Chapter 2: Moral Acts, Passions, and Conscience

1. Goals: This chapter reviews the basics of Catholic morality, as they are expressed in the Sacred Scriptures and the teachings of the Catholic Church. We will learn to identify and examine key elements involved in any moral act. We will also learn what is necessary to correctly form and follow their conscience. Chapter 2: Moral Acts, Passions, and Conscience

2. Objectives: Students will: • Define the terms conscience, intention, Magisterium, object, intention, and circumstance. • Identify and apply the three traditional sources of morality: object, intention, and circumstance. • Consider the role our passions play in influencing our moral decision-making. • Define the term conscience as it relates to morality. • Become familiar with the DECIDE method of conscience formation. • Develop and respond to an examination of conscience.

3. Chapter Overview: • We have been made alive through the creative power of God, but only we have the power to make ourselves truly human—by acting with bravery and love, and knowing right from wrong. • We must heed the truth: ‘Always let your conscience be your guide.” From fantasy to fact, the truth remains the same.

4. Part one: This chapter introduces the students to the three traditional sources of morality: • The object chosen: --the act itself—what we do. • The intention—the motive for which we choose to do the act—why we act. • The circumstances—the consequences and the context of the act—the how, who, when of the act. • Applying this to morality, if any of the “component parts” of a moral action is not “performing properly,” the moral action is immoral • For an act to morally good and acceptable, the object, intention, and circumstances must all be good.

5. The Sources of Morality:* Because we have freedom, we are responsible for our acts and our failures to act.* We can judge whether our actions are good or bad by reflecting on three traditional sources of morality: Object chosen: What we do—the act itself • objective norms of morality help us judge whether something is good or evil, whether is harmony with God’s will or is contrary to it. • Some actions by their very nature are always seriously wrong.

6. Intention: Why we act? • Our intention is the motive or purpose or end for which we choose to do the act. • Our intentions may also be mixed. • Our intentions are not always limited to just one act. It can also guide a series of actions that are working toward the same purpose. • The end does not justify the means. A good intention can never turn an intrinsically bad action into a just one.

7. Circumstances: the how, who, when of the act.-- the consequences and the context of the act. • Circumstances can lessen or increase our blameworthiness for an act. • Ignorance, fear, duress, and other psychological and social factors can lessen our responsibility for our actions • The circumstances surrounding an act, however can never change an act that is by its nature morally evil into morally good act.

8. Part two: Passion • Feelings or passions are emotions or movements of the sensitive appetite that incline us to act or not to act in regard to something felt or imagined.” (CCC, 1763) • Our passions influence our moral choices, either for the good or for the bad. Both because our feelings and emotions are part of us and we are affected by original sin, our feelings can be used improperly. • Our passions or feelings can have an effect on our deliberate acts.

9. Role of Passions • Passion are our feelings or emotion. • They move us to act or not to act in relation to something we feel or imagine to be either good or evil. • The most basic passion is Love—aroused by and attracted to what is good. • Other passion , or emotions, include hatred, joy, sadness, desire, fear, and anger • Passions by themselves are neither good nor evil. Our emotions can help us do good or do bad.

10. Part three: Conscience • A capacity for reasonable judgment that is part of the very core of our being. • It helps us to judge whether something is good or evil both before and after we do it. • In order to make to good moral decisions, we have to continually form and follow our conscience. • As a way of assisting youth with making conscience decisions, the chapter provides a method, which uses the acronym DECIDE: • D… ig out the facts. Ask questions like What? Why? How? And Where? • E…xercise imagination. Discover alternative courses to a proposed action. • C…onsiderthe wisdom of others, particularly, the Magisterium of the Church. • I…imitateJesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Light. • D…ecide to do right. • E…valuate the decisions you have made

11. Moral Conscience • The Catechism of the Catholic Church define 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 tells us that our conscience is the most secret core of who we are; it is the sanctuary where we meet God. • In its depths we are alone with God and can hear his call to do good and avoid evil, to live as he, our Father, intends us to live. • Conscience helps us figure out whether an action or attitude is good or evil, whether it conforms to God’s will or contradicts it • Conscience helps us understand the principles of morality and apply them to concrete situations. It helps us judge whether something is good or evil both before and after we do it. • Conscience makes us responsible for our acts.

12. DECIDE • Dig out the facts: studying the facts of a proposed action is a prime way to use human reason to discover the truth and the good. • Exercise imagination: our imagination can help us discover alternative courses to a proposed action. It also helps us discover both foreseen and unforeseen effects of a proposed action. • Consider the wisdom of other people: • We look at the Magisterium for moral guidance. • We also look to others for advice. • We also recognize and follow the wisdom found in laws that respect the dignity of persons and promote the true good of society.

13. Imitate Jesus: a close friendship with Jesus Christ is the foundation of our living a moral life and growing in holiness. • Decide to do right: Eventually, after studying the issue, consulted wisdom of the Church and other wise people, prayed and looked to Jesus, you must decide. • Evaluate: read p. 26

14. The chapter concludes by familiarizing the students with an examination of conscience, focusing on one’s love of God, love of neighbor, and love of self!!!