CONSCIENCE FORMATION

The purpose of the formation of conscience is to reach – or help someone else (such as one’s children, one’s students, the members of one’s flock) reach – an awareness of moral truth by which to direct one’s life to what is truly good and fulfilling. Formation is not simply a process of promulgating laws, rules, and regulations, plus, perhaps, special rules to apply in case there is doubt whether a law or rule applies: This is to view things legalistically. Rather, the goal of formation of conscience is to understand moral truth and to be able wisely to direct one’s life.

One should seek the moral truth relevant to every choice one makes. Nevertheless, many people believe that some areas of their lives are outside the scope of morality. Morality, on this view, concerns only certain important areas, perhaps the private realm or the spiritual realm, while other areas, such as business, play, and so on, are morally neutral. This is a mistake. Every area of life is morally significant. St. Paul tells us: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor 10:31). We are called to integrate every area of our life with our commitment of faith, our commitment to cooperate with Jesus in redemption. We are called to extend redemption to every aspect of ourselves and of creation.

First of all, we should commit ourselves to growing in moral wisdom and to discerning, with God’s grace, the moral truth concerning every aspect of our life. Second, we should pray, asking the Father to send us the Holy Spirit for wisdom and prudence (cf. Jas 1:5-6). Third, we should strive to appropriate personally the truth of the Gospel. Our awareness of basic moral truths, of the possibilities open to us, and of the application of moral truths to our own situation, will grow to the extent we become more virtuous, that is, to the extent we integrate every aspect of ourselves with our commitment of faith to cooperate with Jesus in redemption and to building up the kingdom. The more our intellect, emotions, and imagination are integrated with the commitment of faith, the more we are able easily to discern what is truly morally good – both in general and also in particular situations.

Finally, we should often ask for advice. Not because only the more educated are capable of knowing moral truth, but because all of us can easily fall into self-deception and rationalization, while consulting a sound advisor can help avoid such problems.
The prudent person is able to see what is the morally right thing to do in a given situation where someone who lacks prudence might fail to see it. In a way, virtue in itself is a guide to the moral truth for a particular situation. Virtuous inclinations point one to the morally right thing to do.

This should be carefully understood, however, since confusion on this score has led to serious mistakes. First, the point is not that prudence is a source of moral truth independent of or at odds with moral principles. Rather, prudence is the virtue of applying moral principles to concrete situations, whose exercise presupposes the truth of more general principles. Some theories of prudence in effect take a subjectivist position.
Second, though, it is a fact that if one’s character has been formed by respect for moral principles, that is, the intrinsic goods of persons, then one’s dispositions to various options in a particular situation are a reliable guide to the question of which one is morally right, that is, which is most consistent with a love for every basic good in oneself and in others (cf. Pope John Paul II, The Splendor of Truth, Veritatis Splendor, 67). In that way, when many possible actions are consistent with absolute and other general moral norms (i.e., many actions seem to be right or permissible when one looks only at universal moral norms), one’s inclinations themselves can be rightfully viewed as a criterion of what one ought to do.

Role of Church Teaching • How should the teaching of the Church function in the formation of conscience? Some authors say Church teaching should be consulted and should be one factor among many in our decision-making, but not anywhere near the primary source. This position, however, is simply not consistent with what the Church teaches. Church teaching should not be just one factor among others to be considered; it should be primary in the formation of one’s conscience.

The moral teaching of the Church is not merely a set of extrinsic rules imposed on us by clerics or even by God. The moral teachings of the Church are not rules but truths. The Pope could no more make things like contraception, abortion, and divorce and remarriage right by removing the Church’s “ban” on them, than he could make the earth flat by pronouncing it so.
A consistent Catholic, then, does not look on the Church’s moral teaching as if it were a burden. Such a Catholic will not look upon the Church as if she were a merely human institution whose leaders inexplicably wished to curtail the liberty of Church members. Catholics believe that Christ formed the Church and promised to be with her all days even unto the end of the world (cf. Mt 28:16), that the gates of hell would not prevail against the Church (cf. Mt 16:18), that the Holy Spirit guides the Church into all truth (cf. Jn 14:17). Our Lord continues to speak to us, in the teaching of his Church, his Body (cf. 1 Cor 12:12ff). Thus, the consistent Catholic sees the Church’s teaching as a precious source of light and as the primary guide for forming his conscience.

See: Cardinal Virtues; Conscience; Conscience and the Magisterium; Faith, Act of; Legalism.
Suggested Readings: CCC 1776-1802. G. Grisez, The Way of the Lord Jesus, Vol. 1, Christian Moral Principles, pp. 82-87; Vol. 2, Living a Christian Life, pp. 245-304. G. Grisez and R. Shaw, Fulfillment in Christ, pp. 32-37.

Patrick Lee

Russell Shaw. Our Sunday Visitor's Encyclopedia of Catholic Doctrine. Copyright © 1997, Our Sunday Visitor.

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Last Updated: Sunday, April 01, 2001 03:24:19 PM