My dear parishioners,
Peace! Under headings of Judgment, Formation, Choice in Accord, Erroneous Judgment and In Brief, the Catechism of the Catholic Church addresses “conscience” in twenty-nine passages. Here we consider CCC, 1790.
The possibility of an erroneous judgment of conscience raises certain difficulties. On the one hand, we are to always obey the certain judgment of our conscience. This is part of what makes us responsible for our own specific acts, deeds, desires and the like. As heros receive medals of valor some others might be dishonorably discharged for unbefitting behavior. But a “certain judgment of conscience” might not always correspond to the truth. The distinction between a “certain judgment of conscience” and the certainty of conscience is significant. “A certain judgment of conscience” may refer to particular judgments of conscience and not to their quality. When the judgments of our conscience correspond to the truth of the moral goodness or wrongness of any particular act, deed or desire, it would be better called a right or true conscience. God is not ignorant of the truth at question and will judge each one of us according to our deeds (cf. Romans 2:5-11).
Another difficulty which arises from an erroneous judgment of conscience is that if we deliberately act against our conscience we would condemn ourselves. We would similarly deny our own human dignity as responsible agents of our own deeds, desires and the like. While Saint Paul was inspired in writing about doing the evil which he hated even against his will (cf. Romans 7:19) may have been an inspiration for R.D. Laing (+1989) in his Divided Self (1959), although there is no citation to Saint Paul given nor any need for psychosis in order to sin (as psychosis would impact the quality of consent to any evil behavior…).
Finally, it can happen that the moral conscience remains in ignorance and makes erroneous judgments about act to be performed or already committed. Among the several sad consequences of Original Sin are both ignorance (or the difficulty to know the truth without any admixture of error) and a tendency to sin (called “concupiscence) (cf. CCC, 405). Two sorts of ignorance come to mind here, namely vincible and invincible (cf. Summa Theologiae I-II Q. 76, A. 2). Invincible ignorance cannot be overcome by study and is not voluntary and is not sinful. Vincible ignorance may impact the quality of our personal consent to whichever act, deed or desire.
That we are able to act according to conscience is part of our human nature, made by God. The etymology of the word “conscience” is the compounding of the Latin con+scientia (with knowledge). When we apply well what we know to how we act we are acting in conscience. If, however our acting is poorly executed or our knowledge is imperfect our conscientiousness is similarly lacking (cf. Summa Theologiae I Q. 79, A. 13; I-II Q. 19, A. 5). When all goes well God is glorified.
God bless you!
Father John Arthur Or