Human Freedom and the Fundamental Option

Pope John Paul II, in Veritatis Splendor made the following comments: 

“There is no doubt that Christian moral teaching, even in its Biblical roots, acknowledges the specific importance of a fundamental choice which qualifies the moral life and engages freedom on a radical level before God…. by which man makes a total and free self-commitment to God….. Jesus’ call to ‘come follow me’ marks the greatest possible exaltation of human freedom… Paul encourages us to be watchful, because freedom is always threatened by slavery.  And this is precisely the case when an act of faith —  in the sense of a fundamental option — becomes separated from the choice of particular acts… the fundamental option (is) a genuine choice of freedom and links that choice profoundly to particular acts.” (John Paul II, Veritatis Splendor 66-67)

I love that comment about freedom always being threatened by slavery. Raise your hand if you have not experienced that very thing in your life, if you haven’t experienced a time when your freedom to choose to do or not do something has led you to a place of diminished freedom and emotional, physical or spiritual enslavement.

Back in 1978, I was taking a Fundamental Moral Theology course at the Gregorian University in Rome from Fr. Josef Fuchs, S.J.  I have little doubt that Pope John Paul had him in mind when he wrote the section of Veritatis Splendor cited above.  Fr. Fuchs focused squarely on the fundamental option and his view, as I recall it, that if we believe in the radical and profoundly powerful conversion experienced in the sacrament of baptism, if we believe in the tremendous grace received in that sacrament, then it follows that it sets us on a course toward God, a course that is not easily diverted.  He argued essentially that mortal sin is not as easily committed as we tend to think, because of the power of baptismal grace.  In effect, he did separate the fundamental option or choice for God from the particular acts of daily living.  For Fr. Fuchs, it was more difficult to condemn oneself by particular acts if one has experienced the conversion of baptism and an overall orientation toward God. At least that is how I recall his theology.

Pope John Paul II hits him head on in Veritatis Splendor.  Think about it. Fr. Fuchs’ ideas seem to diminish human freedom. The Pope’s ideas exalt it. Our freedom is such that we in fact can choose to radically alter the course upon which we are set by our baptism.  We can do so readily. Yet, God never is stingy with the outpouring of his grace into our lives. The graces of baptism are immense and life-changing. But in freedom, we can restrict or inhibit, or even negate their effect in our lives.  We can freely choose to be disposed to be transformed by them or to obliterate their impact in our lives.