In a recently published book, Faith and Politics: Selected Writings, by Joseph Ratzinger, Benedict XVI (Ignatius Press) the author refers to his predecessor, the late St John Paul II. Reflecting on “the multiplication of rights” in today’s society, Benedict makes the point that for John Paul II, “rights” did not mean the selfish individualism behind “my rights”; they meant, among other things, the right to religious worship, which he regarded as a fundamental human right, not to be compromised.
This right to religious worship which we take for granted, was a belief hammered out through suffering in John Paul II’s own life. He was 19 when the Germans invaded and destroyed his country, Poland, and 25 when the Communists moved in at the end of the war, instantly implementing their atheistic regime.
