In my recent Encyclical,Sollicitudo rei socialis, I argued that the violation of fundamental human rights constitutes a kind of impoverishment as serious as any material poverty. In this regard, I have often stressed the necessity of democratic and participatory forms of government for the growth of an orderly political life. Indeed, “the health” of a political community—as expressed in the free and responsible participation of all citizens in public affairs, in the rule of law and in respect for and promotion of human rights—is the necessary condition and sure guarantee of the development of ‘the whole individual and of all people’.3 Only where human freedom is fostered and protected can a social order develop which is capable of responding to the needs and aspirations of the men and women of today.

Two years ago, in the course of my second Pastoral Visit to the United States, I was pleased to recall that from the very beginning of America’s history freedom has been the principle at the basis of the formation of all well-ordered society. The Constitution of the United States bears eloquent witness to your country’s belief that the freedom of individuals is indispensable for the common good. Accordingly, the United States has come to enjoy an experience, tested by time, that a disciplined and generous freedom is the path to peace, to a just social order and to the achievement of the good of the nation.

During my Pastoral Visit I recall having spoken on the theme of freedom at the Ecumenical Prayer Service held in Columbia, South Carolina. On that occasion, I expressed the conviction that there can be no true freedom without moral accountability. The conquest of freedom does not lie in rejecting objective norms of conduct or in refusing to assume personal responsibility. True freedom implies that we acknowledge our accountability for the good that we fail to do and the evil we commit. The strength or weakness of individuals and of whole societies depends on how clearly they grasp this moral imperative.4

Dramatic events in recent months have drawn the world’s attention to the enduring desire of entire peoples to experience the blessings of freedom and self-determination. Yet, as the lessons of your country’s history have demonstrated, these blessings are often secured at great

2Sollicitudo rei socialis, 15.3 Ibid., 44.4 September 11, 1987.

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Acta Apostolicae Sedis: Issue 4, April, 1990

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