THEOLOGIANS’ Corner
This material was assembled
by the Convocation Implementation Team as part of the
Lenten Action Plan. For the full
text of the Action Plan, click here.
CATHOLIC TEACHING ON CONSCIENCE
In an age of scandals, and the almost daily reporting
of the mismanagement of Church affairs by the hierarchy
in our secular press, Catholics today often find
themselves faced with the question of what does the
Catholic Church teach concerning individual conscience.
1. What is conscience?
Conscience is “…the practical judgment
or dictate of reason by which we judge what here
and now is to be done as being good or to be avoided
as evil”
[Human Life in Our Day, pastoral letter of the American hierarchy, p.14]
2. Is conscience the ultimate authority?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, basing its
teaching on the Gospels, Vatican II and on theologians
like Saint Thomas Aquinas and Cardinal Newman,
affirms the teaching that the conscience is the
ultimate authority: “A human being must always
obey the certain judgment of his conscience. If
he were deliberately to act against it, he would
condemn himself” (CCC #1790).
3. What is the Catholic’s obligation when
forming one’s conscience?
The Church recognizes that at times the individual’s
conscience may be erroneous and the Church obligates
every Catholic to seek the truth using every means
at his/her disposal in order to resolve conflicts
between Church teaching and an individual’s
conscience. This obligation is what is meant by having
an informed conscience and is most serious as it
is more than just deciding a moral issue based on
one’s feelings or comfort with a teaching.
The individual must make an honest attempt to understand
Church teaching and the gospel values promoted by
that teaching. In making that attempt, Catholics
may look at the arguments of responsible theologians
in opposition to the teaching and to all areas of
secular and scientific knowledge which might conflict
with the teaching.
When it comes to fallible faith and moral teachings,
or on Church policy teachings (fallible by their
very nature), the Catholic may respectfully disagree
and may even publicly work within the Church for
change.
Examples of where changes in Church teaching have
taken place abound in our history, issues such as
the morality of slavery, religious freedom, separation
of Church and State, priesthood and celibacy, the
morality of charging interest, etc. On each of these
issues and on many more our Church has modified and
sometimes even reversed its teachings.
4. What rights do Catholics have to openly work
for changes in non-infallible teaching and policy?
The 1983 Code of Canon Law explicitly states the
following:
-
The Christian faithful have the right to make known
their needs, especially spiritual ones, and their
desires to the pastors of the Church. [ Canon 212
#2 ]
-
They have the right and even at times
a duty to manifest their opinion on matters which
pertain
to the good of the Church, and they have
a right to make their opinion known to the other
Christian
faithful, with due regard for the integrity of faith
and morals and reverence toward their pastors, and
with consideration for the common good and the dignity
of persons. [ Canon 212 #3 ]
-
The Christian faithful are at liberty
to freely found and govern associations for charitable
and religious purposes or for the promotion of the
Christian vocation in the world; they are free to
hold meetings to pursue these purposes in common.
[ Canon 215 ]
RESOURCE MATERIAL ON CONSCIENCE
We encourage those who want more information on
conscience to consult with these resources which
complement our Lenten action.
-
Your Conscience and Church Teaching, How Do
They Fit Together
By Rev. Nicholas Lohkamp, O.F.M.
http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac1282.asp
-
Moral Conscience: Catholic Teaching for a Strong
Faith
-
Why You Can Disagree and Remain a Faithful
Catholic
By Rev. Philip S. Kaufman, O.S.B. 1995 Crossroad
Publishing Company
-
Catechism of the Catholic
Church
Article 6 Moral Conscience #1776 - #1782
1995 , An Image Book – Doubleday
-
When
wrong turns out to be right
U.S. Catholic Magazine
-
VIDEO: The Vision
of Vatican II for Today published by St. Anthony
Messenger Press (The one titled “The
People Are the Church” by Rev. Michael J. Himes
deals with conscience and “sensus fidelium.”)
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