What is Freedom?

by CAPP-USA

What is freedom? Freedom is seeking God and living by His will, reflecting our dignity as human beings.

What is freedom? To seek God, do His will, and reflect human dignity.

It’s More than You Think

The Catholic Church has a nuanced and profound understanding of freedom, which is central to its moral and social teachings.

She views freedom as a precious and integral aspect of human life that should be exercised in alignment with moral truth and the common good.

True freedom involves making choices that reflect one’s dignity and respect for others, and it is ultimately found in living in accordance with God’s will and moral law.

Here are some key points about what the Church says about freedom:

Freedom is a Gift and Responsibility: Freedom is a gift from God and an essential aspect of human dignity. It allows individuals to make choices and to shape their lives in accordance with their values and beliefs. However, with this gift comes responsibility. True freedom involves choosing what is good and just, in alignment with moral truths.
Freedom and Moral Law: Genuine freedom is not simply the ability to do whatever you want; it is the ability to choose the good. This understanding of freedom is grounded in moral law, which is seen as a guide to help us make choices that are in harmony with God’s will. True freedom is realized when I freely choose to follow God’s commandments and live according to divine law.
Freedom and Truth: Freedom and truth are closely linked. Authentic freedom is found in living according to the truth, which is revealed by God and accessible through reason and divine revelation. This implies that freedom is not just the absence of constraints but is about living in a way that is true to one’s nature and ultimate purpose.
Freedom and Social Order: Individual freedom must be exercised in a way that respects the rights and dignity of others and contributes to the common good. Freedom is not an absolute right without limits; it is always exercised within the context of social responsibility. The Church advocates for laws and social structures that protect human rights and promote justice, while also recognizing the need for personal freedom and initiative.
Freedom of Conscience: Individuals should be free to follow their moral and religious convictions. However, this freedom must be exercised in a way that respects the rights of others and the truth. The Church acknowledges that the formation of conscience requires guidance and education to ensure that it aligns with moral truth.
Freedom and Sin: Human freedom is often compromised by sin and moral failure. Sin can lead to a misuse of freedom, where we choose what is wrong or harmful. However, Jesus Christ offers redemption and liberation from sin, restoring the possibility of true freedom through repentance and conversion.

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Three circles containing symbols of the three principles of catholic social teaching: human dignity, subsidiarity, and solidarity.

Three Key Principles

Catholic social teaching is built on three foundational principles - Human Dignity, Solidarity and Subsidiarity. Human Dignity, embodied in a correct understanding of the human person, is the greatest. The others flow from it. Good governments and good economic systems find ways of fostering the three principles.

Human Dignity

This means a correct understanding of the human person and of each person’s unique value. All Catholic social teaching flows from this: the inherent dignity of every person that comes from being made in God’s image.

Solidarity

Solidarity is not “a feeling of vague compassion or shallow distress at the misfortunes of others. It is a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good”. (Pope St. John Paul II, 38) Love of God and love of neighbor are, in fact, linked and form one, single commandment.

Subsidiarity

Subsidiarity “is a fundamental principle of social philosophy, fixed and unchangeable, that one should not withdraw from individuals and commit to the community what they can accomplish by their own enterprise and industry. So, too, it is an injustice and at the same time a grave evil and a disturbance of right order to transfer to the larger and higher collectivity functions which can be performed and provided for by the lesser and subordinate bodies”. (Pope Pius XI)

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