Bishop of Parramatta


	Each month Bishop Manning answers questions from the Catholic Community of Parramatta Diocese, which is published in 'Catholic Outlook', the official diocesan newspaper. To review previous questions and answers from the Bishop visit the archive.
	December 2004 Questions Bishop are asked: conscience Question: Conscience is a bit baffling for me. How do I know when to follow it? How do I know if it's right to follow it? I'd welcome a run-down on the topic. Answer: Conscience is a two-stage process: it is about knowing and acting for good. It has both an individual and a communitarian aspect. It has an individual aspect because it is the law of God placed in our hearts: it is a person's " most sacred core and sanctuary" (CC 1776) and each one of us is responsible for our actions before God. Encompassing and informing the individual's conscience is the belief that we journey to God as a community. Our faith is nourished in the community and the central act of worship of God, the Eucharist, is celebrated in communion with others. In forming our conscience, we accept the teaching of Christ, which comes from Scripture and Tradition and is given to us through the Church, the Body of Christ, of which we are members. Another communitarian aspect of conscience is the knowledge that all our actions affect others as well as ourselves. Acting against a moral good, which is also a human good, is destructive of community, humanity and ourselves. Morally good actions Conscience enables us to make moral judgments, that is, to know whether an action is good or evil and to take responsibility for actions we commit. What makes an action morally good or evil? There are three elements: firstly, the action itself, sometimes called the object; secondly, the end or the purpose in doing the action; thirdly, the circumstances. Let's see how these three elements could apply in practice. There are some actions that by reason of their object are always wrong to do: murder, adultery, blasphemy, perjury. A phrase that is often cited is "the end does not justify the means". Practically, this means that it can never be right to do evil so that good may result. Take the example of conjoined twins where, because of the organs the babies shared or did not share, doctors were certain that one twin would die if surgery to separate them were attempted. It would be morally wrong to attempt surgery knowing that it would result in one death even though one life might be saved. The circumstances affect the amount of good or evil in an action. An example is theft. It is more serious to steal $50 from a person who has little money that it is to steal $50 from a very rich person. But the theft is still wrong and the circumstances cannot change a morally evil act into a morally good one. St Thomas More Conscience comes into play in enabling us to choose good and avoid evil, to recognise the moral goodness or evil in an act we are about to do, are doing, or have done. St Thomas More, for example, knew that the legislation he was asked to approve by an oath was against the law of God. He knew, in his conscience, that he could not approve it even though his decision would have grave consequences for himself and his family. Clearly for Thomas More, exercising conscience was nothing to do with expediency, convenience or feelings. He showed that he had a well-formed conscience based on years of living the Christian life, which taught him virtue and prudence. In conscience, he adopted a position that was not shared by his peers. Honesty It can happen that, in all sincerity, a person is unable to accept a moral truth. But that position can only be reached, in conscience, after a searching examination of oneself: am I engaged in special pleading: in making a case for my own convenience; in blinding myself to the truth through pride? Good decisions generally Faced with any decision, prudent people examine all angles of the matter, ask advice of others experienced in the area, inform themselves of legal requirements, weigh up all these things, and proceed to make a decision. Making a moral decision Similarly, faced with a moral choice a prudent person takes care to inform themselves about the teaching of the Church, consults with others, reflects on God's Word, asks the help of the Holy Spirit and proceeds to a decision. This is making a decision according to conscience. Obligation of conscience A human person must always obey the certain judgment of conscience. Should a person act against his conscience, he would condemn himself (CC 1790). Conscience goes to the very heart of our creation in Christ as a human person and as a member of the Christian community. As we mature in Christ, we grow ever closer to God and to His will for us so that we can say with St Thomas More: "whatever that (God's will) be, seem it never so bad in sight, it shall indeed be best." - Bishop Kevin Manning

December 2004

Questions Bishop are asked: conscience

Question:
Conscience is a bit baffling for me. How do I know when to follow it? How do I know if it's right to follow it? I'd welcome a run-down on the topic.

Answer:
Conscience is a two-stage process: it is about knowing and acting for good. It has both an individual and a communitarian aspect.

It has an individual aspect because it is the law of God placed in our hearts: it is a person's " most sacred core and sanctuary" (CC 1776) and each one of us is responsible for our actions before God.

Encompassing and informing the individual's conscience is the belief that we journey to God as a community. Our faith is nourished in the community and the central act of worship of God, the Eucharist, is celebrated in communion with others.

In forming our conscience, we accept the teaching of Christ, which comes from Scripture and Tradition and is given to us through the Church, the Body of Christ, of which we are members.

Another communitarian aspect of conscience is the knowledge that all our actions affect others as well as ourselves. Acting against a moral good, which is also a human good, is destructive of community, humanity and ourselves.

Morally good actions
Conscience enables us to make moral judgments, that is, to know whether an action is good or evil and to take responsibility for actions we commit. What makes an action morally good or evil? There are three elements: firstly, the action itself, sometimes called the object; secondly, the end or the purpose in doing the action; thirdly, the circumstances.

Let's see how these three elements could apply in practice. There are some actions that by reason of their object are always wrong to do: murder, adultery, blasphemy, perjury.

A phrase that is often cited is "the end does not justify the means". Practically, this means that it can never be right to do evil so that good may result. Take the example of conjoined twins where, because of the organs the babies shared or did not share, doctors were certain that one twin would die if surgery to separate them were attempted. It would be morally wrong to attempt surgery knowing that it would result in one death even though one life might be saved.

The circumstances affect the amount of good or evil in an action. An example is theft. It is more serious to steal $50 from a person who has little money that it is to steal $50 from a very rich person. But the theft is still wrong and the circumstances cannot change a morally evil act into a morally good one.

St Thomas More
Conscience comes into play in enabling us to choose good and avoid evil, to recognise the moral goodness or evil in an act we are about to do, are doing, or have done. St Thomas More, for example, knew that the legislation he was asked to approve by an oath was against the law of God. He knew, in his conscience, that he could not approve it even though his decision would have grave consequences for himself and his family.

Clearly for Thomas More, exercising conscience was nothing to do with expediency, convenience or feelings. He showed that he had a well-formed conscience based on years of living the Christian life, which taught him virtue and prudence. In conscience, he adopted a position that was not shared by his peers.

Honesty
It can happen that, in all sincerity, a person is unable to accept a moral truth. But that position can only be reached, in conscience, after a searching examination of oneself: am I engaged in special pleading: in making a case for my own convenience; in blinding myself to the truth through pride?

Good decisions generally
Faced with any decision, prudent people examine all angles of the matter, ask advice of others experienced in the area, inform themselves of legal requirements, weigh up all these things, and proceed to make a decision.

Making a moral decision
Similarly, faced with a moral choice a prudent person takes care to inform themselves about the teaching of the Church, consults with others, reflects on God's Word, asks the help of the Holy Spirit and proceeds to a decision. This is making a decision according to conscience.

Obligation of conscience
A human person must always obey the certain judgment of conscience. Should a person act against his conscience, he would condemn himself (CC 1790).

Conscience goes to the very heart of our creation in Christ as a human person and as a member of the Christian community. As we mature in Christ, we grow ever closer to God and to His will for us so that we can say with St Thomas More: "whatever that (God's will) be, seem it never so bad in sight, it shall indeed be best."