JOHN PAUL II, London Observer, Dec. 7, 1986

A democracy without values easily turns into open or thinly disguised totalitarianism.

POPE JOHN PAUL II, The Splendor of Truth

Every truth--if it really is truth--presents itself as universal, even if it is not the whole truth. If something is true, then it must be true for all people and at all times. Beyond this universality, however, people seek an absolute which might give to all their searching a meaning and an answer--something ultimate, which might serve as the ground of all things. In other words, they seek a final explanation, a supreme value, which refers to nothing beyond itself and which puts an end to all questioning. Hypotheses may fascinate, but they do not satisfy. Whether we admit it or not, there comes for everyone the moment when personal existence must be anchored to a truth recognized as final, a truth which confers a certitude no longer open to doubt.Through the centuries, philosophers have sought to discover and articulate such a truth, giving rise to various systems and schools of thought. But beyond philosophical systems, people seek in different ways to shape a "philosophy" of their own--in personal convictions and experiences, in traditions of family and culture, or in journeys in search of life's meaning under the guidance of a master. What inspires all of these is the desire to reach the certitude of truth and the certitude of its absolute value.

POPE JOHN PAUL II, Encyclical Letter, Fides et Ratio, Sep. 14, 1998

To men and women there falls the task of exploring truth with their reason, and in this their nobility consists.

POPE JOHN PAUL II, Encyclical, Fides et Ratio, September 14, 1998

I hope the United Nations will ever remain the supreme forum of peace and justice, the authentic seat of freedom.

POPE JOHN PAUL II, address to the U.N. General Assembly, October 1979