L5- Church as Guide to Moral Living PDF

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Lesson 5- Church Teaching as Guide to Moral Living

Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, the ReEd3 students are expected to: • • •

Define natural law and its role in discernment; Understand the context and roles of the magisterium and sensus fidelium in shaping and developing Church teaching; and Develop the connection between Scripture and Tradition in the student’s own discernment process.

Exposition While the last chapter discussed the Scriptural basis for moral teaching, this chapter continues to build on Scripture by articulating the moral commitments of believing in the God revealed in Scripture. Not everything that the people discern can be explicitly found in Scripture, but Scripture will always have something meaningful and important to tell us, no matter what our context is (Veling, 2005). Aside from reading and interpreting Scripture, Catholic moral theology interprets what is called natural law. Both Scripture and the natural law are interpreted by the magisterium and the laity, in dialogue with each other and through what is called the sensus fidei. This chapter will focus on these terms and how they help guide the faithful in moral living. Terry A. Veling, Practical Theology: On Earth As It Is In Heaven (Maryknoll, N.Y: Orbis Books, 2005).

Natural Law

Catholic moral theology believes that there is a discernible moral order. There is an objective standard of moral rightness or wrongness that human actions can be judged against. These are also not merely "social constructions" that change from culture to culture, but rather transcend time, space and cultures. In other words, it is not only determined by human beings, but is beyond us. It is what philosophers and theologians would call an ontological claim: " an ontological claim is that certain things really are, and that they are in a certain way; they are not merely myths, legends, metaphors or figments of our imaginations.... We call this the 'how-ness' of moral life, that is, how we are meant to live morally (Bretzke, 2004), 50. For example, when Catholics say that "killing is bad," this claim is not being made out of the whims of the person saying this, or simply because this is popular or mainstream. In Catholic theology, this claim is rooted in a particular moral order that comes from God and how God created reality and the nature of human beings. This also implies that such claim is in some sense knowable. There is an epistemological claim- meaning the way we can come to know this objective moral standard, and how certain we can be that this is the moral standard. While our way of

knowing the world is clouded by our sinfulness, Catholic moral theology acknowledges that we can have some sense of this moral order, reflecting on God's revelation and using reason. Though it may be an incomplete picture and can be clouded by sin, Catholic moral theology emphasizes God's grace in helping human person understand this nature. If there is moral order that is knowable, then Catholic moral theology claims that this moral order can be used to construct particular ethical norms that have a claim on us and other human beings. Such claims are universal-meaning that they can be formulated in such a way that applies to all people, regardless of culture, location or time. For example, Catholic moral theology's value of life comes from its interpretation of the moral order that has allowed all forms of life to flourish in nature, revealing God's revelation that has shown his love and care for the life of God's creatures. This value for life can be put into concrete ethical norms such as "protect life" which are general enough that can be universalized and ought to be universal because of God's love for all. What would be such general statements mean in concrete situation? Universal precepts are just the first level of moral norms that are always obligatory. The second level is the general principles that are generally true but with exceptions depending on the circumstances. The third level is the concrete material norms that are the most specific applying to a specific situation (Bretzke, 2004), 63- 66. James T. Bretzke, A Morally Complex World: Engaging Contemporary Moral Theology (Collegeville, Min: Liturgical Press, 2004), 50-66.

Living Out the Natural Law Question # 1 How does Catholic Church interpret and make sense of natural law? How do we know what the universal precepts and general principles are and how do we then infer the concrete material norms? While natural law may be universal and come from God, our human understanding of this is limited and thus needs to grow, adapt as we continue to learn more about who God and God's own will. How the Catholic Church has interpreted natural law and implemented it over time has changed, and so it is important to understand how these changes are made and decided. Such changes are often not abrupt changes, but rather a process of the Church moving towards a more loving and merciful community.

Case Study: On Slavery

The most commonly cited examples of changes in Church teaching is the teaching on slavery. If read in the fundamentalist way, it is possible to interpret Scripture as supporting slavery. For example, Leviticus 25: 44-46 offers guidelines on when slavery is permissible, while Titus 2: 9-10 encouraged slaves to be submissive to their masters. Though slavery in Scripture highlights the importance of treating slaves well and not being cruel to them, most passages do not condemn owning slaves per se. For the longest time, the Catholic Church would condemn slavery in words but would also at times condone it. For example, St. Augustine did not think that slavery was from God, but rather was a result of sin. St. Thomas Aquinas would agree with St. Augustine but would also argue that slaves still had some rights (Aquinas, Summa Theologica II-II, Q. 57, Art. 4, ad. 2.). A papal bull in 1452 by Pope Nicholas V had allowed pagans to be put into perpetual servitude but later papal bulls from Pope Benedict XIV (1741) and Pope Gregory XVI (1839) condemned slavery. Even then, certain Catholic orders as well as lay Catholics continued to practice slavery.

