Jan Paweł II o sektach

Abstract

From the very beginning of its existence the Church has had to take up disputes with religious, philosophical and cultural thought. In this way it has been able to maintain its own identity, define itself and “tell” the world the basic truths of the Gospel. A belief in possibilities of good in man, enriched by the activity of God, was the source of the pastoral optimism of Pope John Paul II and a vision of a civilization in which love and life will rule. Simultaneously, bravely and consistently he pointed at particular dangers of the present religious culture. An example of this might be Pope's pastoral attitude to the phenomenon of sects and a broadly understood New Age trend. As a result of cooperation between the Secretariat for Christian Unity, the Secretariat for Non-Believers and the Pontifical Council for Culture a document was published by the Holy See in 1986 “Sects or new religious movements. A pastoral challenge” It was prepared on the basis of about 75 addresses and documents received before October 30, 1985 from regional and national Episcopate Conferences. In his address on the World Day of Migration in 1990 enitled “The Danger of Prozelytism of Religious Sects” John Paul II gave the subject of sects detailed consideration. In 1991 Pope John Paul II assembled a special meeting of cardinals, a special consistory, in order to discuss the issues which he considered immediate. One of the subjects was an increase of “new religious movements” The subject of pastoral response to the phenomenon of the appearance of sects in social life was present in many speeches and homilies of John Paul II. Teaching on dangers caused by delusion and manipulation of sects was also present in the last address of John Paul II to the young of the whole world, published on the occasion of the 20th World Youth Day in Cologne (it was held on August 15-21, 2005), which has a special, symbolic meaning of the pope's last will left to the young. The pastoral attitude of John Paul II to sects and new religious movements had a fully biblical justification. It stemmed from his personal conviction, which he expressed many times, that pastoral activity has to take up tasks and challenges posed by the contemporary world.