Patriarch Pavle on the essence of morality

The teachings of Patriarch Pavle regarding the nature of morality continue to resonate. He defined morality not as a collection of external prohibitions or rules of what one ‘should not’ or ‘must not’ do, but as a matter of personal will.

According to his philosophy, true morality is expressed through the choice of ‘I will not.’ He posited that virtue does not lie in the mere absence of error, but in having the strength to choose not to err, even when one has the opportunity or the ability to do so. This perspective shifts the responsibility of moral conduct from external pressures and societal expectations to the sphere of individual, internal decision-making.