ARTICLE 4

I. THE MORALITY OF HUMAN ACTS

"Father of His Acts" (1749-1750)

Whenever man deliberately chooses, he is the "father of his acts." These freely chosen acts can be morally evaluated as
good or evil.

1749 Freedom makes man a moral subject. When he acts deliberately, man is, so to speak, the father of his acts. Human
acts, that is, acts that are freely chosen in consequence of a judgment of conscience, can be morally evaluated. They are
either good or evil.

1750 The morality of human acts depends on:

- the object chosen;
- the end in view or the intention; (THE PERSON’S PURPOSE)
- the circumstances of the action.
The object, the intention, and the circumstances make up the "sources," or constitutive elements, of the morality of human
acts.

The Object Chosen (1751)

The object directly chosen by the will determines the basic morality (good or bad). The person's intellect sees this as
according to moral standards (good) or not according to moral standards (evil).

The Intention (1752-1753)

The person also has an intention which determines the act's morality. An intention can guide many acts or even a whole
lifetime (as loving God). One act can have a multiplicity of intentions (Doing a favor to help someone and also to receive a
favor in return).

However, a good intention can never turn an evil act into a good one. A good purpose cannot justify evil means. However,
an evil intention can make a good act into an evil one, such as giving alms to gain praise.

The Circumstances (1754)

Only the act and the intention make an act good or bad. The circumstances can increase or diminish the goodness or evil.
For example, stealing a large amount of money increases the evil, while fear of harm can lessen a person's responsibility.
Circumstances can never make an evil act into a good one.

II. Determining Good and Evil Acts (1755-1756)

An act is good when the object, the intention, and the circumstances are all good. A good act is vitiated by an evil
intention (praying in order to be seen as good). Some acts are evil in themselves (as fornication) and are always wrong to
choose.

Therefore, the person's intention and the circumstances, such as pressure or duress, cannot change a morally evil act, such
as murder, blasphemy, or adultery, into a morally good act. We cannot do evil so good will come from it.

ARTICLE 5

MORALITY OF THE PASSIONS

Their Help (1762)

The passions or feelings can help the person in his duty to choose.

I. Passions
Passageway from Senses to Mind (1763-1764)
Feelings (passions) are movements of the sensitive appetite. These lead us to act or not to act when experiencing a
perceived good or evil.

Emotions are a passageway connecting man's life of the senses with his life of the mind. Jesus called this source of human
emotions "the heart" (Mk 7:21).

Loving Good or Evil (1765-1766)

Love (the most fundamental emotion) is attracted by the good causes hope and finds pleasure in possessing its object. In
contrast, seeing evil causes hatred, aversion, and fear. This leads to sadness or to anger (to remove the evil).

Passions (feelings) are evil if they love what is evil and they are good if they love what is good.

II. Passions and Moral Life

Passions to Good and Evil (1767-1768)

Passions in themselves are neither good nor evil. They become good or evil as they lead the reason and the will to make a
choice. Passions become voluntary when the will commands them or places no obstacle to them. "Moral goodness exists
when passions are governed by reason" (St. Thomas Aquinas).

Strong feelings do not decide morality. They are only the inexhaustible reservoir of images and affections. Feelings are
good when contributing to good acts. They are evil when leading to evil acts. These feelings can be lifted up by virtues or
perverted by vices.

The Holy Spirit and Feeling (1769-1770)

The Holy Spirit mobilizes the whole human person with his sorrows and fears. In the garden, Christ made his human
feelings lead to the highest charity (his own death).

Man must choose the good with his will and with his sensitive desires. "My heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God"
(Ps 84:2).

IN BRIEF

1771 The term "passions" refers to the affections or the feelings. By his emotions man intuits the good and suspects evil.

1772 The principal passions are love and hatred, desire and fear, joy, sadness, and anger.

1773 In the passions, as movements of the sensitive appetite, there is neither moral good nor evil. But insofar as they engage
reason and will, there is moral good or evil in them.

