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, 110 pt2.
Saint John Paul II (+2005) when considering the “the service of moral theologians” in chapter III reminds us that “in proclaiming the commandments of God and the charity of Christ, the Church’s Magisterium also teaches the faithful specific particular precepts and requires that they consider them in conscience as morally binding.”
Even since the Fall of man, Original Sin, none of us like to be told what to do (cf. Genesis 3:1-24). Nevertheless, there are certain specific things we should do or not do for our own good and that of society. A well-formed conscience recognizes and acts according to these specific particular precepts. Some examples of specific particular precepts might be injunctions against kidnaping, murder, rape, theft and the like. Positive particular precepts would include virtuous behaviors like working hard, sharing, respecting our parents and the like. Obviously, these are not exhaustive lists. While specific particular precepts may be known thanks to the natural law, knowable by the light of human reason, God in His mercy has gone to the trouble to provide a revealed expression in the Decalogue, deepened in the Sermon on the Mount and clarified even further in the perennial teaching of Mother Church (cf. Exodus 20:1-17; Deuteronomy 5:5-21; Matthew 5:3-11).
Once our conscience is well formed, in accord with the Decalogue, the Beatitudes, the natural law and the Magisterium of the Church we are morally bound to do the good and to cease doing evil. The Ten Commandments are not mere suggestions. If we want to be good and pleasing in the sight of God, not only in the here and now but forever in Heaven, we ought to live in accord with our nature, God’s will for us (cf. Psalm 19:14; Ecclesiastes 2:26; 1 Timothy 2:3; Hebrews 13:21).
Mother Church does not teach what she teaches in order to be mean or to hurt anyone. She teaches because of the Lord’s command: “Teach all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20); “What you bind on Earth is bound in Heaven” (Matthew 16:19; 18:18); “He who hears you, hears Me” (Luke 10:16; cf. John 5:24). These passages from Sacred Scripture help us to appreciate just why Mother Church in her Magisterium has any authority in matters of conscience and it’s formation. For more on the Magisterium see: Dulles, Avery Cardinal. Magisterium: Teacher and Guardian of the Faith. Washington, DC: Sapientia, 2010.
God bless you!
Father John Arthur Orr