In a previous episode we saw that Pope John Paul II discussed the relationship of truth and freedom. Today we see that freedom and God’s law also go together. Jesus points out to the young man that the commandments are…
In VS §14, the Pope writes affirms the essential connection between the two great commandments. Both the Old and the New Testaments explicitly affirm that without love of neighbour, made concrete in keeping the commandments, genuine love for God is…
As we saw in our last post, obedience to God is a duty for the Christian whose fulfillment is found in eternal life. But the fruit of holy living is found not only in the next life, but also in…
After providing a definition of natural law in VS §12, Pope John Paul II continues in the same section with excellent remarks concerning the connection between eternal life and obedience to God. Consequently, after making the important clarification: “There is…
In VS §12 Pope John Paul II provides a definition of “natural law:” Only God can answer the question about the good, because he is the Good. But God has already given an answer to this question: he did so…
Protestants are just plain wrong when they say that Catholics believe in salvation by works. This canard is nothing more than pseudo-knowledge grounded on (at best) misunderstanding. In VS §§10-11 we see JPII affirm the Catholic view once again. The…
When we talk about what is good, in the long run what we say has to do with God. Writing about Mt 19:16-21, Pope John Paul II says: Jesus says: “Why do you ask me about what is good? There…
Here I am with the third post on the subject, and only now am I getting to what JPII says is the purpose of Veritatis Splendor. Sorry. The specific purpose of the present Encyclical is this: to set forth, with…
In Veritatis Splendor §4 Pope John II writes concerning truth and freedom: Today, however, it seems necessary to reflect on the whole of the Church’s moral teaching, with the precise goal of recalling certain fundamental truths of Catholic doctrine which,…
I don’t have a specific quotation for this point, but the encyclical opens with an insistence upon a morality that is founded on love for God and union with Christ. Without these things, Christian morality is dead. However much we…
Aquinas, Etc. 