1774 Emotions and feelings can be taken up in the virtues or perverted by the vices.

1775 The perfection of the moral good consists in man's being moved to the good not only by his will but also by his "heart."

ARTICLE 6

MORAL CONSCIENCE

An Inner Law (1776)

Deep within his conscience, man discovers a law which he must obey, namely to do good and to avoid evil. In his
conscience (man's most secret core) he is alone with God whose voice echoes within man.

I. Judgement of Conscience

Conscience - Judge of Individual Acts (1777-1779)

Moral conscience urges a person to do good and avoid evil. It even judges his particular choices (past, present, and future)
and shows God's authority. The prudent man hears God speaking in his commandments.

By conscience, the person's reason judges the morality of his actions (past, present, or future). In this judgment, man sees
God's law. "Conscience is a messenger of him who speaks to us behind a veil and teaches us by his representatives.
Conscience is the aboriginal Vicar of Christ" (John Cardinal Newman).

Every person must have sufficient interior awareness so he can hear and follow his conscience. "Turn inward, brethren, and
in everything you do, see God as your witness" (St. Augustine).

An Upright Conscience Assumes Responsibility (1780-1782)

Human dignity requires an upright conscience which knows moral principles and applies them in each circumstance. Truth
is recognized by prudent judgments. Whoever follows his conscience is indeed prudent.

By conscience, a person assumes responsibility. Even in evil deeds, conscience remains an inner witness to truth that the
choice was evil. This true judgment makes clear that the person must seek forgiveness and choose good in the future.
"Whenever our hearts condemn us, we reassure ourselves that God is greater than our hearts and he knows everything" (1
Jn 3:19-20).

Man has a right to make his own moral decisions. He cannot be forced to act contrary to his conscience, nor be prevented
from acting according to his conscience, especially in religious matters.

II. The Formation of Conscience

Man's Duty - To Have a Right Conscience (1783-1785)

The person has a duty to have a true conscience which is formed by reason and seeks to know God's will. Only the
educating of conscience can overcome negative influences and temptations.

This lifelong task begins with awakening the child to know and practice God's law. A prudent education teaches virtues,
cures selfishness, and guarantees peace of heart.

The Word of God guides this education. Man must examine his conscience before the cross, seek the advice of others, and
learn the Church's authoritative teaching.

III. To Choose in Accord with Conscience

Difficulties in Judging (1786-1789)

Conscience can make a right judgment (in accord with God's law and reason) or an erroneous judgment (not in accord).

In some situations, moral judgments are difficult. However, in every case, the person must seek God's will in accord with
his law.

The person must interpret the data, assisted by his own prudence, competent advice, and the help of the Holy Spirit.

In all cases, evil can never be done so good can result. "Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them" (Mt
7:12). "Do nothing that makes your brother stumble" (Rom 14:21).

IV. Erroneous Judgment

Sources of Errors in Judgment (1790-1792)
Although a person must always obey the certain judgments of his conscience, he might be in ignorance and make
erroneous judgments.

Sometimes, the person is to blame for having an erroneous conscience because he took no effort to discover the truth. In
this case, he is responsible for the evil he commits.

There are several sources of these errors in judgment: ignorance of Christ and of his Gospel, bad example from others,
enslavement to passions, lack of conversion of heart, and rejection of the Church's teaching.

Unable to Overcome (1793-1794)

Sometimes, the person is not responsible for his erroneous judgment because he cannot overcome the obstacles to truth.
This is called "invincible ignorance." Although evil is present, the person is not blameworthy. He should work to correct his
errors.

Conscience must be enlightened by faith so that persons and groups will turn aside from blind choices.

ARTICLE 7

THE VIRTUES

Always Strong to the Good (1803)

Paul asks the Philippians to see "all that is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely and gracious (Phil 4:8). Virtue is a firm and
habitual disposition, by which a person strives firmly and regularly toward the good with all of his powers. "The goal of a
virtuous life is to become like God" (St. Gregory of Nyssa).

