HRE23 – Moral Theology Exam Review

  PART A: TRUE OR FALSE – FINAL EXAM REVIEW

 In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

 Definition: IVF is a medical procedure where an egg is fertilized outside the body and then implanted into the uterus.

 Catholic Teaching: IVF is morally unacceptable.

   Why?

     It separates conception from the marital act.

     Involves destruction of embryos = taking of innocent human life.

     Children become a “product” of technology, not the fruit of conjugal love.

 Example: IVF clinics often discard unused embryos, which Catholic teaching sees as equivalent to abortion.

 Approved Alternative: NaProTechnology—uses natural reproductive science aligned with Church ethics.

 C.S. Lewis on Sexual Ethics

 Key Point: Lewis emphasizes chastity and restraint, especially in the face of a pleasure-seeking culture.

 View on Praise and Sexuality: In The Weight of Glory, Lewis explains that desires (including sexual ones) are not bad in themselves—but must be properly ordered.

 Modern Relevance: He critiques a culture that views sexual indulgence as harmless, warning it erodes personal dignity and love's higher purpose.

 Family Caregiving Responsibilities

 Core Idea: Parents must love, nurture, educate, and protect their children.

 Example: The Church teaches that parents are the primary educators of children in both faith and virtue (CCC 2221–2229).

 Extended Duty: Also includes care for aging parents—honoring them per the Fourth Commandment.

 Requirements for a Valid Sacrament of Matrimony

 Four Requirements:

  1. Free consent of both parties.

  2. Intention of permanence.

  3. Openness to children.

  4. Marriage between baptized persons (for sacramental validity).

 Invalid Example: A marriage with coercion or where one party excludes children is invalid.

 Catholic Social Teaching: Stewardship

 Definition: Managing God’s gifts—time, talent, and treasure—for His glory and the good of others.

 Examples:

   Parable of the Talents: Don’t bury gifts out of fear.

   Caring for creation, giving to the poor, and using money responsibly.

 Key Attitude: Gratitude, not ownership—everything is entrusted by God.

 Human Rights Begin at Conception, Not Birth

 Catholic Position: Life and its dignity begin at conception (not birth).

 Why? The embryo is a full human person from the start—deserving full rights.

 Source: Teaching rooted in Evangelium Vitae and affirmed in numerous pro-life Church documents.

 Definition of Chastity

 Definition: The successful integration of sexuality within the person.

 Not Just Abstinence: Chastity is for all—married, single, celibate—and involves purity, modesty, and control of desire.

 Example: A married couple practicing fidelity or a teen resisting peer pressure to have sex.

 Theology of the Body (Pope John Paul II)

 Core Idea: The human body reveals divine truths—especially through love, sex, and family.

 Main Message: We are made for self-giving love, not use.

 Example: The body speaks a “language” of total self-gift in marriage; contraception and porn distort that language.

 Catholic Teaching on Organ Donation

 Permissible? Yes—with conditions.

   Donor must be truly dead (not just dying).

   Cannot kill someone to harvest organs.

   Must be freely given—not bought or coerced.

 Why it’s good: An act of charity and solidarity when done ethically.

 Catholic Perspective on Euthanasia

 Firmly opposed: Euthanasia is direct killing—always morally wrong.

 Distinction: Not the same as refusing extraordinary means (e.g., turning off a ventilator when death is imminent).

 Why?

   Life is sacred from conception to natural death.

   Suffering can have redemptive meaning.

 Example: Providing palliative care to ease pain is encouraged; administering lethal injection is not.

Multiple choice 

 Intellectual Theft (Plagiarism)

 7th Commandment Violation: Stealing ideas without attribution is morally wrong.

 Examples:

   Copying homework from ChatGPT or classmates.

   Submitting others’ work as your own.

 Principle of Double Effect

 Definition: A morally good action that has both good and bad side effects may be permitted if 4 conditions are met:

  1. Act itself must be good or neutral.

  2. Intention must be for the good effect.

  3. The bad effect must not be the means to the good.

  4. Good effect must outweigh the bad.

 Example: Administering painkillers that may shorten life in a dying patient is morally licit if the intent is pain relief, not death.

 Conditions for Mortal Sin

 3 Elements:

  1. Grave matter (e.g., murder, adultery).

  2. Full knowledge that it’s wrong.

  3. Full consent of the will.

 Example: Skipping Mass on Sunday without serious reason could be a mortal sin.

 What is Sin?

 Definition: A deliberate offense against God’s law.

 Types:

   Venial: Lesser sin that weakens grace.

   Mortal: Destroys grace and severs relationship with God.

