Sponsored by the Pontifical Academy for Social Sciences, the event is one of many being held in Rome and beyond this year to celebrate the legacy of St. Thomas Aquinas, the Italian Dominican friar and doctor of the Church who died in 1274.
In particular, Pope Francis highlighted the importance of Aquinas’ articulation of man’s social character and ability to discern the natural law through the use of reason as especially relevant to addressing contemporary social challenges.
“Today it is essential to recover an appreciation of this ‘natural inclination to seek the truth about God and live in society’ to shape social thought and policies in a way that fosters rather than impedes the authentic human flourishing of individuals and peoples,” said Pope Francis, quoting from Aquinas’ “Summa Theologiae.”
The concept of the natural law has been criticized by some in the West as effectively a religious framework used to influence society. A recent report in Politico, for instance, described it as “a core pillar of Catholicism” that is being used to advance “Christian nationalist” causes such as protecting the sanctity of life or promoting sexual ethics consistent with human nature.
But Pope Francis offered a very different perspective, emphasizing that natural law is for everyone. In fact, the pope said the Angelic Doctor’s articulation of natural law is accessible to all — regardless of whether they are Catholic or not — maybe even more important now, precisely because the world is increasingly interconnected and Western society is marked by cultural diversity and religious pluralism.
“Thomas’ confidence in a natural law written within the human heart can thus offer fresh and valid insights to our globalized world, dominated by legal positivism and casuistry, even as it continues to seek solid foundations for a just and humane social order,” Pope Francis observed.
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