Veritatis splendor

Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, asked "What is truth?" at the trial of Jesus in cira 33 AD (John 18:33-38). This utterance has become the ubiquitous cop out, a philosophical and sometimes cavalier retort of all time.

Nothing has changed in the ways and thoughts of the intelligentsia and the philistines since Pilate's judicial mockery of Christ. Truth is even more existential or relative in this 21st Century AD.

Toward the end of his life, Bernard Williams (1929-2003), the venerable British secular moral philosopher, was still engaged in a discourse on the tension between the pursuit of truthfulness and the doubt that there is any truth to be found.

John Paul II was Williams' contemporary. He was 9 years-old when Bernard Williams was borne. It was John Paul in today's Rome who articulated the splendor of truth that is Christ Jesus.

Bernard Williams talked and wrote about truth in the comforts of academia, sterile governmental chambers and political functions. At his death, he still did know what truth was or is.

John Paul lived the splendor of truth. He is now in the presence of grace and truth on the other side of eternity.


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John 1:9-14 (NIV)

9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.[b]

10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.

12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God–

13 children born not of natural descent,nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.