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, 56.2.
Saint John Paul II (+2005) highlights how an authentic “discernment concerning” the “‘creative’ understanding of conscience” must be based in relation to truth, freedom and law.
A well-formed conscience is a true conscience, conformed to reality. Jesus Christ assures us that “the truth will set us free” and that He is “the way, the truth, and the life” (cf. John 8:31; 14:6). While we may not know everything on this side of eternity, there is much we can know, including the truth about God, about ourselves made in His image, redeemed by His blood. We are able to know certain moral truths either naturally known through the Natural Law or through revelation in the Decalogue and the Sermon on the Mount (cf. Exodus 20:2-17; Deuteronomy 5:6-21; Matthew 5:3-10).
Saint Augustine (+430) who famously preached “Love, and do what you will” comes to mind when considering the relationship between freedom and conscience (cf. Sermon110, 8). The freedom of the children of God is great, but never as a cloak for vice or wickedness (cf. Romans 8:21; 1 Peter 2:16). For many years before his deep conversion Augustine abused his free will and disregarded the Law of God and the truth about God and ourselves. Thanks to the Lord’s mercy and the prayers of Saint Monica (+387) Augustine turned away from sin and Satan and the glamour of evil and back to God. His love for God and neighbor became authentic (cf. Matthew 22:37-40; Mark 12:31).
When considering law and conscience it is very important to recall that the Lord Jesus Christ did not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfill them (cf. Matthew 5:17). There has been, even before Marxism and the anarchy of our days, an antinominalist spirit, opposed to any sort of rule of law: “No one can tell me what to do!” The antinominalist herself is telling others what they can and cannot do in her contradictory antinominalist protest… But, God has and does tell us to do good, avoid evil! “Keep My Commandments and live” (Proverbs 7:2). “If you love Me, keep My Commandments” (John 15:10).
Relation was recognized as a “category of being” by the virtuous pagan Aristotle (+322BC; cf. Metaphysics 1012b-1025a). There is a relationship not only between whatever is true, whatever is good, whatever is beautiful, but also between the Creator Who has freely created and creation, freedom and conscience (cf. Philippians 4:8). Whenever these are all in right relation, then there is peace and harmony, interiorly and exteriorly.
God bless you!
Father John Arthur Orr