Veritatis splendor
Veritatis Splendor ("the shine of truth") of August 6, 1993 is the tenth encyclical of Pope John Paul II. It bears the subtitle: To all bishops of the Catholic Church - on some fundamental questions of ecclesiastical moral teaching . Using selected passages from the Holy Scriptures, the connections between Christ , the Church and the morally good with regard to the life of people are clarified.
First chapter
Master, what good must I do? - Christ and the answer to the moral question
With the passage Mt 19,16 EU ( Master, what good must I do in order to attain eternal life? ) Christ himself is presented as the answer to the moral question of man and with the promise of Jesus Christ of his abiding presence ( Seid Certainly: I am with you every day until the end of the world ( Mt 28.20 EU ) affirmed.
second chapter
Do not conform to the way of thinking of this world! (Rom 12, 2) - The Church and the judgment of some tendencies of today's moral theology
In the second chapter, the Pauline call to the Christians of Rome not to conform to "the way of thinking of this world" ( Rom 12.2 EU ) is supported by very different biblical passages and the role of the church in assessing some tendencies of today's moral theology is worked out. The relationship between freedom and law, conscience and truth, basic decision and concrete behavior with regard to moral action are the individual steps of this section, which in turn concludes with a thought from Romans ( Rom 3 : 8 EU ) that one does not do evil may on the grounds that this would create good.
third chapter
So that the cross of Christ is not deprived of its strength (1 Cor 1, 17) - the moral good for the life of the church and the world
These clarifications are primarily necessary so that the cross is not deprived of its strength ( 1 Cor 1.17 EU ). Christ set us free ( Gal 5,1 EU ) to be free, but to walk in the light and do what is morally good. At the end of this chapter, the Pope explains to the bishops their responsibility.
