Conscience Formation - Catholic Catechism - PDF

CONSCIENCE FORMATION CHAPTER 2  CONSCIENCE WELL-FORMED CONSCIENCE OR NOT? One can have an erroneously formed conscience due to one’s own negligence or perhaps through true ignorance.  STATEMENTS USED TO JUSTIFY MORAL...

CONSCIENCE FORMATION CHAPTER 2  CONSCIENCE WELL-FORMED CONSCIENCE OR NOT? One can have an erroneously formed conscience due to one’s own negligence or perhaps through true ignorance.  STATEMENTS USED TO JUSTIFY MORAL DECISIONS “If I have a good intention and am sincere, then anything I do is okay.” “I would never tell another person what is right or wrong for him or her. I can only say what is right or wrong for me.” “Basically, something is right if it feels good. Something is wrong if it feels bad. That is the description of conscience.”  THE REWARD FOR FORMING A GOOD CONSCIENCE IS NOT ONLY LIVING A MORAL LIFE BUT LIVING A HAPPY LIFE AS WELL.  WHAT IS CONSCIENCE? SECTION 1 Conscience is a practical judgment of the intellect based on God’s law written in your heart that summons you to do good and avoid evil. MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT CONSCIENCE Conscience Is Not a Majority Opinion Conscience Is Not a Feeling Conscience Is Not Superego Conscience Is Not a “Gut Instinct” Conscience Is Not “Jiminy Cricket” Conscience Is Not Just Guilt CATHOLIC UNDERSTANDING OF CONSCIENCE The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines conscience as “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” (1778). THE SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL DOCUMENT Gaudium et Spes (16) reveals more about what conscience means for you.  Conscience is a law written on your heart by God. Creation of Adam, Leonardo Da Vinci Conscience always summons you to do good and avoid evil. The Good Samaritan, Eugene Delacroix Conscience must be obeyed; you will be judged according to how you follow your conscience. The Final Judgement, Michelangelo Conscience is the “most secret core and sanctuary” of your being, where you are alone with God. The Call of St. Matthew, Caravaggio Conscience reveals divine law that you fulfill by love of God and love of neighbor. The Prodigal Son, Rembrandt  Three interlocking aspects of conscience Conscience Is Part of One’s Personal Relationship with God Conscience Is an Awareness of God’s Call to Love Conscience Is a Practical Judgment of the Intellect  HOW TO FORM YOUR CONSCIENCE SECTION 2 The formation of your conscience is a lifelong task. Educating your conscience means focusing on the person and teaching of Jesus Christ while being attentive to the authoritative teaching of the Church , the guidance of the Holy Spirit , the gifts of the Spirit , and the advice of others. FORMING YOUR CONSCIENCE TO MAKE AUTOMATIC DECISIONS You must always form and keep You must obey your certain informing your conscience conscience S TUDY THE FACTS E LECT YOUR COURSE OF ACTION E XECUTE THE ACTION REVIEW YOUR DECISION EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE THE TEARS OF ST. PETER, EL GRECO A regular examination of conscience is necessary if you wish your conscience to aid you in living a holy life and doing what is right according to God’s plan for you.  AVOIDING ERRONEOUS JUDGMENT SECTION 3 You must always obey the certain judgment of your conscience, while making an effort throughout your life to form and inform your conscience in order to avoid an erroneous conscience.  A man went to his psychiatrist and told him that he was engaging in some immoral behavior. He confessed to the doctor that his conscience was bothering LESSONS FOR A him. The psychiatrist asked the man, “Do you want me to offer some strategies to strengthen your willpower?” “Not really, Doc,” replied the man. “I was hoping you PEACEFUL would give me some tips that would weaken my conscience.” CONSCIENCE Contrast this insincere person with President Abraham Lincoln, who served as president during the Civil War, a time that scarred the nation. At times he was met with severe criticism, and he even admitted that he would make mistakes in the conduct of war. However, he resolved that he would “so conduct the affairs of this administration that if at the end, when I come to lay down the reins of power, I have lost every other friend on earth, I shall at least have one friend left, and that friend shall be inside of me.” The friend that President Lincoln was speaking of was a peaceful conscience. Also consider Babe Didrikson Zaharias, a great athlete of the twentieth century. She once disqualified herself from a golf tournament because she hit the wrong ball out of the rough. “But nobody would have known,” a friend told her. “I would have known,” she said.  INVINCIBLE ONE IGNORANCE Despite a person’s reasonable effort in seeking REASON the truth, the ignorance was invincible—that is, “incapable of being overcome.” FOR AN ERRONEOUS VINCIBLE CONSCIENCE IS IGNORANCE This kind of ignorance is vincible—that is, IGNORANCE. “capable of being overcome”—if the person had diligently sought the truth. PRIMACY OF CONSCIENCE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH: “IN ALL HE SAYS AND DOES, MAN IS OBLIGED TO FOLLOW FAITHFULLY WHAT HE KNOWS TO BE JUST AND RIGHT” (1778) Actually, individual conscience is not the final judge of what is morally right. Paragraph 1778 of the Catechism goes on to say, “It is by the judgment of his conscience that man perceives and recognizes the prescriptions of the divine law.” This means that a person’s conscience gets him or her as close as possible to knowing and understanding the meaning of divine law. But it is divine law—God’s law—that is really the final judge of what is moral.  PEER PRESSURE AND CONSCIENCE SECTION 4 It takes fortitude to withstand negative peer pressure and do what is right. Prayer, self-denial, helping others, and hard work strengthen the resolve of conscience. Richard M. Nixon is the only president in United States history ever to have resigned his office. The well-known Watergate scandal began with the burglary and wiretapping of the Democratic Party headquarters at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, DC. The criminals who carried out those crimes were arrested and brought to trial. In the meantime, mainly through investigative journalism, the nation learned that many people within Nixon’s administration either knew in advance about the crime or, when they found out about it, worked to cover it up. Eventually President Nixon himself was implicated. One of the Congressional investigators, Senator Howard Baker, asked the conspirators if they had ever questioned the correctness of their behavior. They said that they had, but that because of group pressure they did not change their actions.  PEER PRESSURE neutral peer positive peer negative peer pressure pressure pressure FORTITUDE PASSIVE DIMENSION A HELP AGAINST NEGATIVE Its passive side may involve patiently PEER PRESSURE suffering for the sake of God’s Kingdom. ACTIVE DIMENSION Fortitude can also call you to action. The ultimate act of fortitude is martyrdom. SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES that help you grow the virtue of FORTITUDE Self-denial. This refers to making sacrifices. Follow the example of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, who “offered up” the smallest inconveniences of her day to God. Prayer. Pray daily to become the person God wants you to be. Service. Help someone less fortunate than you. You will experience firsthand the joy of serving Christ in the least of his people. MORE STRATEGIES FOR RESISTING PEER PRESSURE Know your standards. Learn effective ways to say no. Stay away from situation that might tempt you. Remember the power of prayer.