Pope Benedict XVI Underlined the Role of the Conscience as the "Bulwark Against all Forms of Tyranny."
"The quality of social and civil life and the quality of democracy depend in large measure on this 'critical' point - conscience, on the way it is understood and the way it is informed," he said to representatives of key sectors of Croatian society and the Diplomatic Corps during his two-day visit to Croatia.
"If, in keeping with the prevailing modern idea, conscience is reduced to the subjective field to which religion and morality have been banished, then the crisis of the West has no remedy and Europe is destined to collapse in on itself. If, on the other hand, conscience is rediscovered as the place in which to listen to truth and good, the place of responsibility before God and before fellow human beings [...], then there is hope for the future." Sources: http://www.zenit.org/article-32769?l=english http://www.zenit.org/article-32759?l=english (Address to World of Politics, Culture and Business)