Libertas ecclesiae

The libertas ecclesiae (Latin for church freedom ) is the freedom and independence of the self- employed as an understanding of Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church.

Church freedom in the Middle Ages

Church freedom was the central slogan of the reform of Pope Gregory VII and thus a "key term" the Investiture Controversy. Church freedom, the freedom of the Church of oppression, specifically meant especially for Gregory VII:

• ( investiture ) may decide that the church free from interference by laymen and in particular use their bishops;
• That the whole Church is under the de facto and where necessary also direct leadership of the Pope;
• And that the Pope in the whole of Christendom ( " christianitas " ) has the highest power.

In the further development until the thirteenth century, the concept of church freedom the epitome of all God-given, or of human rights was, in the formula of Innocent IV: " libertas ecclesiastica consistit in privilegiis ". ( The Church's freedom consists in privileges. )

Second Vatican Ecumenical Council

In the Declaration on Religious Freedom Dignitatis Humanae of the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church claims freedom not only on the basis of all people and communities are entitled to right of religious freedom, but also based on their loaned ( in their understanding ) of Christ mission and authority:

The freedom of the Church is the fundamental principle in the relations between the Church and the public authorities and the whole civil order. In human society, and in the face of every public authority, the church lays claim to freedom as a spiritual, Christ the Lord instituted authority, which by divine mandate, the duty to go into all the world to preach the gospel to every creature.