Catholic Morality

Beatitude: Our vocation as Christians, the goal of our existence. It is our blessedness or happiness which we experience partially here on earth and perfectly in heaven.

Concupiscence: The tendency of all human beings toward sin, as a result of original sin.

covenant:  A solemn agreement between human beings or between God and a human being, in which mutual commitments are made.

free will:  The gift from God that allows human beings to choose from various actions. Held accountable, basis for moral responsibility.

intellect:  The divine gift that gives us the ability to see and understand the order of things that God places within creation and to know and understand God through created order.

Justification: The process by which God frees us from sin and sanctifies us,

merit:  God’s reward to those who love him and follow Christ’s Law of Love. To have merit is to be justified in the sight of God, free from sin and sanctified by his grace. We do not earn merit on our own; it is a free gift from God due to the grace of Christ in us.

original holiness:  The state of human beings in their relationships with God, sharing in the divine life in full communion with him.

original justice: The state of complete harmony that our first parents had with their inner self, w/ themselves, w/ each other, and w/ all creation.

Original Sin:  From the Latin origo, meaning “beginning” or “birth.” The term has two meanings: (1) the sin of the first human beings, who disobeyed God’s command by choosing to follow their own will and so lost their original holiness and became subject to death, (2) the fallen state of human nature that affects every person born into the world.

Paschal Mystery: The work of salvation accomplished by Jesus Christ through his life, passion, death, resurrection and ascension.

salvation history:  The pattern of specific salvific events in human history that reveal God’s presence and saving actions.

sanctify, sanctification:  To make holy; sanctification is the process of becoming closer to God and growing in holiness, taking on the righteousness of Jesus Christ with the gift of sanctifying grace.

Soul: Our spiritual principle, it is immortal and it is what makes us more like God. Our soul is created by God and he unites it with our physical body at the moment of conception. The soul is the seat of human consciousness and freedom.


 

 canon law: The name given to the official body of laws which provide good order in the visible body of the Church

catechism: A summary usually in book form of Catholic doctrine about faith + morals in book form of Catholic doctrine about faith and morals and commonly intended for use within formal programs of catechesis.

conscience:  The “interior voice” of a person, a God-given sense of the law of God. Moral conscience leads people to understand themselves as responsible for their actions, and prompts them to do good and avoid evil. To make good judgments, one needs to have a well-formed conscience. Is a gift from God to help us know moral law.

Eternal Law: The order in creation that reflects God’s will + purpose. It is eternal because it is always true and never changes. All other types of law have their basis in eternal law and are onl true if they reflect the truth of eternal law. 

Great Commandments

1. To love God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, all your strength.

2. Love your neighbor as yourself.

Jesus’ summary of the entire divine law is the love of God and neighbor.

infallibility:  The Gift of the Holy Spirit to the whole Church by which the leaders of the Church—the Pope and the bishops in union with him—are protected from fundamental error when formulating a specific teaching on a matter of faith and morals.

Magisterium: The Church’s living teaching office, consists of all bishops in communion with the pope.

moral law: Established by God and is a rational expression of eternal law. We are obliged to follow moral law. Govern the relationship with God and one another. God reveals moral laws to us through Scripture and Tradition.

natural law:  The moral law that can be understood through the use of reason. It is our God-given ability to understand what it means to be in right relationship with God, other people, the world, and ourselves. The basis for natural law is our participation in God’s wisdom and goodness because we are created in the divine likeness. It is a part of human nature and does not depend on any religion. The church’s SOCIAL TEACHING relies on reason and natural law. 

Natural law corresponds to 3 basic human drives and needs:

  1. Preserving life

  2. Developing as individuals 

  3. Sharing life w/ others.


New Law:  Divine law revealed in the NEW TESTAMENT through the life of Jesus Christ and through the witness and teachings of the Apostles. The New law reflects Old Law and brings it to fulfillment. Also called Law of Love. Greatest commandment and Beatitudes.

Old Law:  Divine law revealed in the OLD TESTAMENT. Summarized in 10 commandments. “Law of Moses” contrasts with the New Law of the gospels. 

Civil laws: Man made laws that stem from natural law. If civil laws conflict with Church laws, we have an obligation to uphold them.

Precepts of the Church: Commandments of the Church, basic obligations for all Catholics that are dictated by the laws of the Church.

What Are the only Thing That Can Diminish Freedom:

  • Ignorance 

  • Inadvertance

  • Duress

  • Inordinate attachments

  • Fear

  • Habit


  •  We are encouraged to follow moral law because of the fact that God gave us the gift of a conscience, which leads us to do the right thing. By following this we will live in loving communion with God forever.

  • The five types of  expressions of moral law are old law, new law, canon law, natural law and Eternal law.

  • Natural law can be depicted as the moral law that can be understood through the use of reason. Natural law helps us understand what it means to be in the right relationship with God, other people, the world, and ourselves. Natural law is based on  our participation in God’s wisdom and goodness because we are created in the divine likeness.

  • Knowledge of God and of the moral law is important because if we fail to acknowledge, we are deserving of God’s punishment. It provides us with reason, wisdom, and goodness. It is the basis of civil laws regardless of religion or culture. 


  • Human beings are unique among all of God’s creation because we were specifically created so that we can be in a loving relationship with him, and also because we have the unique gift of free will to morally guide our actions. Also because we have a soul.

  • One of the God-given gifts that we have in order for us to live in true, loving communion with God is our soul. Our soul is immortal, given to us at conception and is unique to all human beings. Another relevant gift that humans possess is the gift of intellect, the ability to see and understand the order of things that God has established. The last gift that God has given to us is free will. Free will makes it attainable for us to choose the good that our reason enables us to understand. Free will holds us accountable for our actions and moral choices.

  • Concupiscence is the tendency of all human beings towards sin.

  • When you live in the Beatitudes, you experience on Earth the happiness that God wanted human beings to know since the beginning of creation. When you live a life of Beatitude your heart becomes purified and you become prepared for the eternal happiness and joy that will occur when you enter into perfect communion with the Holy Trinity in Heaven. It is the good of our existence. 


 


 

Because we are made in God’s image and likeness we possess: 

  • An immortal soul

  • Incalculable human dignity (Which no one can take away) that is inherent, inviolable, inalienable)

  • Free will

  • intellect