 Original Sin: The inherited state of sin from Adam and Eve—leaves us wounded, not evil.

What is religion 

Religion is giving God what He is owed: worship, adoration, and moral living.

It's a virtue of justice—responding to God with love, truth, and obedience.

True religion = seeking truth and worshipping God as He is.

Acts of religion: Mass, prayer, vows, honoring God’s name.

Key idea: Religion is not just belief—it’s lived relationship with God.

 Nature of Oaths and Perjury

 Oath: Calling on God to witness truth.

 Assertory Oath: Taken to affirm something true (e.g., in court).

 Promissory Oath: Pledging to do something (e.g., swearing into office).

 Perjury: Lying under oath—grave sin.

 Conditions for Making a Vow

 Must be:

  1. Free

  2. Serious

  3. Possible

  4. Made to God

 Examples: Religious vows of poverty; private vows to fast.

History and Essential Elements of the Mass

Mass = The central act of Catholic worship, making present Christ’s death and resurrection.

Key Parts:

Liturgy of the Word – Scripture, homily, prayer.

Liturgy of the Eucharist – Bread and wine become Christ’s Body and Blood.

Established by Jesus at the Last Supper.

Sunday Worship honors the Resurrection; early Christians gathered for this.

Quote: “Go forth, the Mass is ended” – Ite, missa est.

Why it matters: Mass = thanksgiving, sacrifice, and communion with God.

 C.S. Lewis on Praise

 Insight: Praise is not flattery—it completes enjoyment.

 Quote: “We delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment.”

 Application: Worship of God flows naturally from love of Him.

 The Tenth Commandment

 Text: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods” (Ex. 20:17)

 Teaches: Interior purity of heart—resists greed, envy, materialism.

 Biblical Examples: David coveting Bathsheba, Ahab coveting Naboth’s vineyard.

 Nature and Role of the Family

 Definition: “The original cell of social life” (CCC 2207).

 Role: Education in faith, moral values, love, and civic virtue.

 Example: Married biological parents provide the most stable environment for raising children.

 Cooperation in Evil

 Types:

   Formal: Sharing the evil intention.

   Material: Helping indirectly; may be permissible depending on proximity and intent.

 Example: Working at a company that funds abortion may be mediate material cooperation.

 Children's Duties to Parents

 Rooted in: Fourth Commandment—“Honor your father and mother.”

 Duties Include:

   Respect

   Obedience (while young)

   Gratitude and support (especially in old age)

 Authority and Obedience to Civil Law

 Catholic View:

   Authority comes from God.

   Just laws must be obeyed.

   Unjust laws (e.g., mandating abortion) must be resisted.

 Higher Authority

 When Civil Law Contradicts God's Law:

   “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

   Examples: Resisting Nazi orders, refusing to violate conscience.

 The Right to Life

 Foundational Right: From conception to natural death.

 Under Attack: Abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, unjust war.

 The Family

 Described As:

   Domestic church.

   School of love and virtue.

 Mission: Form persons, serve life, support the Church and society.

 Environmental Stewardship

 Teaching: Creation is a gift to care for, not exploit.

 Biblical Root: Genesis 2:15—"Till and keep the earth.”

 Example: Reducing waste, advocating against pollution.

 Catholic Teaching on Private Property and Universal Destination of Goods

 Balance:

   Private ownership is a right.

   Earth’s goods are meant for all.

 Example: Owning a business is fine; refusing to share excess with the poor is not.

Here are your Final Exam Study Notes – Part C: Definitions and Examples drawn strictly from your files and sources:

 PART C: DEFINITIONS & EXAMPLES

 1. Chastity

Definition: Chastity is the successful integration of sexuality within the person, according to their state in life (single, married, celibate). It involves purity in thoughts, desires, and actions.

Key Teaching:

 Upholds dignity, treating the body as a temple of the Holy Spirit.

 Required of everyone—not just celibates.

  Examples:

 A teenager resisting pressure to watch pornography.

 A married person remaining faithful in body and mind.

  Sins Against Chastity: Lust, pornography, masturbation, fornication, cohabitation, adultery, and immodesty in speech/dress.

 2. Principle of Double Effect

Definition: A moral principle allowing an action that has both a good and a bad effect if certain conditions are met.

Four Conditions:

1. The act must be good or morally neutral.

2. The bad effect is not directly intended.

3. The bad effect is not the means to the good effect.

4. The good outweighs or is proportionate to the bad.

   Example: Administering high-dose painkillers to a terminally ill patient that may unintentionally hasten death—but intended for pain relief, not death.

