• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Effie Caldarola
          • John Garvey
          • Father Ed Dougherty, M.M.
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
Pope Francis blesses a statue presented by a woman during his general audience in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican Oct. 6, 2021. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

Jesus, the source of truth, sets people free, pope says at audience

October 6, 2021
By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service
Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — By remaining in Jesus, Christians are free because his truth transforms their lives and guides them away from the slavery of sin toward what is good, Pope Francis said.

“The call is above all to remain in Jesus, the source of truth who makes us free,” the pope said Oct. 6 during his weekly general audience.

“Christian freedom, therefore, is founded on two fundamental pillars: first, the grace of the Lord Jesus; second, the truth that Christ reveals to us and which is he himself,” he said.

Pope Francis greets bishops during his general audience in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican Oct. 6, 2021. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

The pope continued his series of talks on St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians by looking at the apostle’s struggle to convince people of their freedom in Christ and of the need to resist becoming slaves of the law.

“The apostle could not bear that those Christians, after having known and accepted the truth of Christ, allowed themselves to be attracted to deceptive proposals,” he said. They moved “from the liberating presence of Jesus to slavery, to sin, to legalism and so forth. Even today, legalism is one of our problems for so many Christians who take refuge in legalism, in sophistry.”

As the Gospel of John explained, Jesus pointed the way to Christian freedom, saying, “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

St. Paul continues that teaching, saying people are called to “remain in Jesus, the source of truth who makes us free,” the pope said.

Christian freedom is founded on the grace of the Lord as it is “a gift which was given to us in baptism,” he said.

It is a “mystery of love,” he said, that “we are free from slavery to sin by the cross of Christ. Right there, where Jesus allowed himself to be nailed, making himself a slave, God placed the source of the liberation of the human person.”

Therefore, a Christian “should be free and is called not to return to being a slave of precepts and strange things,” he said.

Freedom is built on truth, he said, and “the truth of faith is not an abstract theory, but the reality of the living Christ, who touches the daily and overall meaning of personal life.”

“Freedom makes free to the extent to which it transforms a person’s life and directs it toward the good,” he said. This is why “truth must disturb us” and make a person feel restless.

“Restlessness is a sign that the Holy Spirit is working inside us, and freedom is an active freedom that comes from the grace of the Holy Spirit. This is why I say that freedom must disturb us, it must constantly question us, so that we might always plunge deeper into what we really are,” Pope Francis said.

“Remaining free is arduous, it is a struggle, but it is not impossible,” he said. “Courage! Let’s make progress regarding this; it will be good for us.”

The love that comes from the cross of Christ “guides and sustains us” and points the way to happiness,” he said.

Also see

Journey toward Catholic-Orthodox unity began with an embrace, pope says

Canon law must be part of church’s mission of mercy, pope says

Cardinal sends message to charismatic Catholics gathered in Dubai

No one can or will change the nature of the priesthood, cardinal says

Pope offers condolences to mourners at Indi Gregory’s funeral

Cardinal Parolin to read pope’s address to climate conference in Dubai

Copyright © 2021 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Print Print

Primary Sidebar

Carol Glatz

Catholic News Service is a leading agency for religious news. Its mission is to report fully, fairly and freely on the involvement of the church in the world today.

View all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • St. Maria Goretti Regional Catholic High School confirms closure
  • The St. Andrew Novena: Prayerful preparation for Christmas
  • Bishop Barron criticizes synod report’s suggestion scientific advances could shift church morality teaching
  • Gregory Farno appointed new archdiocesan schools chancellor
  • Pope planning to withdraw Cardinal Burke’s Vatican salary, sources say

| Latest Local News |

Powerful masterpiece: Beloved rendition of Handel’s Messiah coming to Baltimore Basilica

Gregory Farno appointed new archdiocesan schools chancellor

St. Maria Goretti Regional Catholic High School confirms closure

| Latest World News |

Ave Maria University offers free Catholic online courses highlighting the true, good, beautiful

Journey toward Catholic-Orthodox unity began with an embrace, pope says

Sandra Day O’Connor, first woman on the U.S. Supreme Court, dies at 93

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Movie Review: ‘Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé’
  • Let the warmth of Advent pull the bleak midwinter from you
  • Ave Maria University offers free Catholic online courses highlighting the true, good, beautiful
  • Journey toward Catholic-Orthodox unity began with an embrace, pope says
  • Sandra Day O’Connor, first woman on the U.S. Supreme Court, dies at 93
  • ‘I had Indi baptized to protect her,’ says father of 8-month-old British girl at her funeral
  • Canon law must be part of church’s mission of mercy, pope says
  • Cardinal sends message to charismatic Catholics gathered in Dubai
  • No one can or will change the nature of the priesthood, cardinal says

Search

Membership

Catholic Media Assocation

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2023 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED