Doesn’t religious freedom contradict the rights of the Church to a “privileged status” in society?
Let us distinguish here between rights and privileges. Temporal rulers must always respect the essential freedom and rightful autonomy of the Church in pursuit of her divine mission. Bishop Ketteler states: “Freedom of the Church means the right of the church to manage her own affairs according to her own principles and to be subject only to the general laws of the state. We distinguish between freedom of the Church and privileges. In earlier times, the Church enjoyed various privileges which developed spontaneously because unity of Faith prevailed. Those are virtually extinct in our time, but the Church is able to survive without them. Nevertheless, let us not confuse privileges with legitimate rights, as often happens nowadays. The Church is entitled to the protection of her legitimate rights, just as any other legal personality.” In his 1953 “Ci Riesce” Address to Catholic Jurists, Pope Pius XII stated that Concordats are an “expression of collaboration between the Church and State.
