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Pope John Paul II Quotes

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Famous Pope John Paul II Quotes

“Faith intervenese not to abolish reason's autonomy nor to reduce its scope for action, but solely to bring the human being to understand that in these events it is the God of Israel who acts.”

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Book:Faith and Reason: Encyclical Letter Fides Et Ratio of the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Relationship Between Faith and Reason
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“Born and nurtured when the human being first asked questions about the reason for things and their purpose, philosophy shows in different modes and forms that the desire for truth is part of human nature itself.”

FirstsHumansDifferentReasonPhilosophyShowsFormDesirePurposeBornHuman BeingsHuman NatureTruth Is
Book:Faith and Reason: Encyclical Letter Fides Et Ratio of the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Relationship Between Faith and Reason
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“No one else can want for me. No one can substitute his act of will for mine. It does sometimes happen that someone very much wants me to want what he wants. This is the moment when the impassable frontier between him and me, which is drawn by free will, becomes most obvious. I may not want that which he wants me to want - and in this precisely I am incommunicabilis. I am, and I must be, independent in my actions. All human relationships are posited on this fact.”

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Author:Pope John Paul II
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“Humankind, which discovers its capacity to transform and in a certain sense create the world through its own work, forgets that this is always based on God's prior and original gift of things that are. People think that they can make arbitrary use of the earth, subjecting it without restraint to their wills, as though the earth did not have its own requisites and a prior God-given purpose, which human beings can indeed develop but must not betray.”

PeopleThinkingWorldHumansUseEarthPurposeCertainGivenHuman BeingsForgetCapacityOriginalsBetrayHumankindRestraintArbitrary
Author:Pope John Paul II
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“Certain elements of today's ecological crisis reveal its moral character. First among these is the indiscriminate application of advances in science and technology. Many recent discoveries have brought undeniable benefits to humanity. Indeed, they demonstrate the nobility of the human vocation to participate responsibly in God's creative action in the world. Unfortunately, it is now clear that the application of these discoveries in the fields of industry and agriculture have produced harmful long-term effects.”

WorldFirstsHumansLongCharacterTodayActionCertainHumanityTermMoralTechnologyCreativeClearEffectsFieldsIndustryElementsBenefitsDiscoveryCrisisEnvironmentalLong TermApplicationSustainabilityAgricultureVocationNobilityEcologicalScience And TechnologyMoral CharacterAdvances In ScienceEcological Crisis
Author:Pope John Paul II
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“If humanity today succeeds in combining the new scientific capacities with a strong ethical dimension, it will certainly be able to promote the environment as a home and a resource for...all...and will be able to eliminate the causes of pollution and to guarantee adequate conditions of hygiene and health for small groups as well as for vast human settlements.”

IfsHumansWellsHomeTodayAbleHumanityStrongCausesEnvironmentGroupsConditionsSucceedResourcesCapacityEnvironmentalDimensionsGuaranteesEthicalSustainabilityPollutionAdequateSettlementSmall GroupsCombiningHygiene
Author:Pope John Paul II
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“Technology that pollutes can also cleanse, production that amasses can also distribute justly, on condition that the ethic of respect for life and human dignity, for the rights of today's generations and those to come, prevails.”

HumansTodayTechnologyRightsGenerationsConditionsEthicsDignityEnvironmentalProductionsSustainabilityHuman DignityToday's Generation
Book:Celebrate the Third Millennium: Facing the Future with Hope
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“What does our generation owe to generations yet unborn? ...there is an order in the universe which must be respected, and... the human person, endowed with the capability of choosing freely, has a grave responsibility to preserve this order for the well-being of future generations.”

HumansWellsPersonsDoeOrderUniverseResponsibilityGenerationsEnvironmentalGravesWell BeingPreservesCapabilitySustainabilityFuture GenerationUnbornOur GenerationOrder In The Universe
Author:Pope John Paul II
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“Yes, the South-becoming always poorer-and the North-becoming always richer ...Richer, too in the resources of weapons with which the superpowers and blocs can mutually threaten each other. In the light of Christ's words (Mt. 25), this poor South will judge the rich North. And the poor people and poor nations-poor in different ways, not only lacking food, but also deprived of freedom and other human right-will judge those people who take these goods away from them, amassing to themselves the imperialist monopoly and political supremacy at the expense of others.”

PeopleWayHumansDifferentLightPoliticalNationsChristPoorRichJudgingBecomingWeaponsResourcesSouthEnvironmentalDifferent WaysGoodsExpensesSustainabilityLackingPoor PeopleMonopolyDeprivedSuperpowerSupremacyLight Of ChristPoor Nations
Author:Pope John Paul II
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“There is a growing threat to the environment, to the vegetation, animals, water and air. Sacred Scripture hands us the image of Cain who rejects his responsibility: 'Am I my brother's keeper?' The Bible shows the human person as his brother's keeper and the guardian of creation which has been entrusted to him.”

