The Splendor of Freedom in Theory and Practice: The Complementary Moral Theologies of John Paul II and Francis

Freedom is a central issue in Veritatis Splendor , with John Paul II particularly concerned about freedom’s proper relationship to truth in contrast to a relativistic vision of freedom as complete license. In defending this position, John Paul II emphasizes the theoretical ideal of freedom as the abiding human capacity to do what is right, with the help of grace. This profound vision of freedom is best honored and preserved when joined in conversation with the understanding of freedom found in Francis’s moral theology, which complements John Paul II’s emphasis on the theoretical ideal by accounting for the challenges moral agents face in their efforts to put this ideal into practice. Recent developments in the concept of structural sin in Catholic theology help to explain how both John Paul II’s and Francis’s interpretations of freedom can be read in continuity with one another, yielding a more comprehensive vision of freedom that does justice to the already and not yet of Christian eschatology, ensuring that this crucial component of the legacy of Veritatis Splendor can continue to guide the church.