With a view to showing the present relevance of the declaration Dignitatis humanae, the article develops by expounding, in the first place, the foundation of the dignity of the person through a deepening of the notion of freedom in relation to truth and goodness, secondly, by pursuing the same procedure at the theological level through a deeper understanding of the freedom of the believing conscience, and finally through confronting the theme of law. Regarding the third point, examination is made of (...) the reasons by which such law needs to assume the form of civil law and the conception of the democratic and lay state that is presupposed. (shrink)