 3. Sin

Definition: A deliberate offense against God, reason, truth, and conscience. It is choosing a lesser good over God as the highest good.

 Mortal Sin: Grave matter, full knowledge, deliberate consent.

 Venial Sin: Lesser matter or committed without full consent/knowledge.

  Examples:

 Mortal: Missing Mass on Sunday without serious reason.

 Venial: Telling a white lie to avoid embarrassment.

 4. Mortal Sin

Definition: A serious sin that completely breaks one’s relationship with God.

Conditions:

1. Grave matter

2. Full knowledge

3. Full consent

   Examples:

 Murder, adultery, apostasy, pornography, abortion.

 Deliberately skipping Sunday Mass.

 5. Conscience

Definition: A judgment of reason by which a person recognizes the moral quality of a concrete act. It is not a “feeling” but a reasoning process guided by truth.

Types:

 True Conscience: Correctly aligns with moral law.

 Erroneous: In error due to ignorance.

 Lax: Too lenient.

 Scrupulous: Too harsh.

  Example: St. Thomas More refused to sign Henry VIII’s Act of Succession based on conscience and was executed for it.

 6. Oaths and Perjury

Definition:

 Oath: Calling on God as witness to the truth.

 Perjury: Lying under oath—considered a grave sin.

  Types:

 Assertory: Swears something is true (e.g., in court).

 Promissory: Swears to do something in the future (e.g., presidential oath).

  Example: Swearing falsely in court = perjury and violates the 2nd Commandment.

 7. Stewardship

Definition: The responsible use and care of God’s creation and gifts—spiritual, material, environmental.

Catholic Social Teaching: The earth and all its resources belong to God and are meant for the benefit of all.

Examples:

 Recycling, ethical business practices, tithing to support the Church and poor.

 Sharing food rather than hoarding.

 8. Cooperation in Evil

Definition: Participating in another’s sinful act.

 Formal Cooperation: Willingly sharing in the intention of the sin.

 Material Cooperation: Assisting in the sin without sharing intent.

   Immediate: Direct and essential help (often not allowed).

   Mediate: Indirect (can be allowed under strict conditions).

    Example: A pharmacist dispensing contraceptives may be materially cooperating in evil depending on circumstances.

 9. Euthanasia

Definition: The intentional killing of a person to eliminate suffering—either by act (active euthanasia) or omission (passive euthanasia when care is deliberately withheld to cause death).

Church’s View:

 Always wrong; life is sacred from conception to natural death.

 Permitting natural death by refusing extraordinary measures is not euthanasia.

  Example:

 Wrong: Injecting a lethal dose.

 Permissible: Withdrawing life support when death is imminent and inevitable.

 10. Marriage

Definition: A covenant between a man and woman ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation/education of children.

Requirements:

1. Free consent

2. Intention of permanence

3. Openness to life

4. Between baptized individuals (for a sacramental marriage)

   Examples of Violations:

 Adultery, contraception, IVF, same-sex unions, and cohabitation distort God’s design.

Certainly! Here's Part D: Short Answer – Scenario Analysis rewritten in paragraph form without a table, using only your provided sources:

 Part D: Short Answer Scenario Analysis

 🔷 1. Principle of Double Effect

Scenario:

A terminally ill patient is in immense pain. A doctor gives them a high dose of morphine to relieve the pain, but this also shortens the patient's life.

Catholic Moral Evaluation:

This action is morally permissible according to the Principle of Double Effect. The Church allows an act with both a good and bad effect if four conditions are met:

1. The action itself must be morally good or at least neutral—in this case, providing pain relief.

2. The intent must be to achieve the good effect (pain relief), not the bad one (shortened life).

3. The bad effect must not be the means to the good one; in this example, death is not used to relieve pain.

4. The good effect must be proportionate to the bad—easing extreme suffering justifies the unintended risk of death.

As long as the doctor is not intending to cause death, but only relieve pain, this action is allowed under Catholic moral teaching.

 🔷 2. Marriage

Scenario:

A couple marries in a civil ceremony but clearly states they never want children. Later, they want to have their marriage recognized by the Church.

Catholic Moral Evaluation:

This civil marriage is not valid as a Sacrament of Matrimony in the eyes of the Church. The Church teaches that for a marriage to be valid, especially as a sacrament, it must include several essential elements:

 Both parties must give free and informed consent.

 They must intend lifelong faithfulness.

 They must be open to the possibility of children.

 If it's to be sacramental, both must be baptized, and the marriage must take place before a priest or deacon.

In this case, the couple’s explicit rejection of openness to life renders the union invalid. However, if they later approach the Church sincerely—with a change of heart that includes the proper intentions—they can validly receive the Sacrament of Matrimony through the Church.

