1776
"Deep within his conscience man discovers a law which he has not laid upon
himself but which he must obey. Its voice, ever calling him to love and to do
what is good and to avoid evil, sounds in his heart at the right moment.... For
man has in his heart a law inscribed by God.... His conscience is man's most
secret core and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in
his depths."47 (
I.
The Judgment of Conscience
1777
Moral conscience,48 ( Cf. ⇒ Rom 2:14-16.) present at the heart of the person, enjoins him at the
appropriate moment to do good and to avoid evil. It also judges particular
choices, approving those that are good and denouncing those that are evil.49 (Cf. ⇒ Rom 1:32. ) It
bears witness to the authority of truth in reference to the supreme Good to
which the human person is drawn, and it welcomes the commandments. When he
listens to his conscience, the prudent man can hear God speaking.
1778
Conscience is a judgment of reason whereby the human person recognizes the
moral quality of a concrete act that he is going to perform, is in the process
of performing, or has already completed. In all he says and does, man is
obliged to follow faithfully what he knows to be just and right. It is by the
judgment of his conscience that man perceives and recognizes the prescriptions
of the divine law:
Conscience
is a law of the mind; yet [Christians] would not grant that it is nothing more;
I mean that it was not a dictate, nor conveyed the notion of responsibility, of
duty, of a threat and a promise.... [Conscience], is a messenger of him, who,
both in nature and in grace, speaks to us behind a veil, and teaches and rules
us by his representatives. Conscience is the aboriginal Vicar of Christ.50
1779
It is important for every person to be sufficiently present to himself in order
to hear and follow the voice of his conscience. This requirement of interiority
is all the more necessary as life often distracts us from any reflection,
self-examination or introspection:
Return
to your conscience, question it.... Turn inward, brethren, and in everything
you do, see God as your witness.51
1780
The dignity of the human person implies and requires the uprightness of moral
conscience. Conscience includes the perception of the principles of morality
(synderesis); their application in the given circumstances by practical
discernment of reasons and goods; and finally judgment about concrete acts yet
to be performed or already performed. the truth about the moral good, stated in
the law of reason, is recognized practically and concretely by the prudent
judgment of conscience. We call that man prudent who chooses in conformity with
this judgment.
1781
Conscience enables one to assume responsibility for the acts performed. If a man
commits evil, the just judgment of conscience can remain within him as the
witness to the universal truth of the good, at the same time as the evil of his
particular choice. the verdict of the judgment of conscience remains a pledge
of hope and mercy. In attesting to the fault committed, it calls to mind the
forgiveness that must be asked, the good that must still be practiced, and the
virtue that must be constantly cultivated with the grace of God:
We
shall . . . reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for
God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.52
1782
Man has the right to act in conscience and in freedom so as personally to make
moral decisions. "He must not be forced to act contrary to his conscience.
Nor must he be prevented from acting according to his conscience, especially in
religious matters."53
II.
The Formation of Conscience
1783
Conscience must be informed and moral judgment enlightened. A well-formed
conscience is upright and truthful. It formulates its judgments according to
reason, in conformity with the true good willed by the wisdom of the Creator.
the education of conscience is indispensable for human beings who are subjected
to negative influences and tempted by sin to prefer their own judgment and to
reject authoritative teachings.
1784
The education of the conscience is a lifelong task. From the earliest years, it
awakens the child to the knowledge and practice of the interior law recognized
by conscience. Prudent education teaches virtue; it prevents or cures fear,
selfishness and pride, resentment arising from guilt, and feelings of
complacency, born of human weakness and faults. the education of the conscience
guarantees freedom and engenders peace of heart.
1785
In the formation of conscience the Word of God is the light for our path,54 ( Cf. ⇒ Ps 119:105.) we
must assimilate it in faith and prayer and put it into practice. We must also
examine our conscience before the Lord's Cross. We are assisted by the gifts of
the Holy Spirit, aided by the witness or advice of others and guided by the
authoritative teaching of the Church.55
III.
To Choose in Accord With Conscience
1786
Faced with a moral choice, conscience can make either a right judgment in
accordance with reason and the divine law or, on the contrary, an erroneous
judgment that departs from them.
