His Holiness Pope Shenouda III speaks about the concept of truth and its multiple meanings: honesty, truth as a deserved right, justice in rights, and Truth as one of the names of God. He explains that truth is opposed to falsehood, lies, and falseness, and that integrity and justice are the ways to reach truth.

Spiritual and educational dimension:
He connects truth with the idea of trust and credibility in the believer’s life, and affirms that God is the absolute Truth, and whoever speaks against truth God will judge. He calls to view truth from a Coptic Orthodox faith perspective characterized by honesty, justice, and love in the means.

Ways to reach the truth:
His Holiness clarifies that reaching truth requires investigation and comprehensive examination: collecting evidence from all sides, listening to all parties, and not relying only on testimonies or physical evidence without scrutiny, because evidence may be fabricated and confessions coerced.

Dangers of rumors and lying:
He warns about the danger of rumors and how the truth changes as it passes from one person to another, likening that to river water that mixes with silt on its way. He cautions against believing news before verification and against quick judgment.

Ethics of defending the truth:
He affirms that defending the truth is a duty but must be by correct methods: without slander, violence, or violating the dignity of others, and that the end does not justify the means if the means are false.

Examples and practical applications:
He draws attention to exaggeration, magnification, and minimization as contrary to truth, and criticizes hypocrisy and excessive flattery that may reach hypocrisy or cover mistakes. He urges researchers and scholars to be deliberate and to consult all references before issuing a judgment.

Spiritual conclusion:
Truth in its essence is a call to honesty, justice, and integrity in word and deed, and to conscious, deliberate seeking of truth while preserving love and the dignity of others, and acknowledging that God is the absolute Truth who evaluates words and actions.

For better translation support, please contact the center.