CHF L5

• is guided by the dictates of one’s conscience telling man to do what is good and to avoid evil.

  Man
• latin word of “conscience”

  • Which in turn comes from the preposition

  “cum” and the verb “scire”.


  Conscientia
• also known as “with”

  Cum
• “to know”


  Scire
• etymologically means “with knowledge”


  To know
• This word appeared prominently only in the late Hellenistic period when it became an item of colloquial

  talk.

  Syneidesis
• he introduced the word “syneidesis” into Christian literature.


  Paul
• the original term of “syneidesis”

  Syn-eidos
• Involves the act of sharing


  syn
• knowledge or a way of understanding things,

  interpreting ideas, etc. with one’s self

  Eidos
• held that every person possessed a natural

  inner law and a consciousness of it enabling one to make

  moral judgment.

  Greco-Roman view
• fundamentally an act of self-judgement, practical

  judgment enabling the person to recognize a particular

  situation is good or evil.

  Conscience
• Types of conscience


  lax

  doubtful

  certain

  scrupulous

  erroneous

  true
• when there is a lack of effort in judging the morality of the

  act, manifested in being lenient and loose, resulting in a

  poor sense of what is good or evil.

  LAX
• when we judge a simple act to be evil, or a lesser evil to be grave resulting in an inordinate feeling of torment

  and guilt for no good reason.

  SCRUPULOUS
• when we judge the act that is really evil as good and that

  which is really good or indifferent asmevil.

  ERRONEOUS
• Where we make a correct and moral judgment on the quality of the act. We come to judge an evil act as evil

  and a good act as good.

  TRUE CONSCIENCE
• when the person is sure of the evilness or goodness of

  the act.

  CERTAIN CONSCIENCE
• when he/she is not sure.


  DOUBTFUL CONSCIENCE
• the author of both the “law of fear” written

  on stone and the “law of love” written on our hearts.

  Holy Spirit
• such law is the standard of judgement.

  Law of love
• Man’s exercise of free will.

  Liberum arbitrium
• expected to form their conscience according to the teachings and examples of Jesus Christ

  Christians
• are individuals who hold beliefs that deviate

  significantly from the established doctrines of a

  religious group or community.


  Heretics
• are those who separate or break away from

  the main body of a religious organization

  Schismatics
• Augustine’s mother, who tried to imbue

  Christian teachings during Augustine’s tender years.

  Monica
• when Augustine embraced the Catholic faith.

  Early 30s
• Based on CFC 835, this stage includes

  the pedagogical STOP formula

  DISCERNING STAGE
• search for possible solutions or mean
• Think of reasons
• (consult) others who are

  knowledgeable and expert and have a

  good spirituality.
• pray for the Spirit of knowledge,

  wisdom, and love so that whatever is being

  searched and thought of, is motivated by

  God’s Spirit.
• we bring the pertinent moral norm for the

  use of our conscience.

  DEMAND STAGE
• This “simply refers to the judgment of conscience we

  make on the morality of any proposed action, and our consequent decision to follow this dictate of our conscience or not”.

  JUDGEMENT/DECISION STAGE