Contents. Part 1: Foundations For Catholic Morality. Chapter 1 Morality 1. Chapter 2 Jesus 20. Chapter 2 The Church 40

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1 Contents Part 1: Foundations For Catholic Morality Chapter 1 Morality 1 Moral decision making r e as persons endowed with intellect and free will... 2 Catholic morality is our response to Jesus... 7 Grace as sharing in God s life is both a comfort and a challenge...11 The grace of the Holy Spirit helps us live our vocation to follow Jesus...15 Chapter 2 Jesus 20 Jesus is the starting point of Catholic morality...22 Love is the guiding principle of Catholic morality...26 The kingdom of God is a central theme in the mission of Jesus...30 Jesus models service and calls upon his followers to serve...33 Chapter 2 The Church 40 The communion of saints refers to holy things, especially the Eucharist. It also refers to holy people from the past, present, and future who are inspired by the Holy Spirit to use their talents for helping others...43 The Church is a God-given gift that assists us in our moral lives...45 The Church s sacraments are the masterworks of God that give us grace to follow Christ...49 The Church is a source of moral guidance for Catholics...52 Contents iii

2 Chapter 4 Conscience 60 Our dignity as persons created by God requires us to follow our conscience...62 Popular uses of the word conscience are frequently inadequate to describe all that the term involves...64 A fuller understanding of conscience includes three dimensions: awareness, development, and judgment...68 Scripture and Tradition emphasize the importance of using our conscience to make informed moral decisions...72 Chapter 5 Sin and Morality 80 Two images of sin that are frequently used in Scripture are missing the mark and hardness of heart...83 In Christianity the primary message about sin is one of forgiveness...87 Distinction among types of sin is intended to help people overcome sin...91 Social sin refers to behavior patterns, values, and social structures that encourage or support sin in a society...95 Chapter 6 The Virtues 100 Virtues are character strengths that we develop over time and through consistent use The theological virtues of faith, hope, and love are gifts from God The cardinal virtues are prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance Persons of Integrity An important aspect of the moral life is creating communities of character iv Contents

3 Chapter 7 Moral Decision Making 120 Part 2: Catholic Morality Applied Three sources of moral decision making are: the object chosen, the intentions, and the circumstances Moral decision making involves asking what and who Moral decision making involves asking why, how, when, and where Discernment means calling upon as many resources as possible to evaluate whether an action is right or wrong Chapter 8 The Decalogue 140 God s gift of the Decalogue to the Israelites is also a gift to us The first commandment affirms the importance of adoring the one true God and rejecting false gods The second commandment calls for speaking and acting with reverence toward God The third commandment reminds us to set aside the Lord s Day for prayer, worship, rest, and recreation Chapter 9 The Family and Beyond 160 The Catholic family is a domestic church with the Trinity as its model For the past fifty years the Information Age has y life and values Computers, video games, and the many forms of information technology impact our moral lives Morality: A Response to God s Love v

4 Chapter 10 Cherishing Each Person 180 The fifth commandment mandates us to respect the life of the unborn Respect for life is a principle that guides us in caring for those who are sick or who are near death The fifth commandment forbids intentional euthanasia Church teaching targets the issues of life support and physician-assisted suicide Chapter 11 Promoting Peace 200 We are called to counteract violence in its many forms, both explicit and hidden Church leaders have declared capital punishment an unnecessary affront to the dignity of human life The Church promotes alternatives to war and calls for restriction of warfare as much as possible The moral issues of nuclear weapons and the arms race, terrorism, and nonviolence challenge us to follow the gospel of Christ Chapter 12 Sexuality and Morality 220 Sexuality is more than physicality; it is a drive toward fruitful union and a reaching out to others Catholics are called to follow Jesus, the model of chastity Catholicism presents marriage as the naturally-ordered context for full sexual expression Catholic moral teaching based on the sixth and ninth commandments provides guidance for decision making in areas of sexual behavior vi Contents

5 Chapter 13 Living the Truth in Love 240 The eighth commandment calls for respect for truth We can abuse speech by what we say or fail to say Disregard for truth leads to a culture of mistrust A truthful society seeks to give all people a voice and to address their needs Chapter 14 Generosity and Justice 260 The seventh commandment involves the topics of stealing, the use of private property, and the necessity of making amends The tenth commandment helps us appreciate the need to follow the way of Jesus in order to avoid the sins of envy, avarice, and greed Justice applies the seventh commandment to the pursuit of the common good Catholic social teaching offers guidance for achieving social justice Morality: A Response to God s Love vii