What Does It Mean To Be Really Free?

"Freedom does not mean the right to do whatever one wants. Freedom is not license! Whoever turns freedom into license has already dealt it a mortal blow. The free person is bound to the truth; otherwise their freedom has no more permanence than a lovely dream that vanishes on waking. The person does not owe their existence to themself, but is a creature of God."

"In our society of consumerism and image, we easily run the risk of losing ourselves, of ending ‘in pieces.’ A shattered mirror can no longer reflect the whole image. It has to be remade. The person thus needs a deep and stable center around which he can unify his various experiences. This center, as St. Augustine teaches, is not to be sought outside of oneself, but deep in one’s own heart, where one meets God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. In the relationship with God who is unity, man can unify himself."

"The call for a sincere gift of self is the fullest way to realize our personal freedom."

"The maturing process of the person must be fostered; persons must be helped to develop their social, cultural, moral and religious dimensions through the proper use of freedom."

"I wanted to remind the men and women of our time, who are tempted by scepticism and relativism, of the fundamental dignity of reason and its innate ability to attain truth."

"The overall formation of the human personality must lead to integral growth in its relations with the world, with others and especially with God. He alone is good (cf. Mt. 19:17)."

"Freedom is and remains such only when it is combined with responsibility and achieved through it. And responsibility can ultimately be owed only to the one who is the guarantor of true freedom: God himself."