1. Conscience and Magisterium in the Next Half-Century: An Emerging Quaestio Disputata in a
Presented by
Rev. James T. Bretzke, S.J., S.T.D.
Boston College

2. Boston College Divinity School

3. DENVER ARCHBISHOP: CATHOLICS WHO VOTE DEMOCRAT SELL OUT CHRIST
Picture from Article at

4. Vatican II Gaudium et spes & Dignitatis humanae
From

5. Obsequium religiosum of intellect & will (Lumen gentium #25)
From

6. John Paul II & Benedict XVI
For John Paul II:
For Benedict:

7. Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: Habemus Papam!
Pope Benedict XVI 19 April 2005
Pope Francis 13 March 2013

8. Appointment of “Francis Bishops”
Blase Cupich, Chicago: “civility” in political discourse
Robert McElroy, San Diego, Catholic social teaching expert
John Stowe, OFM, Lexington, KY, JSTB alum
John Wester, Santa Fe, who said “Listening” is key
Pushback from Conservatives: “Not a word about abortion, contraception, or gay marriage”; Indeed, their collective priorities focus more on the common good, economic issues, resistance to the death penalty, a more Christian approach to immigration reform

9. Moral Guidance from the Right
Chaput: Paprocki: James Conley:

10. Jimmy Cricket: https://s-media-cache-ak0. pinimg
Jimmy Cricket: Follow Your Conscience: Socialist Conscience:

11. Conscience Diptych Left Side: Modality
Conscience as Sanctuary where one meets God:
“the most secret core and sanctuary of a human. There s/he is alone with God, Whose voice echoes in his depths.” Gaudium et spes #16
Right Side: Faculty
Conscience as Faculty of Right Reason (Recta Ratio)
Which judged the objective moral norm
And its proper application to the concrete situation

12. Traditional Faculty View of Conscience Judging a Moral Action
Objective Moral Order
Conscience Judges a Moral Act as it Relates to the Objective Moral Order “Outside” of the Person
Objective Pole
The Person
The Resulting Judgment by the Faculty of Conscience Can Be Either Right or Erroneous
Subjective Pole

14. The Human Person’s Conscience-Based Discernment
The Sanctuary of Individual Conscience
Understanding of What God Is Asking
The Subjective Pole
Response to the Understanding of God’s Call
The Objective Pole
Both Poles Are Connected within Conscience

15. Right Side: Bishop Thomas Paprocki
Of course, those who are in ‘irregular situations’ [e.g., divorced and remarried] should talk to a qualified spiritual director or a priest in the context of sacramental confession, but forming a ‘good conscience’ means that they will recognize and repent of their sins, resolve to reform their lives in accord with Christ’s teachings and receive absolution in the Sacrament of Reconciliation before receiving Holy Communion. …
Individuals must form their consciences in accord with Church teaching. Conscience assesses how a person’s concrete action in a given situation accords with Church teaching — not to determine whether one agrees with or accepts Church teaching in the first place.”

16. Left Side: Cardinal Blase Cupich
“When people come to a decision in good conscience, then our job with the Church is to help them move forward and to respect that. The conscience is inviolable, and we have to respect that when they make decisions, and I've always done that. “
[Responding to a question if he would be open to allowing active homosexuals to participate in the sacraments Cupich went to say]
“I think that gay people are human beings, too, and they have a conscience. And my role as a pastor is to help them discern what the will of God is …”

17. Political Campaign of 2016 Left Side Right Side Chicago’s Cupich
Newark’s Tobin
San Jose’s McGrath
San Diego’s McElroy
Santa Fe’s Wester
Philadelphia’s Chaput
Denver’s Aquila
Springfield’s Paprocki
Kansas City’s Johnson
USCCB’s Kurtz
“Kansas” Bishops

18. Cardinal Tobin quoting Faithful Citizenship
“In making these decisions, it is essential for Catholics to be guided by a well-formed conscience that recognizes that all issues do not carry the same moral weight and that the moral obligation to oppose policies promoting intrinsically evil acts has a special claim on our consciences and our actions.
These decisions should take into account a candidate’s commitments, character, integrity, and ability to influence a given issue. In the end, this is a decision to be made by each Catholic guided by a conscience formed by Catholic moral teaching (#37).”

19. Tobin’s personal conclusion
“In the end, each of us must decide. It would be easier (more comfortable) if the Church would tell us who (or what) to vote for or against.
But that is not the Church’s role, and Catholics would be among the first to cry ‘Foul!’ if our pope, bishops or priests inserted themselves into the political process in an inappropriate way.”

20. The Paradigm Shift Thesis
Popes JPII & Benedict XVI
Pope Francis
Church as the best bulwark of “truth” in a modern age severely challenged,
by secularism,
relativism, nihilism,
gender ideologies, etc.
Antidotes: Fides et Ratio, Veritatis Splendor, Evangelium vitae, Dominus Jesus
Gospel mandate with
Church as field hospital
Ministering to deeply wounded souls,
through the ministrations of a Church goes out to them
and is not afraid of taking on the smell of the sheep
Medicines: Jubilee of Mercy, Amoris laetitia, Evangelii gaudium

22. A Final Word…
In fide, unitas: in dubiis, libertas; in omnibus, caritas
"In faith, unity; in doubt, liberty; in all things, charity.“
Attributed to St. Augustine, this is an important principle of Christian discernment: unity in faith is important, but in cases of doubt a plurality of opinions and practices should be allowed, and the over-riding principle must always be charity towards each other.