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.” We then turned to Saint John Paul II’s encyclical letter Veritatis splendor (6 August, 1993) which addresses fundamental moral issues, including “conscience” more than one hundred times. These reflections were begun earlier (6 April, 2018-30 May, 2018). Here we now consider a passage from Veritatis splendor, 58.
Saint John Paul II (+2005) when considering the “judgment of conscience” teaches that “conscience bears witness to man’s own rectitude or iniquity to man himself but, together with this and indeed even beforehand, conscience is the witness of God Himself, whose voice and judgment penetrate the depths of man’s soul, calling him fortiter et suaviter to obedience.”
In the business world abuse of “insider information” for financial gain is a criminal offense, regulated in the United States by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the other SEC). The Lord God, however, has “insider information” on us, not for financial gain but for our own good, to help steer and guide us along the path of life. Better than any global position system (GPS) the well informed conscience lets us know where and how we are morally, whether we are in a state of “rectitude or iniquity.” A world that says there is no such thing as sin (except to say that there is sin) denies the possibility of iniquity. But burglary, perjury, rape and … are all clearly wicked. If these things are not sinful or immoral then nothing is immoral. There is a difference between right and wrong, good and evil. Our well-formed conscience help us discern how we are to live holy lives pleasing to God.
The Holy Father cites the motto of the Polish Solidary labor union: Fortiter in re, suaviter in modo, omnis in Jesus Christi(Strong in the thing (you do), smooth in the way you do it, everything in Jesus Christ)which is a little different from the AFL-CIO motto (A fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work). For Saint John Paul II the well-formed conscience calls us strongly and smoothly (Fortiter et suaviter) to do the will of God here and now. This is good, do it! This is evil, don’t do it or repent having done it! The witness of conscience goes two ways for the Holy Father, both towards God (this is what was done) and towards us (this is what you should / should not do).
The Lord Jesus Christ who has paid the price of our redemption by His saving death and resurrection has commanded us: “If you love Me, keep My Commandments” (John 14:15). This is further echoed in the Beatitudes (cf. Matthew 5:3-10; Luke 6:20-23). He has not come to abolish the law or the prophets, but to fulfill them and to give us the grace we need to be holy (cf. Matthew 5:17; 2 Corinthians 12:9).
God bless you!
Father John Arthur Orr