With the many complex moral issues that we face today, and the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, I thought it would be opportune to review what the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches about conscience.

    Quoting from the II Vatican Council document “Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the   Modern World,” the catechism states: “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 ... For man has in his heart a law inscribed by God.” (This is the natural law that so many today seek to ignore, while others scoff at its very existence.) “His conscience is man's most secret core and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths.”

    The law of our conscience is something that we are imbued with by God himself, helping us always to know the difference between right and wrong, good and evil. This moral conscience helps us “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.”
In “Pinocchio” the talking Cricket sought to be the Pinocchio’s conscience. But he was merely an outside voice. Our conscience is the voice of reason within us “to follow faithfully what he knows to be just and right.”

    Our society attacks the very existence of this objective truth, so, we are also called to defend the reality of conscience’s voice of truth against those who would deny the same.

    The Venerable Servant of God, Cardinal John Henry Newman notes “Conscience is a messenger ... Who speaks to us behind a veil, and teaches and rules us by his representatives.” And St. Augustine says, “Return to your conscience ... and in everything you do, see God as your witness.” In truth, if we are honest, there is never any way of escaping the voice of conscience. As so many saints have written, if we wish to do God’s will every act must be questioned with “What would God want me to do?”

    The catechism goes on to teach that the dignity of every person demands that all people have an uprightness of moral conscience. This enables us to assume responsibility for our actions. It is a fundamental basis of human relationships in family, school and society at large that we take responsibility for our actions, realizing that all actions good or bad have consequences. Our conscience is the guide that helps us choose that which is correct according to God’s law and this choice especially is reflected in how we uphold human dignity.

    In the Vatican II “Declaration on Religious Freedom,” we find this “(A person) must not be forced to act contrary to his conscience. Nor can he be prevented from acting according to his conscience, especially in religious matters.”

    Some have chosen the first part of this last sentence to state that we cannot stand against those who follow their conscience, be it abortion, mercy killing, etc. I would add that such “logic” would also legitimize terrorists who follow their conscience in the destruction of others.

    The fallacy of this argument is that those proposing it forget that the bishops at the council were speaking of an informed conscience. It is the uninformed, erroneous conscience that leads to the destruction of the unborn, mercy killing and the other evils around us. In fact the catechism teaches, “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.”

    Consciences are formed by the Word of God, by the authoritative teaching of the church as to what is morally right or wrong, from the writing of the saints, from the advice of our priests, and the good example of others.

    In our society it is failure to follow God’s Word and direct rejection of the teaching of the church that allows some to say that, “while I am personally opposed to abortion, etc. I must respect those who do not believe as I do.” Respect, yes, but a good moral conscience can never accept the destruction of human life that results from this error!

    January 22, the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade will pass but not the opportunity to continue to examine your conscience and to form it in accord with the teaching of the Church and God’s Word. Remember, “The education of the conscience is a lifelong task ... The education of the conscience guarantees freedom and engenders peace of heart.”

(References taken from the Catechism of the Catholic Church are found between numbers 1776-1784.)