HumansPersonsHas BeensShowsHandsWaterAnimalResponsibilityEnvironmentGrowingAirCreationBrotherSacredThreatEnvironmentalScriptureMy BrotherRejectsGuardianStewardshipKeepersCainVegetationSacred Scripture
Author:Pope John Paul II
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“Interdependence must be transformed into solidarity based upon the principle that the goods of creation are meant for all. That which human industry produces through the processing of raw materials with the contribution of work must serve equally for the good of all.”

HumansPrinciplesCreationProduceMaterialsIndustryContributionGoodsTransformedSolidarityInterdependenceRaw MaterialsProcessing
Book:The Encyclicals of John Paul II
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“Attention is riveted on what is tangible, useful, instantly available; the stimulus for deeper thought and reflection may be lacking. Yet human beings have a vital need for time and inner quiet to ponder and examine life and its mysteries... Understanding and wisdom are the fruit of a contemplative eye upon the world, and do not come from a mere accumulation of facts, no matter how interesting.”

WorldNeedsHumansMayMatterFactsEyeUnderstandingHuman BeingsInterestingAttentionMysteryQuietReflectionMereFruitAvailableDeeperLackingAccumulationStimulusTangiblePonderingContemplative
Author:Pope John Paul II
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“Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth- in a word, to know himself- so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves.”

KnowsMenHumansHeartMayTwoReasonInspirationSpiritDesireFaithKnowingMen And WomenCatholicWingsChristian InspirationalContemplationHuman HeartHuman SpiritFullnessLoving GodFaith And Reason
Book:Faith and Reason: Encyclical Letter Fides Et Ratio of the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Relationship Between Faith and Reason
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“Once the truth is denied to human beings, it is pure illusion to try to set them free. Truth and freedom either go together hand in hand or together they perish in misery.”

TryingHumansHandsTogetherFreedomHuman BeingsTruth IsPureIllusionMiseryDeniedHand In Hand
Book:Faith and Reason: Encyclical Letter Fides Et Ratio of the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Relationship Between Faith and Reason
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“An effective proclamation of the Gospel in contemporary Western society will need to confront directly the widespread spirit of agnosticism and relativism which has cast doubt on reason's ability to know the truth, which alone satisfies the human heart's restless quest for meaning.”

KnowsNeedsHumansHeartReasonGodSpiritAbilityDoubtAtheismWesternCastsContemporaryQuestsHuman HeartRestlessAgnosticismRelativismProclamationWestern Society
Author:Pope John Paul II
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“Love the family! Defend and promote it as the basic cell of human society; nurture it as the prime sanctuary of life. Give great care to the preparation of engaged couples and be close to young married couples, so that they will be for their children and the whole community an eloquent testimony of God's love.”

GivingHumansChildrenWholeCareYoungCommunityMarriageCoupleMarriedCellsPreparationEngagedPrimeNurtureTestimonySanctuaryGod's LoveEloquentHuman SocietyMarried CouplesLasting Marriage
Author:Pope John Paul II
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“Every scientist, through personal study and research, completes himself and his own humanity. ... Scientific research constitutes for you, as it does for many, the way for the personal encounter with truth, and perhaps the privileged place for the encounter itself with God, the Creator of heaven and earth. Science shines forth in all its value as a good capable of motivating our existence, as a great experience of freedom for truth, as a fundamental work of service. Through research each scientist grows as a human being and helps others to do likewise.”

WayHumansDoeHelpingEarthScienceValuesHumanityHeavenGrowsFreedomHuman BeingsExistenceStudyCapableResearchScientistFundamentalsShiningCreatorHelping OthersEncountersPrivilegedHeaven And EarthScientific ResearchGreat ExperiencesEarth Science
Author:Pope John Paul II
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“Motherhood involves a special communion with the mystery of life, as it develops in the mother's womb. The mother is filled with wonder at this mystery of life, and 'understands' with unique intuition what is happening inside her. In the light of the 'beginning', the mother accepts and loves as a person the child she is carrying in her womb. This unique contact with the new human being developing within her gives rise to an attitude towards human beings - not only towards her own child, but every human being - which profoundly marks the woman's personality.”

GivingHumansChildrenPersonsLightMotherHuman BeingsAttitudeAcceptingWonderMysterySpecialPersonalityUniqueHappeningsAnd LoveMarkFilledIntuitionMotherhoodContactDevelopingCommunionWombMystery Of Life
Author:Pope John Paul II
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“The dignity of the human person is a transcendent value, always recognized as such by those who sincerely search for the truth. Indeed, the whole of human history should be interpreted in the light of this certainty. Every person, created in the image and likeness of God (cf. Gn 1:26 28), is therefore radically oriented towards the Creator, and is constantly in relationship with those possessed of the same dignity. To promote the good of the individual is thus to serve the common good, which is that point where rights and duties converge and reinforce one another.”

ShouldHumansPersonsWholeLightValuesIndividualCommonPovertyRightsDutyDignityCreatorCertaintyGenocidePossessedHuman HistorySincerelyTranscendentCommon GoodCfsRights And Duties
Author:Pope John Paul II
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“America you are beautiful . . . and blessed . . . . The ultimate test of your greatness is the way you treat every human being, but especially the weakest and most defenseless. If you want equal justice for all and true freedom and lasting peace, then America, defend life.”