 🔷 3. Euthanasia

Scenario:

An elderly man with late-stage cancer asks his children to give him a lethal injection so he can die peacefully and avoid further suffering.

Catholic Moral Evaluation:

This action is always morally wrong in Catholic teaching. Euthanasia involves the intentional ending of a human life to eliminate suffering. The Church firmly teaches that all human life is sacred, from conception to natural death. Intentionally causing death—even out of compassion—is a grave sin.

Catholics are called instead to support the dying with palliative care, which provides pain management and emotional support without hastening death. Accepting natural death by refusing excessive medical intervention is different from euthanasia, and can be morally acceptable when death is imminent.

Even though the motive in euthanasia might appear compassionate, it violates the Fifth Commandment (“Thou shall not kill”) and fails to respect the full dignity of the person.

Absolutely — here are detailed study notes for a long-answer question on the Parable of the Rich Young Man, using only the sources you've provided.

 ✳ LONG ANSWER STUDY NOTES: The Rich Young Man and Jesus

(Based on Matthew 19:16–30; also appears in Mark 10 and Luke 18)

The Rich and the Kingdom of God

16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”

18 “Which ones?” he inquired.

Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’[a] and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’[b]”

20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”

21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

27 Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”

28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife[c] or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

 📖 Context of the Parable

A wealthy young man asks Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus tells him to keep the commandments. The man replies that he has done so. Jesus then adds, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, give to the poor, and come follow me.” The man goes away sad, for he had many possessions.

 🧠 Key Themes and Catholic Moral Teachings

 1. Following the Commandments Is Only the Beginning

 Jesus first affirms that keeping the commandments is necessary.

 But eternal life requires more — a radical surrender of the heart.

 From your files: “The commandments are the starting point, not the final destination of freedom.” (St. John Paul II in Veritatis Splendor).

 2. The Call to Detachment and Stewardship

 Jesus challenges the young man to let go of material wealth.

 Wealth is not evil in itself, but attachment to it hinders the Kingdom.

 Tied to the 7th and 10th Commandments:

   “Thou shalt not steal” (seeks justice in external actions).

   “Thou shalt not covet” (seeks inner freedom from greed).

 The Church teaches stewardship: Everything we have is a gift to be shared, not hoarded.

 Parable of the Talents supports this idea — we are accountable for what God entrusts to us.

 3. Freedom for Excellence vs. Freedom of Indifference

 The rich young man sees freedom as merely "not breaking rules."

 Jesus offers him freedom for excellence: a deeper happiness through self-gift.

 C. S. Lewis critiques a world where people don’t change their behavior even when they know the truth.

 4. The Role of Vocation and Discipleship

 Jesus doesn’t say “just be a good person.”

 He says, “Come, follow me.” — a personal vocation.

 Jesus calls each of us to discipleship, not mere morality.

 The man declines the deeper call, illustrating how fear and attachment block vocation.

 5. The Danger of a Divided Heart

 The young man kept the law, but was not willing to give his heart.

 “Sins start in the heart.” (Lecture notes on the Commandments).

 His sorrow reveals he knows he is turning away from something beautiful.

 6. Jesus’ Love and the Man’s Freedom

 In Mark’s version: “Jesus looked at him and loved him.”

 Jesus doesn’t force the man — respect for human freedom is essential in Catholic morality.

 Freedom includes the tragic ability to say no to God.

 7. Reversal of Earthly Expectations

 Jesus says, “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle…”

 This shocks the disciples, showing how upside-down God’s Kingdom is.

 Final lesson: Those who give up everything will receive much more in return — the reward is not wealth, but eternal life and communion with God.

 🧾 How This Relates to Catholic Ethics

 The parable embodies:

   Moral law (commandments).

   Freedom and human dignity.

   Vocation and discipleship.

   Detachment and the universal destination of goods.

 It's a model for moral decisions that go beyond rules and toward a relationship with Christ.

 📌 Example Long-Answer Exam Approach

Question: Explain the moral and theological significance of the Parable of the Rich Young Man. What does it teach us about discipleship and Catholic ethics?

Suggested Answer Structure:

1. Summarize the parable.

2. Show how Jesus affirms the law but calls for more.

3. Analyze the man’s response (wealth, fear, sadness).

4. Use Catholic principles: stewardship, freedom, vocation, sin of omission.

5. Reflect on Jesus’ love and respect for freedom.

6. Conclude with the invitation to discipleship and detachment.

Would you like this included in the printable PDF review pack? And should I proceed with Part C definitions and Part D answers next?