160 To be human, “man’s response to God by faith must be free, and… therefore nobody is to be forced to embrace the faith against his will. the act of faith is of its very nature a free act.”39 “God calls men to serve him in spirit and in truth. Consequently they are bound to him in conscience, but not coerced. . . This fact received its fullest manifestation in Christ Jesus.”40 Indeed, Christ invited people to faith and conversion, but never coerced them. “For he bore witness to the truth but refused to use force to impose it on those who spoke against it. His kingdom… grows by the love with which Christ, lifted up on the cross, draws men to himself.”41
39 DH 10; cf. CIC, can. 748 # 2.
40 DH 11.
41 DH 11; cf. John 18:37; 12:32.
- Catechism: Theological Virtues – Faith
- Catechism: Moral Life and Missionary Witness
- Catechism: The proclamation of the kingdom of God
- Catechism: The Conversion of the Baptized
- Catechism: “The Kingdom of God is at Hand”
- Catechism: To Bear Witness to the Truth
- Catechism: The signs of the kingdom of God
- Catechism: The supernatural sense of faith
- Catechism: Living in the Truth
- Catechism: The Church is Apostolic – The Apostolate
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Catechism of the Catholic Church: text - IntraText CT. (2012). Retrieved January 7th, 2012, from: http://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM
Catechism of the Catholic Church: text - IntraText CT. (2012). Retrieved January 7th, 2012, from: http://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM
1232 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to myself.
1837 Pilate therefore said to him: Art thou a king then? Jesus answered: Thou sayest that I am a king. For this was I born, and for this came I into the world; that I should give testimony to the truth. Every one that is of the truth, heareth my voice.