I. The Human Virtues

The Human Moral Virtues (1804)

Human virtues are firm, stable attitudes and dispositions which order the passions and guide conduct. They bring about
self-mastery and joy. The moral virtues are acquired by human effort and dispose the person to God's love.

The Four Cardinal Virtues (1805-1809)

Scripture says that wisdom "teaches temperance and prudence, justice and fortitude" (Wis 8:7). These are the four cardinal
virtues (meaning "hinge") around which the other virtues are grouped.

Prudence disposes man's practical reason to see what is good and to choose the right means. Prudence is "right reason in
action" (St. Thomas Aquinas) guiding the person's judgment. By prudence, the person correctly applies moral teachings to
individual cases without error and removes all doubts about good and evil.

Justice leads the person to give all that is due to God (the virtue of religion) and to others. Justice respects people's rights
and establishes harmony. Scripture praises the conduct of the "Just Man." "You shall not be partial to the poor, nor defer
to the rich" (Lev 19:15).

Fortitude makes the person firm in face of difficulties and constant in pursuing good. It helps man to resist temptations, to
overcome obstacles, to face fear, and even to suffer persecution. "In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer,
I have overcome the world" (Jn 16:33).

Temperance moderates the powerful attraction of pleasures, guarantees the will's control over instincts, keeps desires
honorable, and directs the passions to good. "Do not follow your base desires but restrain your appetites" (Sir 18:30).
Believers should "live sober, upright and godly lives" (Titus 2:12). "Love is kept uncorrupted by temperance, undisturbed
by fortitude, obedient to God by justice and discerning by prudence" (St. Augustine).
The Virtues Need Grace (1810-1811)
Divine grace elevates those human virtues which have been formed by repeated deliberate acts.

Because man is wounded by sin, he cannot easily maintain a moral balance. Through the sacraments and the help of the
Holy Spirit, Christ offers the grace needed to persevere.

II. The Theological Virtues

Faith-Hope-Charity

The Three Theological Virtues (1812-1813)

The three theological virtues (faith, hope, and charity) allow man to share in God's nature. These virtues relate directly to
God who directly infuses these three virtues into the soul where they make the believers capable of living as God's
children and meriting eternal life.

Believing What God Revealed (1814-1816)

By faith, we believe in God, in all that he has revealed, and in all that the Church proposes for our belief. Faith leads to a
total committal. "The righteous shall live by faith" (Rom 1:17).

When faith is deprived of hope and love, it does not unite the believer to Christ nor make him a living member of the
body. "Faith apart from works is dead" (Jas 2:26).

Christ's disciple must spread the faith to others, even if this brings about persecution. Jesus said, "Whoever acknowledge
me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father" and "Whoever denies me before men, I will deny before my
Father" (Mt 10:43-33).

Hoping and Searching for the Kingdom (1817-1818)

By hope, we seek heaven, place our trust in Christ's promises, and rely on the Holy Spirit. We must "hold fast to our
confession of hope" (Heb 10:23). Through the Spirit, we have "become heirs in hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:6-7).

Into everyone's heart, God has placed a search for happiness. Hope responds to this desire. It sustains man, frees him from
discouragement, preserves him from selfishness, and leads to happiness on earth and in heaven.

Abraham's Hope (1819)

Israel's hope was modeled upon Abraham who trusted in God's promise even when asked to sacrifice Isaac. "Hoping
against hope, he believed, and thus became the father of many nations" (Rom 4:18).

Our Hope of Heaven Through Jesus (1820-1821)

Jesus unfolded Christian hope in the beatitudes, proclaiming that those who suffer trials on earth are blessed in heaven.
This hope "does not disappoint" (Rom 5:5) because Jesus has gone ahead "as a forerunner on our behalf" (Heb 6:19-20).
Therefore, we can hope to gain heaven and to persevere "to the end" (Mt 10:22). The Church prays for "all men to be
saved" (1 Tim 2:4) and she awaits union with Christ, the Bridegroom. "Hope, O my soul, hope. Watch carefully. Dream that
the more you struggle, the more you will rejoice one day with your Beloved" (St. Teresa of Avila).

