My dear parishioners,
Peace! In other bulletins (4 December, 2016-11 June, 2017) we have considered the teaching of the Catechism of the Catholic Church on “conscience.” Now we turn to Saint John Paul II’s encyclical letter Veritatis splendor (6 August, 1993) which addresses fundamental moral issues, including “conscience.” Here we consider a passage from Veritatis splendor, 30.
In writing his encyclical on the Splendor of Truth, Saint John Paul II (+2005) did two things at once. He addressed “sound doctrine” and “what is contrary” to sound doctrine, specifically in the moral field. The Latin axioms via negativa and via positiva come to mind. The via negativa (negative way) highlights what ought not be done, believed, taught or desired, while the via positiva (positive way) on the contrary highlights what should be done, believed, taught and desired. A relativistic world which makes the truth claim that there is no truth, contrary to the Law of Non-Contradiction (aka: Principle of Non-Contradiction or PNC), rejects that there are any truths, including moral truths. Skeptics have been around for a long time, as evidenced by Pontius Pilate, standing face to face with Truth Incarnate: “What is truth?” (John 14:6; 18:38).
To the Gospel question put to the Lord Jesus by the wealthy young man (Matthew 19:16): “What good must I do to have eternal life?” Saint John Paul II adds his own question: “What is the role of conscience in man’s moral development?” This question presupposes a few things: first, that there is such a thing as a “conscience;” second, that human beings are able to develop morally. While it is one thing to propose that there is such a thing as a conscience, it is another thing to say just what a conscience is, and yet another what it does, and further if it is able to be formed… If human beings are able to develop morally (as Lawrence Kohlerg (+1987) posited in his Stages of Moral Development) are they able to regress? Is development always toward the good? Are deformations possible?
From time immemorial Holy Mother Church has taught that “the truth will set you free” (John 8:32), including the truth about conscience, moral truth. Jesus Christ came to teach us the truth about God (cf. John 10:30; 14:7) and the truth about ourselves (Gaudium et spes, 22), made in His image, redeemed by His Blood. We are not set free by denying the truth about God or ourselves or by doing whatever we want to do regardless of the moral quality of our deeds. The freedom for which we have been set free is to do whatever is good, true and beautiful not vicious, ugly and bad (cf. Romans 6:18; Galatians 5:1; Philippians 4:8). The Commandments of God are not a fad. They are not “multiple choice.” We will each be judged by Christ according to our deeds, what we have done or failed to do (cf. Matthew 16:27; Romans 2:6; 2 Corinthians 5:10).

God bless you!
Father John Arthur Orr