At the Holy Hour for Youth

Celebrated By Archbishop Denis Hart
at St Patrick's Cathedral, East Melbourne
on Sunday, 15th October, 2006 at 11.00am

Introduction

My dear young friends,

Taking a theme, which we have discussed before, the young person asks Our Lord, “What must we do to inherit eternal life?”  His clear indication, “If you wish to enter into life keep the Commandments”, is a reminder that there has to be a consistency between the Lord’s teaching, the truth and the way in which we act.  There has been much discussion in the Church and often an erroneous description of “primacy of conscience”.  We must remember, above all, that Jesus came to save us, to teach us objective truth and that he continues to do this through the Scriptures, the Commandments and the ordinary teaching of the Church.

In modern society often the view is placed that everything is relative.  If it feels good to you or to me, we should do it.  On the other hand, however, we have to remember that God makes the whole of our society in love.  He loves me unconditionally.  He forgives me always and he is always with me.  So there has to be a conformity between the truth of the way in which God made and ordered the world, the way in which Jesus taught the world and guides it to today through the Church and our actions.

The important thing to remember is that truth, rightly understood, is absolute and is the norm for life.  Whether in the natural law of our being, the divine, positive law, coming from God, or the teaching which Christ entrusted to the Church.  Conscience is a practical faculty, which we use to apply the absolute truth and the teaching of the Church to individual situations in our lives.  Because it is the only faculty of judging that we have, it has to be primary, but it needs to be focused and corrected by reference to the Scriptures, to Christ’s teaching and to that of the Church.

Some points from the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church reflect what we must do.

358. The dignity of the human person is fixed in his or her creation in the image and likeness of God.  Endowed with a spiritual and immortal soul, intelligence and free will, the human person is ordered (or directed) to God and called in soul and in body to eternal beatitude (blessedness).

359. We attain beatitude by virtue of the grace of Christ, which makes us sharers in the divine life.  Christ in the Gospel points out to his followers the way that leads to eternal happiness – (The Beatitudes, which Jesus taught on the Sermon on the Mount:  Blessed are the poor in spirit, etc.)

The grace of Christ also is operative in every person who, following a correct conscience seeks and loves the true and the good and avoids evil.

Definition of Conscience

372. Moral conscience, present in the heart of the person is a judgement of reason, which at the appropriate moment enjoins him to do good and to avoid evil. Thanks to moral conscience the human person perceives the moral quality of an act to be done, which has already been done, permitting him to assume responsibility for the act. When attentive to the moral conscience the prudent person can hear the voice of God, who speaks to him or her.

373. The dignity of a human person requires the uprightness of a moral conscience (which is to say, that it be in accord with what is just and good according to reason and the law of God). Because of this personal dignity no one may be forced to act contrary to conscience; nor within the limits of the common good, be prevented from acting according to it especially in religious matters.

374. An upright and true moral conscience is formed by education and by assimilating the Word of God and the teaching of the Church. It is supported by the gifts of the Holy Spirit and helped by the advice of wise people. Prayer and an examination of conscience can also greatly assist one’s moral formation.

375. There are three general norms that conscience must always follow –

1. One may never do evil so that good may result from it;
2. So called golden rule, “whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them” (Matthew 7:12);
3. Charity always proceeds by way of respect for one’s neighbour and his conscience, even though this does not mean accepting as good something that is objectively evil.

376. A person must always obey the certain judgement of his own conscience, but he could make erroneous judgements for reason that may not always exempt him from personal guilt. However, an evil act committed through an involuntary ignorance is not imputable to the person, even though the act remains objectively evil. One must therefore work to correct the errors of moral conscience. Truth is absolute. Conscience, though moral, is practical and limited by one’s ability to know and be informed about the truth. This is a constant lifetime search by learning from Scripture, Church teaching and wise people who know the truth.

In the presence of Jesus tonight, “Lord, make me know your ways, teach me your paths, make me walk in your truth and teach me for your are God, my Saviour”, might be our prayer to help us to learn the principles and truths which guide our lives and provide a happiness “that eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man to conceive what God has prepared for those who love him”.

+ Denis J. Hart,
Archbishop of Melbourne.