Loving God and Neighbor (1822-1824)

By charity, we love God for his own sake and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God.

Jesus loved us "to the end" (Jn 13:1). He told his disciples to "love one another as I have loved you" (Jn 15:9, 12). Charity
keeps the commandments of God and of Christ, "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love" (Jn 15:9-10).

Paul's Description (1825-1826)

Christ demands that we love everyone, especially our enemies, our neighbors and the poor. St. Paul says that love is
patient and kind, believing, helping, and enduring all things. Love is not jealous, boastful, arrogant, rude, irritable, or
resentful.

Without charity, "I am nothing" and "I gain nothing." "So faith, hope, and charity abide, these three. But the greatest of
these is charity" (1 Cor 13:1-13).

Love Animates the Moral Life (1827-1829)

Charity binds all virtues "together in perfect harmony (Col 3:14) and gives them order. Charity purifies and raises human
love to the perfection of God's love.

When charity animates his moral life, the Christian is free from servile fear and lives as a son responding to God who "first
loved us" (1 Jn 4:19). "If we obey out of love for him who commands, we are in the position of his children" (St. Augustine).

Charity is benevolent, disinterested, and generous, bringing forth friendship and communion. "Love is the goal. Once we
reach it, we shall find rest"(St. Augustine).

III. The Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit

Gifts Which Complete the Virtues (1830-1832)

The seven gifts of the Spirit (wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord) belong to
Christ's fullness. They complete the virtues and make us ready to obey divine inspirations. "For all who are led by the Spirit
of God are sons of God" (Rom 8:14).

By the twelve fruits of the Spirit, (charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness,
modesty, self-control, and chastity) the Spirit forms us for eternal glory.

ARTICLE 8

SIN

I. Mercy and Sin

Revealing His Mercy (1846)

The Gospel reveals God's mercy to us in Christ. Jesus' name means that "he will save his people from their sins" (Mt 1:21).

Receiving His Mercy (1847-1848)

"God created us without us, but he will not save us without us" (St. Augustine). To receive God's mercy, we must admit our
sinfulness. "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. If we confess our sins, he... will forgive our sins" (1 Jn 1:8-9).

God's grace is like a physician probing our wounds. Sin must be uncovered before it is forgiven. "Conversion includes an
interior judgment of conscience which contains a double gift. First, the truth of conscience and secondly a gift of the
certainty of redemption" (Pope John Paul II).

II. The Definition of Sin

Defining Sin (1849-1850)

Sin offends reason, fails in love for God and neighbor, wounds man's nature and injures human solidarity. Sin is "an
utterance, a deed, or a desire contrary to the eternal law." (St. Augustine)

Sin is disobedience and revolt, "love of oneself even to contempt of God" (St. Augustine). This proud self-exaltation is
totally opposed to Jesus' obedience which gains our salvation.

Sin Manifested in Christ's Passion (1851)

Sin manifested itself clearly in Pilate's cowardice, the soldiers' cruelty, the people's hatred, Judas' betrayal, Peter's denial,
and the disciples' flight. However in that hour of darkness, Christ's sacrifice secretly became the source of the forgiveness
of sins.

III. The Different Kinds of Sins

Works of the Flesh (1852)

Paul calls sin "works of the flesh" (fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, factions,
envy, drunkenness, carousing) and says that they exclude from the kingdom of God (Gal 5:19-21).

Sin of Various Kinds (1853)

Sins are defined according to the virtues they oppose or the commandments which they violate. Sins are committed
against God, neighbor or oneself. They are spiritual or carnal; in thought, word, deed or omission. All sin comes "out of the
heart and defiles a man" (Mt 15: 19-20).

