New World Sayings of John Paul

Spiritual Values and Material Goods: Man lives at the same time both in the world of material values and in that of spiritual values. In this relationship it is the spiritual values that are preeminent, both on account of the nature of these values and also for reasons concerning the good of man. The pre-eminence of the values of the spirit defines the proper sense of earthly material goods and the way to use them. This pre-eminence is therefore at the basis of a just peace. It is also a contributing factor to ensuring that material development, technical development and the development of civilization are at the service of what constitutes man ... A critical analysis of our modern civilization shows that in the last hundred years it has contributed as never before to the development of material goods, but that it has also given rise to a series of attitudes in which sensitivity to the spiritual dimension of human existence is diminished, as a result of certain premises which reduce the meaning of human life chiefly to the many different material and economic factors--I mean to the demands of production, the market, consumption, the accumulation of riches or of the growing bureaucracy with which an attempt is made to regulate these very processes.

On World War II and Auschwitz: You will forgive me, ladies and gentlemen, for invoking this memory. But I would be untrue to the history of this century, I would be dishonest with regard to the great cause of man, which we all wish to serve, if I should keep silent, I who come from the country on whose living body Auschwitz was at one time constructed. But my purpose in evoking this memory is above all to show what painful experiences and sufferings by millions of people gave rise to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which has been placed as the basic inspiration and cornerstone of the United Nations Organization. This declaration was paid for by millions of our brothers and sisters at the cost of their suffering and sacrifice, brought about by the brutalization that darkened and made insensitive the human consciences of the oppressors and of those who carried out a real genocide. This price cannot have been paid in vain!

On Arms and Children: Are the children to receive the arms race from us as a necessary inheritance? How are we to explain [to them] this unbridled race?

The ancients said Si vis pacem, para helium [if you seek peace, prepare for war]. But can our age still really believe that the breathtaking spiral of armaments is at the service of world peace?

On America's Duty: It will always remain one of the glorious achievements of this nation that, when people looked toward America, they received together with freedom also a chance for their own advancement. This tradition must be honored also today. The freedom that was gained must be ratified each day by the firm rejection of whatever wounds, weakens or dishonors human life ... It is then my wish that your sense of freedom may always go hand in hand with a profound sense of truth and honesty about yourselves and about the realities of your society. Past achievements can never be an acceptable substitute for present responsibilities toward the common good.

On Social Responsibility: The poor of the United States and of the world are your brothers and sisters in Christ. You must never be content to leave them just the crumbs from the feast. You must take of your substance, and not just of your abundance, in order to help them. And you must treat them like guests at the family table ... Favor ways of life that break with the frenzy of consumerism, exhausting and joyless. It is not a question of slowing down progress, for there is no human progress when everything conspires to give full reign to the instincts of self-interest, sex and power. We must find a simple way of living. For it is not right that the standard of living of the rich countries should seek to maintain itself by draining off a great part of the reserves of energy and raw materials that are meant to serve the whole of humanity.

On Sexuality and Freedom: There can be no true freedom without respect for the truth regarding the nature of human sexuality and marriage. In today's society, we see so many disturbing tendencies and so much laxity regarding the Christian view on sexuality that have all one thing in common: recourse to the concept of freedom to justify any behavior that is no longer consonant with the true moral order and the teaching of the church. Moral norms do not militate against the freedom of the person or the couple; on the contrary, they exist precisely for that freedom, since they are given to ensure the right use of freedom.

To Journalists: If your reporting does not always command the attention you would desire, or if it does not always conclude with the success that you would wish, do not grow discouraged. Be faithful to the truth and to its transmission, for truth endures; truth will not go away. Truth will not pass or change ... The service of humanity through the medium of the truth is something worthy of your best years, your finest talents, your most dedicated efforts.

On Priestly Vows of Celibacy: Priesthood is forever. We do not return the gift once given. It cannot be that God who gave the impulse to say "yes" now wishes to hear "no." Nor should it surprise the world that the call of God through the church continues to offer us a celibate ministry of love and service after the example of Our Lord Jesus Christ. After centuries of experience, the church knows how deeply fitting it is that priests should give this concrete response in their lives to express the totality of the "yes" they have spoken to the Lord who calls them by name to his service.

To Iowa Farmers: Every day the farmer is reminded of how much depends upon God. From the heavens come the rain, the wind and the sunshine. They occur without the farmer's command or control. The farmer prepares the soil, plants the seed and cultivates the crop. But God makes it grow; he alone is the source of life ... You who live in the heartland of America have been entrusted with some of earth's best land ... You are stewards of some of the most important resources God has given to the world. Therefore, conserve the land well, so that your children's children and generations after them will inherit an even richer land than was entrusted to you.

To Young People: Faced with problems and disappointments, many people will try to escape from their responsibility: escape in selfishness, escape in sexual pleasure, escape in drugs, escape in violence, escape in indifference and cynical attitudes. But today, I propose to you the option of love, which is the opposite of escape ... Whatever you make of your life, let it be something that reflects the love of Christ ... Whatever you do, remember that Christ is calling you, in one way or another, to the service of love: the love of God and of your neighbor ... Love demands effort and a personal commitment to the will of God. It means discipline and sacrifice, but it also means joy and human fulfillment. Dear young people: Do not be afraid of honest effort and honest work; do not be afraid of the truth.

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