Stanowisko soboru watykańskiego II wobec rozdziału Kościoła od państwa

Abstract

The paper presents the change in the doctrine of the Church which took place at the Second Vatican Council with respect to the system of separation of Church and State. It consists of two parts. The first part shows the discussion which was going on at the second Vatican Council on the problems connected with separation of Church and State. The authors of the projects of the Dogmatic Constitution on Church and the Declaration of Religious freedom, took a traditional attitude towards this system, i.e. a negative one. However, the Fathers of the Council speaking in the discussion on these projects insisted on a revision of this attitude, argueing that, among others, the system of separation is not realized in particular countries in the same way, and that it favours a stronger sense of responsibility for the Church with the congregation than the concordatory system. The second part of the paper discusses the basic principles contained in the Council’s resolutions (especially in the Constitution Gaudium et spes No 76 and in the Declaration Dignitatis humanae) on the relations between Church and State. They are as follows: pluralism of the autlooks on life, autonomy and mutual independence of Church and State, religious freedom and the freedom of the Church, reasonable cooperation of Church and State for the common good of the same people. The Council-refrained from a definite pronouncement on the separation of Church and State. However, the above principles which should be appied in every country, postulate a separation of Church and State rather than a close unity between them.