IfsWayWantHumansAmericaBeautifulJusticeHuman BeingsGreatnessEqualTestsUltimateTreatsBlessedAbortionLastingPro LifeTrue FreedomDefenselessYou Are BeautifulJustice For AllProlifeEqual JusticeCatholic Pro Life
Book:A Pilgrim Pope: Messages for the World
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“The inviolability of the person which is a reflection of the absolute inviolability of God, finds its primary and fundamental expression in the inviolability of human life. Above all, the common outcry, which is justly made on behalf of human rights-for example, the right to health, to home, to work, to family, to culture- is false and illusory if the right to life, the most basic and fundamental right and the condition for all other personal rights, is not defended with maximum determination.”

IfsHumansPersonsMadeHomeCultureCommonRightsConditionsExampleExpressionReflectionDeterminationAbsolutesFundamentalsHuman RightsPrimariesHuman LifeAbortionBehalfMaximumIllusoryRight To LifePersonal Rights
Author:Pope John Paul II
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“A man, even if seriously sick or prevented in the exercise of its higher functions, is and will be always a man ... [he] will never become a 'vegetable' or an 'animal,'" the Pope said. "The intrinsic value and personal dignity of every human being does not change depending on their circumstances.”

IfsMenHumansDoeSaidValuesHuman BeingsAnimalHigherCircumstancesExerciseDignitySickFunctionVegetablesPopeEuthanasiaIntrinsic ValuePersonal Dignity
Author:Pope John Paul II
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“Taking into account these distinctions, in harmony with the Magisterium of my Predecessors[81] and in communion with the Bishops of the Catholic Church, I confirm that euthanasia is a grave violation of the law of God, since it is the deliberate and morally unacceptable killing of a human person.”

HumansPersonsLawChurchAccountsHarmonyCatholicKillingGravesAbortionDistinctionCommunionDeliberateViolationCatholic ChurchBishopsPredecessorsEuthanasia
Author:Pope John Paul II
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“The new evangelization calls for followers of Christ who are unconditionally pro-life who will proclaim, celebrate, and serve the Gospel of life in every situation. A sign of hope is the increasing recognition that the dignity of human life must never be taken away, even in the case of someone who has done great evil. I renew the appeal I made ... for a consensus to end the death penalty, which is both cruel and unnecessary.”

HumansMadeEndsDoneEvilChristSituationCasesTakenDignityCelebrateRecognitionAppealsHuman LifeFollowersUnnecessaryPenaltiesConsensusDeath PenaltyPro Life
Author:Pope John Paul II
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“For a stalk to grow or a flower to open there must be time that cannot be forced; nine months must go by for the birth of a human child; to write a book or compose music often years must be dedicated to patient research ...To find the mystery there must be patience, interior purification, silence, waiting.”

WritingYearsHumansChildrenBookInspirationFaithGrowsWaitingSilenceMysteryFlowerMonthsBirthResearchCatholicPatientChristian InspirationalNineDedicatedInteriorsStalkingPurificationNine Months
Author:Pope John Paul II
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“The Rosary mystically transports us to Mary's side as she is busy watching over the human growth of Christ in the home of Nazareth. This enables her to train us and to mold us with the same care, until Christ is ''fully formed'' in us... Why should we not once more have recourse to the Rosary, with the same faith as those who have gone before us?”

ShouldHumansHomeInspirationCareFaithSidesGrowthChristGoneTrainBusyChristian InspirationalMaryMoldTransportRosaryRecourseNazareth
Author:Pope John Paul II
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“In this oasis of quiet, before the wonderful spectacle of nature, one easily experiences how profitable silence is, a good that today is ever more rare... In reality, only in silence does man succeed in hearing in the depth of his conscience the voice of God, which really makes him free. And vacations can help to rediscover and cultivate this indispensable interior dimension of human life.”

MenHumansDoeHelpingRealityInspirationTodayFaithVoiceSilenceWonderfulQuietSucceedConscienceDepthHearingChristian InspirationalHuman LifeDimensionsVacationIndispensableInteriorsSilence IsProfitableOasisVoice Of God
Author:Pope John Paul II
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“The heart is our hidden center, beyond the grasp of our reason and of others; only the Spirit of God can fathom the human heart and know it fully. The heart is the place of decision, deeper than our psychic drives. It is the place of truth, where we choose life or death. It is the place of encounter.”

KnowsHumansHeartReasonInspirationSpiritFaithDecisionDeeperChristian InspirationalEncountersHuman HeartPsychicsSpirit Of GodFathomLife Or DeathChoose Life
Author:Pope John Paul II
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“Creating the human race in His own image and continually keeping it in being, God inscribed in the humanity of man and woman the vocation... of love and communion. Love is therefore the fundamental and innate vocation of every human being.”

MenHumansInspirationFaithHumanityHuman BeingsLove IsRaceCreatingMen And WomenFundamentalsChristian InspirationalHuman RaceCommunionVocationInnate
Book:The Post-synodal Apostolic Exhortations of John Paul II
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