Pope Benedict: “The church is a society, based on convictions, that knows it is responsible for all. The church engages in dialogue with such freedom in order to achieve the creation of common freedom”

When Benedict XVI came to Lourdes in 2008, he told the bishops: “The church does not claim the place of the state. The church has no wish to substitute itself for the state. The church is a society, based on convictions, that knows it is responsible for all and cannot be limited just to itself. The church speaks with freedom, and engages in dialogue with such freedom in order to achieve the creation of common freedom.”