1

The case study is to be on the moral actor, Alfie, in the film Alfie or on the moral
actor,Pope Leo XIV, in the film Saving Grace.

The case study should have the following pages

A single title page. See the Academic Handbook for its format.
A single bibliography page, if needed.
Written text:
No less then 5 pages & no more than 7 pages.
One inch margins
Double spaced
Single sided
Turabian format for references--as parentheses, or as footnotes or as end
notes.
Individual Work Requirements
One must do the case study on one’s own
There is to be no sharing of ideas in preparing for and writing your case study.
Any information gained from your research must be properly documented
Failure to credit the source of your ideas results in an automatic loss of 25 points
out of the total 100 possible points for the grade. .
Failure to follow format results in a loss of a 5 points for each thing absent.
Failure to meet required number of pages results in a loss of 5 points for each
page less than five pages , AND a loss of 5 points for each page in
addition to 7 pages.
Failure to hand the paper in on time results in 5 points for each class day not
turned in

The case study should have the following headings, with the appropriate text
underneath.
Moral Actor
Simply name the moral actor, i.e Alfie, for the film Alfie or Pope Leo for the
film Saving Grace.
Do not write anything about the actor in this section.
Moral Issue Questions
There are two issues.
The first regards making a correct judgment and command of
conscience regard the morality or immorality of the action of
the moral actor, Alfie or Pope Leo XIV.
The second regards the moral actor’s ability to follow a correct
judgment and command of conscience.
When addressing the sexual morality issues regarding a correct judgment
and command of conscience, do so only in the form of an open
ended question. An open ended question is one in which a simple
“yes” or “no” answer can be given.
 Name three different actions of the moral actor that have to do with
sexuality. For example, one action would be Alfie’s taking
pictures as a photographer.
Ask an open-ended question about the sexual morality of the action
and formulate it in regard to a part of temperance the moral
actor can in fact practice.
Example: “Is Alfie’s act of taking pictures as a photographer in
accord with a part of temperance he can in fact practice?
Do not write in this section your answer of “yes” or “no” to this
questions nor your reasons for your answer.
When stating an issue regarding the following or the obeying of a correct
judgment and command of conscience, do so only in the form of an
open ended question.
Name a particular strength or weakness the moral actor has, as
can be gathered from the film, e.g. Alfie’s sexual desires.
Ask an open ended question about this strength or weakness as it
relates to that part of temperance the actor would be able to
practice.
Example: Is there a part of temperance that Alfie is able to call on
that would enable him to morally deal with his sexual
desires?
Do not write in this section the reasons for your “yes” or “no”
answer.
Moral Principles Used
Name one of the five parts of the virtue of temperance that you will use to
deal with the moral and pastoral case study.
The part of temperance must be one that the actor has the ability to
practice.
Note: Should that part of temperance by which the actor has the ability to
practice be greater than the “shame and honor part,” then that
means that if the moral actor already has the part of temperance
called “purity,” he is able to call on “purity” as well as “shame and
honor,” “continence” and “modesty” to act rightly.
Do not write out the principle in this section but in section “D” explicitly
refer to the part of temperance you are using for the case
The Parts of temperance.
All five parts of the virtue of temperance, which are to influence
one’s actions, have as their end, purpose or goal that of
protecting and or promoting the sexual goods of friendship
(bonum fides), of progeny (bonum proles) and of God
(bonum sacramentum).
Shame and Honor, the integral parts of the Virtue of Temperance.
 One should use the emotion of fear of being shamed so that
the actor will not give into one’s sexual appetite and
violate any of the sexual goods.
One should use the emotion of courage for the sake of being
honored so that one can overcome one’s sexual
appetite and choose to act, whether in thought, word
or deed, to protect or promote the sexual goods
[Notes:
Fear deals with the evil of being shamed over
violating one or another of the sexual good
which person feels is too difficult to prevent, so
the person does not violate a sexual good.
