporated many of its recommendations into its discourse on peace and development.
3.16.2 The Church and Declarations of Rights: From Vatican II to the UN
The Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) marked a milestone in the Church’s openness to promoting human rights internationally. The document Gaudium et Spes, one of the council’s most important constitutions, states that the dignity of the human person underlies all rights and that the Church must commit itself actively to defending this dignity. The Church, the document states, is aware that it has often lagged behind in promoting human rights, and therefore calls on all Christians to be ‘leaven in the dough’ of society and work for justice, peace, and mutual respect.
After Vatican II, the Church began participating more actively in international forums and collaborating with other religions and organizations to defend human rights. In 1979, Pope John Paul II delivered a famous speech at UN headquarters, emphasizing that ‘respect for human rights is the foundation of true peace.’ Having lived under Nazism and communism, John Paul II understood better than anyone the danger of totalitarian ideologies denying the person’s freedom and dignity.
During his long pontificate, John Paul II was a tireless defender of human rights, especially in his struggle against the culture of death, a term he used to refer to the death penalty, abortion, and euthanasia. In his encyclical Evangelium Vitae (1995), he called for creating a culture of life in which every person, from conception to natural death, is respected and protected. His commitment to human rights was not limited to defending life; he was also an outspoken critic of materialism and economic exploitation, insisting that human rights must be universal and indivisible.
3.16.3 The Church and Authoritarian Regimes: Defending Religious Freedom
One of the rights most strongly defended by the Church has been religious freedom. In many historical and contemporary contexts, the Church has been a courageous voice confronting regimes attempting to suppress this right. During the twentieth century, the Church faced totalitarian regimes on both sides of the political spectrum: Nazism, fascism, and communism. In these contexts, the Church became one of the principal defenders of freedom of conscience.
In Eastern Europe, the Catholic Church was one of the few institutions daring to oppose communist regimes publicly. In Hungary, Cardinal József Mindszenty was imprisoned and tortured for his resistance to communism. In Poland, the Church played a fundamental role in peaceful resistance, with Pope John Paul II inspiring the Solidarity movement led by Lech Wałęsa, which eventually led to the communist regime’s collapse in 1989.
In Latin America, the Church also assumed a role defending human rights against the military dictatorships that emerged in the 1970s and 1980s. Liberation Theology, although controversial, focused on defending the poor and denouncing structures of sin perpetuating oppression and violence. Many bishops and priests, such as Archbishop Romero in El Salvador, gave their lives defending their communities against state repression. Romero’s assassination while celebrating the Eucharist in 1980 became a symbol of the Church’s human rights struggle amid military brutality.
3.16.4 The Church and the Promotion of Migrants’ and Refugees’ Rights
One issue on which the Church has played an active role in recent decades is defending migrants’ and refugees’ rights. The Holy See has promoted policies of welcome, integration, and protection for people fleeing conflict, persecution, and poverty. Pope Francis has made this a priority of his pontificate, recalling that the Church must be a ‘Church with open doors’ and that every migrant is ‘an opportunity to encounter Christ.’
Globally, the Church administers reception centers, soup kitchens, and educational programs for migrants and refugees, and works with governments and international organizations to promote policies respecting every person’s dignity. The International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) and Caritas Internationalis have been key actors in defending these vulnerable populations’ rights, promoting initiatives facilitating family reunification, social integration, and access to education and health care.
In summary, the Church’s commitment to human rights has evolved from an internal moral responsibility into a global role in promoting and defending these rights. Through its teaching, institutions, and direct action, the Church remains one of the leading voices in the international arena advocating human dignity, religious freedom, and social justice.
