The Catholic Defender: Freedom isn’t Free/America, Freedom always comes at a high price

https://deepertruthdon.podbean.com/e/deepertruth-freedom-isn-t-freeamerica-freedom-always-comes-at-a-high-price-1733538405/

Pope Benedict XVI taught that true freedom is not the ability to do whatever one wants, but rather the capacity to choose what is true and good, ultimately finding fulfillment through loving service to others and obedience to God. He opposed modern, secular definitions of freedom, arguing that true liberty is found within the truth, not in independence from moral laws. 

Freedom and Truth are Inseparable: Benedict argued that "freedom opposed to truth is not freedom". He believed that moral truth, rather than personal whim or subjective experience, is the foundation of genuine freedom.

Freedom in Service: Authentic freedom is expressed by spending oneself in service to others, modeled by Jesus Christ.

Freedom and God: Far from restricting human freedom, a relationship with God constitutes the ultimate freedom, lifting man out of the limitations of selfishness, fear, and sin.

Obedience as Freedom: He taught that freedom is realized in the "obedience to the truth" and that moral laws are not restrictions but are instead "the form of our freedom".

Critique of Modernity: He warned against a "dictatorship of relativism" where freedom is reduced to consumer choice or arbitrary personal preference.

Religious Freedom: He strongly advocated for religious freedom, terming it the "litmus test for the respect of all other human rights," which allows individuals and communities to live out their faith publicly. 

He viewed the Ten Commandments and God's law not as a set of restrictive rules, but as a "compass" that points the way toward genuine liberation. 

According to his personal secretary, Archbishop Georg Gänswein, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's last words, spoken in Italian around 3 a.m. on December 31, 2022, were "Signore, ti amo!" which translates to "Lord, I love you". He spoke these words in a soft but distinct voice while in his room at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery. 

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's last words spoken during the night several hours before he died. It was precisely his seeking Jesus, "the beloved", that was the distinguishing hallmark of Joseph Ratzinger's priestly service, as Pope Francis himself recalled in 2016.