When we speak about the freedom of the conscience, we have to distinguish freedom as an act of the will and freedom as an act of the intellect. This is what critics bring up in the proclamations of the 19th century to the teaching of Dignitatis Humanae. If there is a seeming discrepancy it is the job of theologians to study the texts to see how they can be tied. The understanding in the 19th century of the liberty of the conscience was understood as the liberty of the intellect to ignore truth. This is why there is a seeming discrepancy.
Freedom of conscience meaning freedom from external pressure is certainly wrong.
Mass. This would be against the dignity of conscience. There are different traditions in the East and West in the approach to truth, whether by faith or by reason. For this reason, Veritatis Splendor rejects a creative character of conscience. We cannot mix-up decision and conscience. There is creativity in conscience, but not in respect to the moral norm.