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 TOPIC 24.3
THE MORAL LAW AND CONSCIENCE

Reference: Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 1776-1794

Supplementary reading: https://opusdei.org/en/article/what-is-the-conscience/
 THE MORAL LAW AND CONSCIENCE

What is moral conscience? Man’s obligations Means for the formation

regarding his conscience of conscience

Formation of conscience Freedom:

and freedom a gift and a task
 What is moral conscience?
the knowledge of good and evil that allows man
General Notion
Definition
to make moral judgments about things and acts
• connotes some knowledge
of the divine moral law, both natural & revealed
(E.g., “The imprisonment of this person was unjust.”)
• it is not the ultimate arbiter of right and wrong,
but to evaluate the morality of things and actions
based on the moral law
• Conscience < cum,
L. “with” + scientia, L. “knowledge”
a practical judgment that acts to discern
the goodness of actions one by one
• e.g., “This action that I’m about to do is good
or was evil
• it is an “inner witness” to my own faithfulness
or unfaithfulness to the moral law,
of my moral rectitude or iniquity. Cf. Rom 2:15
• “It is the interior space for listening to the truth,
to the good, to God, to understand the path
I must follow, and once I have made my decision,
to remain go forward, to remain faithful.”
Pope Francis
• e.g., Lk 15:18ff: Parable of the Prodigal Son;
Acts 9: Conversion of St. Paul.
 Man’s obligations regarding his conscience
“When he listens to his conscience,
the prudent man can hear God speaking.”
CCC 1777
• Prudent
wise, always choosing proper and upright means
to reach upright ends.
• St. Joseph: servus prudens ac fidelis
(Votive Mass of St. Joseph)
• man has the obligation to follow what is conscience
dictates provided he has no doubt about the
correctness of his judgment
• if he has doubts, he must apply the means to clarify his
doubt before acting; otherwise, he already accepts the
possibility of sinning.
• Pray, ask for advice from trustworthy persons,
study the Magisterium
“Faced with a moral choice, man can either make a right
judgment in accordance with reason and the divine law, or
on the contrary, an erroneous judgment that departs from
them.”
CCC 1786
• man has the duty to constantly form his conscience,
not only to
• deepen his understanding of the moral law,
• but also to properly apply it to the different situations
he may find himself in,
each with its own concrete circumstances
• e. g., parents need to learn how to bring up their children
in Christian virtue, taking into account the different character
traits of each child.
 Means for the formation of conscience
Ongoing formation in studying Christian faith and morals

Daily meditation on the Word Regular Confession

Daily spiritual reading
of God, especially the Gospels and Spiritual Direction

Frequent reception Constant effort Keep company with friends Cultivate interest in good works of
of Holy Communion to grow in Christian virtue who are a good influence literature, music and the arts
 Formation
of conscience
and freedom
Goal of the formation of conscience
develop a conscience that is sensitive to the inspirations
of the Holy Spirit to grow in love of God and neighbor,
and to purify one’s heart of whatever runs contrary to it

◦ Fruit of a delicate conscience

the ”freedom for which Christ has set us free…
For you have been called to freedom”
Gal 5:1.13

◦ to choose sin is only a sign of freedom but is not true freedom, just like sickness
is only a sign of life but not true life
St. Thomas Aquinas

◦ Freedom is authentic when put at the service of the truth

which redeems and spent in seeking God’s love
St. Josemaria

◦ “If you become my disciples, you will come to know the truth, and the truth
will set you free.”
Jn 8:32
 Freedom:
a gift and a task
◦ Essence of freedom
autonomous adherence to the good;
love for the good because it is good
(more than the possibility of choosing between alternatives)
◦ e.g., for a mother, not loving her child is out of the question,
but this does not mean that loving her child is not a free choice.

◦ Freedom finds its true meaning only when put at the service of love

◦ “Jesus wants us to be free, and where does this freedom take place?
It is done in dialogue with God in one’s own conscience.
If a Christian does not know how to speak with God,
does not know how to hear God in his own conscience, he is not free.”
Pope Francis
 TOPIC 24.3
THE MORAL LAW AND CONSCIENCE

Reference: Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 1776-1794

Supplementary reading: https://opusdei.org/en/article/what-is-the-conscience/