Fr. Raymond J. de Souza: ‘Veritatis Splendor’ and the Spirituality of Youth

The final Mass of World Youth Day Lisbon coincided with the 30th anniversary of Veritatis Splendor, one of the most important encyclicals of the entire post-conciliar period.

Pope St. John Paul II formally signed it on the Transfiguration, Aug. 6, 1993, though, as is customary for Vatican documents, it was not released until later (Oct. 5).The anniversaries of Veritatis Splendor have been well marked, both on the 25th and now the 30th, in light of the encyclical’s landmark importance for moral theology. But the document was also infused with a spirituality of youth, the fruit of John Paul’s long pastoral experience with university students.

The link between Veritatis Splendor and John Paul’s pastoral approach to youth is deep and profound. This past week illustrated that Pope Francis takes a different approach. …