IV. The Gravity of Sin: Mortal and Venial Sin

Distinguishing Mortal and Venial Sins (1854-1855)

The distinction between mortal and venial sins is evident from Scripture, part of the Church's Tradition, and corroborated
by experience.

By mortal sin (a grave violation of God's law) man destroys charity, turns away from God, and chooses an inferior good.
Venial sin offends charity but allows it to continue in the soul.

Explaining Mortal Sin (1856)

Mortal sin, because it attacks charity, requires God's mercy and a conversion of heart. This is normally accomplished in the
sacrament of Reconciliation. When the will chooses something which is incompatible with love for God (such as
blasphemy) or against love for neighbor (homicide or adultery) the sin is mortal.

"When the will is set upon a disorder not totally opposed to charity (as thoughtlessness) such sins are venial" (St. Thomas
Aquinas).

Three Conditions (1857)

A mortal sin requires three conditions:

1. The object is grave matter

2. It is committed with full knowledge
3. It is done with deliberate consent

Grave Matter (1858)

Grave matter is specified by the Ten Commandments. Jesus said, "Do not kill. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do
not bear false witness. Do not defraud. Honor your father and your mother" (Mk 10:19). Some sins are more grave than
others. Murder is greater than thefts. Violence against parents is greater than against a stranger.

Knowledge and Consent (1859-1860)

Mortal sin requires full knowledge and complete consent. It presupposes that the person knows that the act is sinful and is
opposed to God's law. It also requires a deliberate consent which is a personal choice. Feigned ignorance or hardness of
heart increase the voluntariness.

Unintentional ignorance can diminish or remove grave imputability. However, no one is ignorant of the moral law written
on the heart. Many factors (feelings, passions, external pressure, emotional disorders) can also diminish personal freedom.
Sins of malice (a deliberate choice of evil) are the greatest.

Need for Repentance (1861)

Being free, man is capable of committing mortal sin which deprives him of sanctifying grace. This can exclude him from
God's kingdom forever if he does not repent and seek God's forgiveness. When a person chooses mortal sin and refuses
to turn back, he will suffer eternal death in hell.

Venial Sins (1862-1863)

A person commits a venial sin in two cases:

1. When he does not observe God's law in a less serious matter

2. When he did not have full knowledge or give full consent in a grave matter

Venial sins show disordered affections and impede the person's progress in virtue. If deliberate and unrepented, they
dispose the person to mortal sins. However "Venial sin does not deprive the sinner of sanctifying grace or friendship with
God" (Pope John Paul II). "When he is in the flesh, man cannot help but have at least some light sins. However, a number
of light objects makes a great mass. What then is our hope? Above all, confession" (St. Augustine).

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (1864)

Jesus said that "Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness" (Mk 3:29). This deliberate refusal to
repent and receive God's mercy, rejects the Spirit's forgiveness. Such hardness can lead to final impenitence and to eternal
loss.

V. The Proliferation of Sin

Effects of Repeated Sins (1865)

Within the person, repetition of sin brings about a proclivity to sin, resulting in perverse inclinations and erroneous
judgments. Sin reinforces itself and destroys any moral roots.

The Seven Capital Sins (1866)

Some sins are called "capital" (according to St. John Cassian and St. Gregory) because they engender other sins. The seven
capital sins are pride, avarice, envy, wrath, lust, gluttony, and sloth.

Sins That Cry to Heaven (1867)

These sins include the blood of Abel (murder), the sin of the Sodomites (sodomy), the cry of the oppressed, the widow or
the orphan, and the injustice to a wage earner.

Accomplices in Sin (1868-1869)

We have a duty not cooperate in the sins of others. Therefore, we must avoid any direct participating in, or ordering sinful
acts. Also, we cannot approve sinful acts by allowing them or by protecting evildoers.

Men can become accomplices in sin and cause injustice to reign by bringing about "social sins." These sins establish sinful
structures and institutions which are against God's goodness and cause people to sin.