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, 59.2.

            Saint John Paul II (+2005) when considering the “judgment of conscience” reminds us that “the natural law discloses the objective and universal demands of the moral good, conscience is the application of the law to a particular case;  this application of the law thus becomes an inner dictate for the individual, a summons to do what is good in this particular situation.”

            Saint Thomas Aquinas, OP (+1274) wrote a fair amount about the Natural Law in his Summa Theologiae (I-II Q. 94, A. 1-6), distinguishing all the while between the eternal law, the natural law, human law, the old law and the new law of the Gospel (I-II Q. 93-108). 

            There is an objective moral good.  Objectivity is contrasted with relativism which in a contradictory way claims that there is no truth (cf. VS, 84).  Yet Christ the Lord assures us that the truth will set us free, and that He Himself is the way, the truth and the life, and that for freedom He has come to set us free (cf. John 8:32; 14:6; Galatians 5:1).  To tell the truth, to respect the property of others, to be pure in our desires and in our deeds are all objective moral goods.

            There is a universal moral good, that is, always and everywhere good, not just in ancient or medieval or “post-modern” days.  It is not “old fashioned” or “out dated” to honor our parents or the Holy Name of God, or to be diligent and generous.  The Ten Commandments or “the Decalogue contains a privileged expression of the Natural Law” (cf. Exodus 20:1-17; Deuteronomy 5:6-21; CCC, 2080).  The natural virtues (Prudence, Temperance, Fortitude, Justice, Patience, Humility, Diligence, Generosity, Temperance, Brotherly Love and Chastity) are also not unrelated to the Natural Law, especially insofar as they are imbedded in our very human nature.  Saint Thomas Aquinas treat these as well (II-II Q. 48-170) as well as the Theological Virtues which require grace (II-II Q. 1-46)

            The role of conscience is the application of the Natural Law in a particular case.  The Natural Law is a universal, the personal conscience and the individual cases faced by each person are likewise particular.  So-called “situation ethics” has been invoked attempting to erase the role of conscience in a permissive fashion.  When our conscience is well formed in accordance with the Natural Law, the Commandments of God, the virtues, we should have every confidence to follow it’s commands as an inner dictate:  this is good, do it;  this is evil, avoid or repent it.            

            God bless you!

            Father John Arthur Orr