Man's Freedom
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Simplified
Free to Choose (1730)
Man is created by God as a human person who can begin and control his own actions. He is meant to seek God and gain perfection by cleaving to him.
Good or Evil (1731-1733)
By freedom (rooted in his intellect and will), man has the power to act or not to act. He can shape his own life, mature in goodness, and gain a perfection which is rooted in God.
Until man attains God, he can choose to do good or evil, to grow in perfection or to sin. Because human acts are free, they are worthy of praise or blame.
By constantly doing good, man grows in freedom. Doing evil leads man into a "slavery of sin" (Rom 6:17).
Responsible for Acts (1734-1735)
A person is responsible for his voluntary acts. By progress in virtue, in knowledge of good, and in self-discipline, he gains greater mastery. Man's responsibility and imputability can be lessened or nullified by ignorance, fear, habits, or inordinate attachments or other factors.
God's Confrontations (1736-1737)
God confronted Eve, "What is this that you have done?" (Gen 3:13). He also confronted Cain, "What have you done?" (Gen 4:10). A person is responsible for any directly willed act. Also, an action can be indirectly voluntary (from negligence or ignorance).
A person is not responsible for an evil act if he did not will it and did not intend it as a means to an end. For example, a person might incur death while trying to help another. A person is responsible if they could have avoided the evil (as a drunk driver killing someone).
Respecting Freedom (1738)
Every human person must recognize the right of freedom in others. Exercising freedom, especially in moral or religious matters, is an inalienable right of the human person. This must be protected by civil authorities within the limits of public order.
Abuse of Freedom (1739-1740)
Human freedom refused God's love and became a slave to sin. The first sin has led to so many others. Human history attests that the problems of man come from man's abuse of freedom.
Freedom does not give man the right to say and do everything, because man's purpose is not his own earthly satisfaction. Man's blindness and injustice destroy the cultural conditions needed for freedom. Deviating from the moral law violates man's own freedom and imprisons him within himself.
Grace and Freedom (1741-1742)
"For freedom, Christ has set us free" (Gal 5:1) and saved us from sin's power. "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (1 Cor 17).
Christ's grace is not a rival to man's freedom. The person grows in inner freedom by being docile to God's Spirit. "Take away from us all that is harmful so we may freely accomplish your will" (Prayer - 32nd Sunday).
Five riveting true stories by people who have experienced supernatural Warnings. order »
Join the movement! Pray 12 minutes a day to help God save America. order »
Find friends in the world's largest directory of Catholic young adult groups. Learn More »
Our supporters have distributed tens of millions of life-changing Catholic gifts since 1991, making us America's largest producer of high-quality, super-affordable tools for evangelization. Join our work today!
See All Our Catholic Materials
Meet Bud Macfarlane, Our Founder