At the Second Vatican Council (1965) that slavery was absolutely considered intrinsically evil, meaning that all instances of slavery were evil and that no circumstances could make it a good. Gaudium et Spes # 27 reads: Furthermore... whatever insults human dignity, such as subhuman living conditions, arbitrary imprisonment, deportation, slavery, prostitution, the selling of women and children; as well as disgraceful working conditions, where men are treated as mere tools for profit, rather than as free and responsible persons; all these things and others of their like are infamies indeed. They poison human society, but they do more harm to those who practice them than those who suffer from the injury. Moreover, they are supreme dishonor to the Creator. While on the whole the Catholic Church saw slavery negatively, there were times when it was not put into practice, and even condoned. Now, the Catholic Church has explicitly called it an intrinsically evil, putting a stop to all forms of slavery and abhorring modern day forms of slavery.

Question # 2 Based on the "Case Study: Slavery" the Catholic Church would condemn slavery in words but would also at times condone it. But, how does Catholic Church look at slavery today?

Magisterium

The magisterium is the official teaching body of the Catholic Church. Traditionally, this is made up of the pope, and the bishops from all over the world, teaching in communion with each other and with God. Documents have been written and teachings have been promulgated by bishops in unison with each other, or by the pope with the help of various Vatican offices, as well as ordained and lay theologians. This responsibility for teaching correctly comes from the grace of the Holy Spirit, in connection with being part of the apostolic succession of bishops. Pronouncements from the magisterium can be made either by the pope proclaiming a teaching ex cathedra or by bishops and the pope in communion with each, either together at a council or dispersed around the world but in agreement. Such pronouncements are often made to clarify certain teachings or to object to any misunderstanding of Church teaching.

Infallibility A common misunderstanding in Catholic moral theology is the belief that everything the pope says is infallible, that is, pronounced as always correct and incapable of being wrong. Certainly, part of the magisterium is the concept of papal infallibility, wherein the pope may teach a certain doctrine ex cathedra, which means "from the chair." If a teaching is taught ex cathedra, this teaching has a special claim on the Catholic community and thus becomes part of the creed of the Catholic Church. However, the pope must explicitly express that he is teaching ex cathedra. Also, this is not only grace that the Pope has, but also the bishops in unity with one another. Lumen Gentium # 25 explains this as follows: Although the individual bishops enjoy the prerogative of infallibility, they can nevertheless proclaim Christ's doctrine infallibly. This is so, even when they are dispersed around the world, provided that while maintaining the bond of unity among themselves and with Peter's successor, and while teaching authentically on a matter of faith or morals, they concur in a single viewpoint as the one which must be held conclusively.... This is the infallibility which the Roman Pontiff, the head of the college of bishops, enjoys in virtue of his office, when, as the supreme shepherd and teacher of all the faithful, who confirms his brethren in their faith, by a definitive act he proclaims a doctrine of faith or morals.... For then the Roman Pontiff is not pronouncing judgement as a private person, but as the supreme teacher of the universal Church, in whom the charism of infallibility of the Church itself is individually present, he is expounding or defending a doctrine of Catholic Faith.... To these definitions the assent of the Church can never be

wanting, on account of the activity of that same Holy Spirit, by which the whole flock of Christ is preserved and progress in unity of faith. This grace that comes from the Holy Spirit is a serious responsibility, which is why in the two thousand years of history in the Catholic Church, there are only seven cases of papal infallibility being used explicitly in documents, excluding ecumenical councils (Sullivan, 2003). See Francis A. Sullivan, Creative Fidelity: Weighing and Interpreting Documents of the Magisterium (Eugene, Oregon: Wipf & Stock Pub, 2003)

Question # 3 What is considered as the official teaching body of the Catholic Church which is composed of the pope and the bishops from all over the world, teaching in communion with each other and with God?