1787
Man is sometimes confronted by situations that make moral judgments less
assured and decision difficult. But he must always seriously seek what is right
and good and discern the will of God expressed in divine law.
1788
To this purpose, man strives to interpret the data of experience and the signs
of the times assisted by the virtue of prudence, by the advice of competent
people, and by the help of the Holy Spirit and his gifts.
1789
Some rules apply in every case:
-
One may never do evil so that good may result from it;
-
the Golden Rule: "Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to
them."56
-
charity always proceeds by way of respect for one's neighbor and his
conscience: "Thus sinning against your brethren and wounding their
conscience . . . you sin against Christ."57 ( 1 Cor 8:12.) Therefore "it is right
not to . . . do anything that makes your brother stumble."58 ( Rom 14:21. )
IV.
Erroneous Judgment
1790
A human being must always obey the certain judgment of his conscience. If he
were deliberately to act against it, he would condemn himself. Yet it can
happen that moral conscience remains in ignorance and makes erroneous judgments
about acts to be performed or already committed.
1791
This ignorance can often be imputed to personal responsibility. This is the
case when a man "takes little trouble to find out what is true and good,
or when conscience is by degrees almost blinded through the habit of committing
sin."59 ( GS 16. ) In such cases, the person is culpable for the evil he commits.
1792
Ignorance of Christ and his Gospel, bad example given by others, enslavement to
one's passions, the assertion of a mistaken notion of the autonomy of conscience,
rejection of the Church's authority and her teaching, lack of conversion and of
charity: these can be at the source of errors of judgment in moral conduct.
1793
If - on the contrary - the ignorance is invincible, or the moral subject is not
responsible for his erroneous judgment, the evil committed by the person cannot
be imputed to him. It remains no less an evil, a privation, a disorder. One
must, therefore, work to correct the errors of moral conscience.
1794
A good and pure conscience is enlightened by true faith, for charity proceeds
at the same time "from a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere
faith."60 (1 Tim 5; cf. 8:9; ⇒ 2 Tim 3; ⇒ 1 Pet 3:21; ⇒ Acts 24:16.)
The more a correct conscience prevails, the more do persons and groups turn aside from blind choice and try to be guided by objective standards of moral conduct.61 (GS 16. )
IN
BRIEF
1795
"Conscience is man's most secret core and his sanctuary. There he is
alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths" (GS 16).
1796
Conscience is a judgment of reason by which the human person recognizes the
moral quality of a concrete act.
1797
For the man who has committed evil, the verdict of his conscience remains a
pledge of conversion and of hope.
1798
A well-formed conscience is upright and truthful. It formulates its judgments
according to reason, in conformity with the true good willed by the wisdom of
the Creator. Everyone must avail himself of the means to form his conscience.
1799
Faced with a moral choice, conscience can make either a right judgment in
accordance with reason and the divine law or, on the contrary, an erroneous
judgment that departs from them.
1800
A human being must always obey the certain judgment of his conscience.
1801
Conscience can remain in ignorance or make erroneous judgments. Such ignorance
and errors are not always free of guilt.
1802
The Word of God is a light for our path. We must assimilate it in faith and
prayer and put it into practice. This is how moral conscience is formed.
GO TO:
SECTION ONE MAN'S VOCATION IN THE SPIRIT
CHAPTER ONE THE DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON
PART THREE LIFE IN CHRIST
CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
PART ONE: THE PROFESSION OF FAITH
PART TWO: THE CELEBRATION OF THE CHRISTIAN MYSTERY
PART THREE: LIFE IN CHRIST
PART FOUR: CHRISTIAN PRAYER
SECTION ONE MAN'S VOCATION IN THE SPIRIT
CHAPTER ONE THE DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON
PART THREE LIFE IN CHRIST
PART ONE: THE PROFESSION OF FAITH
PART TWO: THE CELEBRATION OF THE CHRISTIAN MYSTERY
PART THREE: LIFE IN CHRIST
PART FOUR: CHRISTIAN PRAYER
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