Posted September 12, 2017

Read Archbishop Charles Chaput’s reflection on next year’s 25th anniversary of the release of Veritatis Splendor — St. John Paul II’s encyclical on the “splendor of truth” — in the latest edition of First Things magazine.

Written to encourage a renewal in Catholic moral theology and a return to its classical Catholic roots, the encyclical 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 ennoble our lives. It is the only path to lasting happiness.

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

Read the full reflection on First Things.