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, 55.
Saint John Paul II (+2005), points out that the rejection of human nature and the natural law impact objective moral norms as specific guideposts to judgments of conscience leaving us with only a “general perspective” helping us “to put order” into our “personal and social life.”
What does this all mean? For example, the Decalogue (cf. Exodus 20:3-17) objectively teaches us to not steal, lie or murder. These are objective specific moral norms (there are more and others), guideposts for our personal and social lives, individually and together. Those who would deny human nature, that God is not our Creator and the natural law is inscribed in our hearts (cf. Jeremiah 31:33; Romans 2:15; Hebrews 8:10; 10:16) might pay lip service to the Decalogue but all the while make excuses why it is OK to murder, lie and steal… in this and that and another circumstance. Situation ethics (sic) or consequentialism are lacking when it comes to an authentic morality. Natural Law has some contemporary champions besides Saint John Paul II in John Finnis (Oxford), Robert George (Princeton), and Charles Rice (Notre Dame).
In our day and age some people are scared off of making judgments. After all, Jesus says “Do not judge, and you will not be judged.” (cf. Matthew 7:1; Luke 6:37; John 8:7; Romans 2:1). Pope Francis (b. 1936) even famously answered a question aboard Shepherd One (29 July, 2013) “Who am I to judge?” Ask Angelo Becciu (b. 1948) and Theodore McCarrick (b. 1930) if the admonition to not judge was followed before they were (rightly) dismissed from the College of Cardinals (September 2020 and February 2019 respectively). A well-formed conscience judges justly, our yes is yes and our no is no (cf. Matthew 5:37; Psalm 58:1). A well-formed conscience does not judge by outward appearances only but righteously (cf. John 7:24). Indeed, the Lord God rules here below through the righteous judgment of noble leaders (cf. Proverbs 8:16). Jesus Christ did not come “to abolish the Law or the Prophets” but “to fulfill them” and to give us the grace we need to follow suit (cf. Matthew 5:17). The Lord Jesus exhorts us to know and keep the Commandments (cf. Matthew 19:16-30; Mark 10:17-21a; Luke 18:18-27). We are not called to be “politically correct” or “woke” but holy (cf. 1 Peter 1:16; Hebrews 12:14). We should not forget that the Lord Himself promises that to the extent we follow Him we “will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28).
God bless you!
Father John Arthur Orr