Healing the Gaze: John Paul II on Pornography, Lust, and the Freedom to Love

Pope St. John Paul II

When I first started reading Pope St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, I didn’t expect his teaching on pornography to strike me so personally. But he doesn’t approach the topic as a mere moral prohibition. He situates it within Christ’s most challenging — and liberating — words:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:27–28)

For John Paul II, this passage from the Sermon on the Mount is the key to understanding why pornography is not just “bad pictures” but a distortion of our entire vision of the human person.

Christ Goes to the Heart ❤️

John Paul II explains that Christ isn’t simply adding stricter rules to the Law. He is uncovering what adultery — and by extension pornography — really does:

“Adultery ‘in the heart’ is committed not only because of what a man does with his body, but also because of what he does with his interior look” (TOB 43:3).

That “interior look” is what pornography trains. It conditions me to look at others not as persons to be loved, but as objects to be consumed. Jesus’ words cut through that illusion. He’s not just forbidding lustful acts; He’s calling me to purity of heart.

Pornography as the Cultivation of Lust

John Paul II is blunt:

“Pornography and eroticism are a falsification of the conjugal act... turning it into a public domain, when by its nature it is always private” (TOB 61:3).

Pornography doesn’t just display bodies — it creates a way of seeing. It cultivates what Jesus warned against: a look that severs the body from the person, reducing the mystery of love to mechanics.

And here’s the irony: the body, meant to be the “sacrament of the person,” becomes depersonalized. What was created to reveal love is twisted into a commodity.

From Use to Gift

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus doesn’t shame desire itself. Instead, He redeems it. John Paul II explains that eros — the longing inscribed in our humanity — is meant to be purified so it becomes the power to love authentically.

“The heart is called to discover a new measure of the holiness of the body, flowing from the dignity of the person” (TOB 45:3).

Pornography says, “The body is for my use.” Christ says, “The body is for the gift of self.” One enslaves, the other frees.

The Freedom of the Redeemed Gaze

What amazes me most in John Paul II’s reading is that he never leaves us stuck in guilt. He insists that Christ’s words are not a condemnation but an invitation.

“Christ’s words in the Sermon on the Mount express the reality of the redemption of the heart... They indicate the possibility of living in purity of heart” (TOB 46:6).

That means my eyes can be healed. My desires can be purified. My heart can learn to love as Christ loves.

My Takeaway 🌿

When I connect John Paul II’s vision with Jesus’ words in Matthew 5, I see pornography in a new light. It is not just a private sin or a cultural problem — it is a counterfeit gaze that trains the heart in the opposite of love.

But Christ’s challenge, “whoever looks… lustfully,” is not meant to crush me. It’s meant to free me. He offers a way of seeing others not with lust, but with reverence. Not with consumption, but with communion.

And maybe that’s the hope we need most today: that even in a culture saturated with images, our eyes can be renewed. We can learn to see again — truly see — the person before us as a gift, not an object.

Concluding Prayer 🙏

Lord Jesus, You said, "Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.” Heal my eyes and my heart. Teach me to see others not with lust, but with love; not as objects, but as persons created in Your image. Purify my desires, so that my body and soul may speak the truth of love You designed from the beginning. Grant me the freedom to love as You love— faithful, self-giving, and pure.

Amen.

More Than Mechanics: What John Paul II Taught Me About the True Meaning of Sex

I used to think the Church’s teaching on sex was a long list of “no’s.” Don’t have sex before marriage. Don’t use contraception. Don’t reduce people to objects. It felt like a rigid set of rules meant to stifle desire rather than fulfill it.

That was before I dove into Pope St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body (TOB).

Pope St. John Paul II

What I discovered there wasn’t a grim rulebook. It was a breathtaking vision of love, purpose, and humanity that completely reoriented my understanding of my own body and sexuality. It didn’t just answer my questions; it showed me I was asking the wrong ones entirely.

Here’s how TOB completely reframed “sexology” for me.

It’s Not About “What Can I Do?” But “What Does It Mean?”

Secular sexology often starts with a functional question: How does it work? It focuses on biology, psychology, and technique to achieve health and pleasure. And that’s fine, as far as it goes.

But TOB starts with a deeply personal and philosophical question: What does it mean?

Adam and Eve before the Fall.

John Paul II taught me that my body is not just a biological machine. It’s not a shell I inhabit. It’s an integral part of who I am. My body, in its masculinity or femininity, has a built-in, God-given purpose—a "nuptial meaning." It’s designed for love, to make a sincere gift of myself to another and to receive the gift of another in return.

This was my first big “aha!” moment. Sexuality isn’t just a department of life; it’s a key to understanding the entire purpose of my existence: to love and be loved in truth.

My Body is a Language

This was the most powerful concept for me. TOB proposes that the sexual act is not just a thing we do. It’s a wordless language our bodies speak.

Think about it. We instinctively know that physical intimacy is communicative. A hug says one thing, a handshake another. So what does the marital act say?

John Paul II convinced me that it is meant to speak the ultimate language of commitment: “I completely give myself to you, and I welcome you completely.” It’s the physical embodiment of the wedding vows.