SENSUS FIDEI

Aside from the teachings of the magisterium, Catholic moral theology emphasizes the sensus fidei as a grace that helps the faithful make good moral decisions. The sensus fidei or sense of the faith is "an instinct for the truth of the Gospel, which enables the faithful to recognize and endorse authentic Christian doctrine and practice and to reject what is false." (Sensus Fidei, 2014). This grace is part of the graces received in baptism and is grounded in the belief that God reveals God's self to each and every one of us, giving us a personal and intimate knowledge of God. Sensus Fidei #1 reads: By the gift of the Holy Spirit, 'the spirit of truth that comes from the Father' and bears witness to the Son (Jn 15: 26), all the baptized participate in the prophetic office of Christ, 'the faithful and true witnesses' (Rev 3:14). They are to bear witness to the Gospel and to the apostolic faith in the Church and in the world. The Holy Spirit anoints them and equips them for that high calling, conferring on them a very personal and intimate knowledge of the faith of the Church. The sensus fidei is an individual ability. When exercised by the faithful, it is called sensus fidelium or the sense of the faithful. In Scripture, this grace, animated by the Holy Spirit allows the faithful to know and speak about God's deeds and power (Acts 2:11). The sensus fidei and sensus fidelium was emphasized at the Second Vatican Council to do away with the image of an autocratic hierarchy and a passive laity. The sensus fidei and sensus fidelium emphasize that all the baptized participate in the life and mission of the Church. This sense highlighted the active role of the whole Church, especially the contribution of the lay faithful, in preserving and transmitting the Church's faith (Sensus Fidei, 34). International Theological Commission, "Sensus Fidei in the Life of the Church," Vatican.va, 2014: 1-34.

A Case Study: The sensus fidelium and the Immaculate Conception: An Excerpt from "Sensus Fidei in the Life of the Church" To defend the Catholic faith against Rationalism, the Tubingen scholar, Johann Adam Mohler, sought to portray the Church as a living organism and to grasp the principles that governed the development of doctrine. In his view, it is the Holy Spirit who animates, guides, and unites the faithful as a community in Christ, bringing about in them an ecclesial 'consciousness' of the faith. The sensus fidei, which is the objective dimension of Tradition, necessarily includes an objective element, the Church's teaching, for the Christian 'sense' of the faithful, which lives in their hearts and is virtually equivalent to Tradition, is never divorced from its content. Before Pope Pius IX decided to proceed with the definition of the Immaculate Conception, he asked the bishops of the world to report to him in writing regarding the devotion of their clergy and the faithful people to the conception of the Immaculate Virgin. In the apostolic constitution containing the definition, Ineffabilis Deus (1854), Pope Pius IX said that although he already knew the mind of the bishops on this matter,

he had particularly asked the bishops to inform him of the piety and devotion of their faithful in this regard. Simply put, the pope used the combined testimony of the bishops and the faithful in defining the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception. It is important to note that the sensus fidelium is not a "majority rules" mentality. Just because something is popular, does not make it correct in the Catholic Church. However, the magisterium- the pope and bishops- have the responsibility of listening to the sensus fidelium of the laity. The experiences of the laity serve as a way of illuminating what God is revealing in the present age. The sensus fidelium also needs to be nurtured. There are certain dispositions needed in order to participate in the sensus fidelium: 1) participation in the life of the Church; 2) listening to the Word of God; 3) openness to reason and dialogue; 4) openness to the magisterium; 5) humility; and 6) seeking the edification of the people of God. Thus, the sensus fidei is not meant to create a division between the magisterium and the laity; rather, it is simply to emphasize that the laity also shares is Jesus’ threefold mission of being priest, prophet and king (Sensus Fidei, 35-38).

Question # 4 What is sensus fidei? Why is it important in the life of the Catholic Church?

Conclusion Catholic moral theology acknowledges the presence of natural law and seeks to discern this moral order as a way of understanding moral claims. Natural law assumes that: 1) There is a moral order. 2) This moral order is knowable to some degree. 3)This moral order can be articulated as moral norms with a universal ethical claim on human beings regardless of race, gender, culture, geographical location or time. It is through the sensus fidelium and magisterium that one can tap into the natural law and continue interpreting the natural law in light of new scientific developments and contexts. It is through both these concepts that Catholics learn from each other and hopefully develop truly life-giving moral norms. Bringing together natural law, the magisterium, and the sensus fidei as important aspects of guiding one’s discernment is a complex process, at times filled with tension and ambiguity. Nevertheless, they give the person moral norms to look to when making decision. While the person, at the end of the day, is the one making the decision and wholly owns the choice, it helps to have some sort of guide to look to and learn from.

References: 1. Bretzke, SJ, James T. A Morally Complex World: Engaging Contemporary Moral Theology. Collegeville, Minn: Liturgical Press, 2004. 2. International Theological Commission. “Sensus Fidei in the Life of the Church.” Vatican. va, 2014. 3. Second Vatican Council. “Dogmatic Constitution on the Church. Lumen Gentium.” Vatican.va, November 21, 1964. 4. ______________. “Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World: Gaudium et Spes.” Vatican. va, 1965. 5. Sullivan, Francis A. Creative Fidelity: Weighing and Interpreting Documents of the Magisterium. Eugene Oregon: Wipf & Stock Pub, 2003. 6. Thomas Aquinas. Summa Theologica (English Dominican Province Translation).” Sacred Texts, 1981. 7. Veling, Terry A. Practical Theology: On Earth As It Is In Heaven . Maryknoll, N.Y. Orbis Books, 2005....