Honor refers to the praise the person wishes to
receive when out of courage he does the
difficult thing of protecting or promoting a
sexual good.
For example, In the 15 statements of the code of
chivalry one is to live by honor and for glory
and another is to respect the honor of women."
Continence, a potential part of the Virtue of Temperance.
To be continent, one must direct one’s intellectual appetite,
the will, to resist one’s sexual appetite, i.e. those
sensations of pleasure and emotions of love and
desire, i.e. one’s concupiscible appetite, that would
cause one to think, speak or act against the sexual
goods.*
Modesty, a potential part of the Virtue of Temperance.
To be modest, one must direct, according to one’s state as a
child, adult, friend, spouse or parent, one’s intellectual
appetite, the will, and one’s mild sensations of
pleasure and emotions of love and desire, i.e. one’s
concupiscible appetite, so that one’s thoughts, words
and deeds protect or promote rather than abandon or
denigrate the sexual goods.*
One’s sexual appetites are in their initial and mild stages,
because one’s sensible apprehensions include sight,
sound and smell but exclude touch.
Purity, a subjective part of the Virtue of Temperance
To be pure, one must direct one’s intellectual appetite, the
will, and one’s strong sensations of pleasure and
emotions of love and desire, i.e. one’s concupiscible
appetite, so that one’s thoughts, words and deeds
protect or promote rather than abandon or denigrate
the sexual goods.*
 One’s sexual appetites are strong because one’s sensible
apprehensions include touch as well as sight, sound
and smell.
Chastity, a subjective part of the Virtue of Temperance
To be chaste one must direct one’s intellectual appetite, the
will, and the vehement sensations of pleasure and
emotions of love and desire, i.e. one’s concupiscible
appetite, so that one’s thoughts, words and deeds
protect or promote rather than abandon or denigrate
the sexual goods.*
One’s sexual appetites are vehement because one’s
sensible apprehensions involve the body to body
touching involved in foreplay and sexual intercourse.
D. Helping the moral Actor to make a correct judgment of conscience.
1. Single out three actions of the actor (Alfie or Pope Leo) regarding
sexuality.
2. Select that part of temperance the moral actor is capable of
practicing. That is, the person without continence, must resort to
the use of shame and honor, whereas the person with chastity can
use shame & honor, continence, modesty and purity to act chastely.
3. Use that part of temperance to judge each of the three acts of the
actor as they relate to the sexual goods..
4. Indicate what the actor can start to do or continue to do to accord
with that part of temperance.
E. Helping the Moral Actor to choose/act in accord with his correct
conscience.
1. Using and stating the relevant facts of the film, one must identity
the moral actor’s strength, e.g. what part of temperance he has,
and show how he can use it to do the right thing. In doing this, one
should use and state the appropriate part of the virtue of
temperance that the moral actor is capable of doing.
2. For example: Because the moral actor can or does have the
following part of temperance: __________he can use this part of
temperance to protect &/or promote the sexual goods by affecting
______________.
a. his irascible appetite of fear regarding what is shameful
b. his irascible appetite of courage regarding what is honorable
c. his will to resist his concupisicible appetite leading to sin
e. his will and using his concupiscible appetite in its mildest
form
f. his will and using his concupiscible appetite in its strong form
g. his will and one’s concupiscible appetite in its strongest form.
AND/OR
 2 Using and stating the relevant facts of the film, one must identify, if
appropriate, the moral actor’s weakness and show how he might
avoid it or overcome it in order to do the right thing. E.G. Because
he lacks the virtue of __________ he should _________in order not
to destroy the sexual good of ________________.
III Procedure to be followed.
A. A hard copy of this case study must be given to the Professor April 17.
B. The professor will select one case for Alfie and the other for Pope Leo.
C. The person selected, should e-mail a copy to all the members of the class,
by Saturday, April 21.
D. Persons must have read the case study on Alfie, by April 23, and the case
study on Pope Leo, by April 25.
E. Alfie Case study will be April 24 & Pope Leo Case Study will be April 26.
F. The person presenting the case must read the entire case and respond to
all comments and questions.
G. At the conclusion, the professor will give his remarks.