This insight exposes what he called the "utilitarian" attitude, where we use another person’s body for pleasure. It’s like using a beautiful line of poetry to ask for a glass of water. It’s a reduction of a profound language to something trivial and selfish. When I sleep with someone outside of a permanent, committed, life-giving marriage, my body is saying a lie. It’s saying “forever” when I mean “for now.” It’s saying “all of me” when I’m holding back my fertility, my future, or my emotional commitment.

Chastity: Freedom, Not Repression

This was the biggest paradigm shift. I used to see chastity as a negative force—a repression of desire.

TOB taught me that chastity is the virtue that empowers me to speak the truth with my body.

Adam and Eve after the Fall.

Lust isn’t strong desire; it’s disordered desire. It’s like having a powerful voice but no ability to form coherent words—you just make noise that serves yourself. Chastity is the training that gives me the freedom to integrate my desires, so when the time is right, I can speak the language of total self-gift clearly, truthfully, and joyfully, without hesitation or contradiction. It’s the freedom to love, not just use.

So, How Does TOB “Approach” Sexology?

It doesn’t reject science. It just places it within a much grander horizon.

• Where secular sexology sees biology, TOB sees sacramentality — the visible sign of an invisible, divine mystery of love.
• Where it sees psychology, TOB sees theology — the human heart’s restless desire for a union that mirrors the Trinity.
• Where it sees technique, TOB sees virtue — the moral character needed to make sex truly personal and loving.

For me, John Paul II’s teaching was a liberation. It moved me from seeing the Church’s teaching as a “no” to pleasure and showed me it was a resounding “YES!” to a far greater, more profound, and more lasting joy. It’s a vision that doesn’t diminish our sexuality but elevates it to its truly glorious purpose.

It’s not a sexology of the laboratory. It’s a sexology of the heart.

While the core insights and personal perspective in this article are drawn from my own study and reflection on St. John Paul II's work, I am grateful for the contribution of artificial intelligence in its creation. Acting as a research and synthesis assistant, the AI helped map the extensive structure of the Theology of the Body, locate precise chapter references, and formulate clear explanations of complex concepts, which significantly enhanced the depth and efficiency of the writing process. This collaboration allowed me to articulate a nuanced topic more effectively, ensuring the final piece remained both personally authentic and theologically robust.

Transparency as a Human Right: The DBM’s Promise to Empower Filipino Citizens

In a significant move toward government accountability, the Philippine Department of Budget and Management (DBM) recently announced plans to launch programs allowing citizens to monitor government projects. This initiative, as reported in this YouTube video, could mark a crucial step in upholding human rights — particularly the right to information, public participation, and accountability.

The Human Right to Information

Access to information is not just a tool for transparency; it is a fundamental human right recognized under international law. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) enshrine the right to seek, receive, and impart information. In the Philippines, this is reinforced by the Right to Information Act (Executive Order No. 2, s. 2016), which mandates government transparency.

The DBM’s proposed monitoring programs could strengthen this right by allowing Filipinos to track how public funds are spent — ensuring that taxpayer money goes to legitimate projects rather than being lost to corruption or mismanagement.

Public Participation: A Pillar of Democracy

Beyond transparency, the initiative also aligns with the right to participate in governance, a principle embedded in Article 25 of the ICCPR and Section 1, Article XIII of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, which calls for "people’s empowerment." When citizens can scrutinize government projects — from infrastructure to social services — they become active stakeholders rather than passive recipients. This fosters trust and ensures that public spending reflects the people’s needs.

However, the real test lies in accessibility. Will marginalized communities — farmers, indigenous peoples, urban poor — have equal access to these platforms? Or will digital divides exclude those who need accountability the most?

Accountability as a Safeguard Against Corruption

Corruption remains a major obstacle to human rights in the Philippines. When public funds are misused, essential services — healthcare, education, disaster response — suffer. The DBM’s initiative could serve as an anticorruption tool, enabling civil society and journalists to expose anomalies.

But transparency alone is not enough. There must be:

• Strong whistleblower protections to shield those who expose wrongdoing.
• Swift judicial action against graft to deter future abuses.
• Grassroots engagement so that vulnerable communities can report irregularities without fear.

A Step Forward, But Challenges Remain

While the DBM’s pledge is commendable, past transparency efforts in the Philippines have faced limitations—slow disclosures, red tape, and retaliation against critics. To truly uphold human rights, this program must:

1. Be user-friendly, ensuring even non-tech savvy citizens can navigate it.
2. Include real-time data, not just post-project reports.
3. Guarantee protection for monitors, as accountability work can be dangerous in a country with a history of attacks on activists.

Transparency as a Human Right, Not a Privilege

The DBM’s initiative is more than a bureaucratic reform — it is a potential leap toward realizing the Filipino people’s right to know, to participate, and to demand accountability. If implemented effectively, it could set a precedent for other agencies to follow.

Yet, without safeguards against misuse and exclusion, it risks becoming another hollow promise. The government must ensure that this program is not just a performative gesture but a genuine mechanism for human rights protection.

As citizens, we must remain vigilant — because transparency is not a gift from the powerful; it is our right.

What do you think? Should other government agencies adopt similar transparency measures? How can we ensure these programs truly serve the people? Share your thoughts below.

Follow me for more analyses on human rights and public policy. #RightToKnow #Accountability #DBMTransparency

This article is based on the DBM’s announcement as seen in this video. All opinions are the author’s own.