‘The Splendor of Truth,’ and Why It Still Matters Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.

[Michie]

August 2023 marks the 30th anniversary of the release of Veritatis Splendor, John Paul’s great encyclical on the “splendor of truth.” Written to encourage a renewal in Catholic moral theology and a return to its classical Catholic roots, Veritatis Splendor grounds itself in a few simple convictions. Briefly put: Truth exists, whether we like it or not. We don’t create truth; we find it, and we have no power to change it to our tastes. The truth may not make us comfortable, but it does make us free. And knowing and living the truth ennobles our lives. It’s the only path to lasting happiness.

In the years that have passed, the crisis of truth, even within the Church, has only seemed to grow. Our age is one of casuistry and irony, not real intellect and character. Today the wisdom of Veritatis Splendor is more urgently needed than ever.

It’s common, even among people who identify as Catholics, to assume that the Church’s moral guidance is essentially about imposing rules, rules that breed a kind of pharisaism and the “exclusion” of otherwise decent, well-meaning people. But this is exactly wrong. It’s an error that radically misunderstands the substance of Catholic teaching. It’s also one of the worst obstacles to spreading the faith.

Continued below.

‘The Splendor of Truth,’ and Why It Still Matters

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.

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