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, 1787.
Mother Church recognizes that there are some situations which make moral judgments less assured and decisions difficult. One situation which makes moral judgements difficult is our fallen nature, whereby we are inclined to sin and have difficulty knowing anything. The bad example of others and the bad example we give to others are further situations which make correct moral judgments difficult and more fraught with error. When confronted with difficult situations we should ask ourselves some questions:
Are we seriously seeking what is right and good? This question, of course, presumes, contrary to some popular currents of thought, that there is “right” and “good.” As followers of Jesus Christ we know that there is right and wrong, good and evil. Faith is not required to recognize this, however, the natural law is accessible to human intelligence, reason.
Are we seriously discerning the will of God expressed in divine law? That there are various sorts of law (eternal, natural, human, Divine) is addressed by Saint Thomas Aquinas, OP (+1274) in his Summa Theologiae I-II Q. 91, A. 1-6. There is overlap between the natural law accessible to our natural human intelligence and the Divine law given, in part, on Mount Sinai. If in pride we reject that there is a law which preexists us and is authoritative, we are already at a loss. Saint Thomas gives us four reasons why it is necessary to have Divine law: the Divine law directs our deeds in view of God, our ultimate goal; the Divine law allows us to know without any doubt what good we should do and evil we should avoid without the uncertainty and error which our fallen human nature often introduces; the Divine law by its perfection is able to direct even interior movements and acts which is required for the perfection of virtue; the Divine law forbids all sin. The part of the Divine law given by the Lord to Moses is called “Divine Positive Law.” Throughout Sacred Scripture there are various passages which call us to holiness and forbid other sorts of behaviors. The Divine Positive Law found in Sacred Scripture does not exhaust the Divine Law. As found in the Old Testament the Divine Positive Law is called the “Old Law.” As found in the New Testament the Divine Positive Law is called the “New Law.” The contemporary scholars John Finnis, Robert George, and Charles Rice (Natural Law and Natural Rights (1980), In Defense of Natural Law (2001), 50 Questions on the Natural Law: What it is and why we need it (1999) respectively) have addressed these issues.
Do we allow the “unspotted law of the Lord” to inform our conscience? To convert our souls? To give wisdom to us His Faithful little ones (cf. Psalm 118:8)?
God bless you!
Father John Arthur Orr