Last week’s column dealt with Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, the updated document from the U.S. Bishops to guide Catholics as we approach the upcoming election. In conjunction with this, I think this week’s column is a good chance to discuss conscience formation in general, since this is a critically important part of Catholic morality that is often misunderstood. After all, we are bound to follow our conscience, but that means that our conscience must be properly formed.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines “conscience” as our “most secret core and … sanctuary”, where “man discovers a law which he has not laid upon himself but which he must obey” (1776). “When he listens to his conscience, the prudent man can hear God speaking” (1777). If you read this carefully, it’s a little different than the messages about “conscience” that we hear in our secular culture. While the culture in which we live would likely say that conscience is a deep sense of what a person believes is right or wrong, a Christian believes that conscience is a person’s desire to discover what God believes is right or wrong. There’s a big difference! Since God — not us — determines right and wrong, our duty as Christian disciples is to evaluate everything within ourselves and our world in the light of our faith. Yes, this includes the upcoming elections and all of the hot-button issues that go with it, but it also encompasses countless decisions, large and small, that each of us face each day.
Clearly, forming our consciences well is crucially important. So how do we go about forming them properly? The U.S. Bishops (https://www.usccb.org/prolife/understanding-conscience) offer some very practical guidance that I find helpful:
1. “Pray. Through prayer and participation in the sacraments, especially Confession and the Eucharist, we encounter the living God. Spending time with the Lord, such as in silent adoration, opens our hearts to him. In drawing closer to the Lord, we allow God’s grace to conform our minds and hearts to Christ, so that we might better discern in every moment how we ought to act.
2. Learn. Without a foundational, practical formation, it is difficult for our consciences to guide us well in concrete situations. As Catholics, we have the immense gift of the teaching authority of the Catholic Church and can turn to it for help forming our consciences. For example, learning about Christian moral principles, reading the Catechism of the Catholic Church, or researching what the Church says about a challenging teaching will help us grow in knowledge of the truth. In turn, this helps us understand a little more how to live in a way that leads to our true happiness.
3. Reflect. We are formed by the stories we hear and tell. We may be uncertain how we ought to respond to various challenges as followers of Jesus, but there are many saints who have faced similar questions throughout the ages. Immersing ourselves in the stories of holy women and men can encourage us and help us develop habits of mind that allow us to grow. Stories help us hone our instincts.
4. Nurture friendships. A life of following Jesus is exceedingly difficult without help from a community. When we devote energy to holy friendships with people who are also trying to know, love, and serve the Lord, we gain partners who can lighten the load. Conversation with other Christians about how to respond to challenges in the life of discipleship are vital.”
The Bishops also note a few challenges that we have to be aware of as we’re forming our consciences:
1. “Indifference. When we are bombarded with news, images, stories, and sound bites, it’s easy to become numb to other people and the world around us. Conscience requires us to be attentive. We must listen to God, who speaks to us. Having a well-formed conscience doesn’t mean we have all the answers to the complex problems in the world, but it does mean that we are sensitive to the needs and struggles of other people.
2. Coercion. Increasingly, we are seeing that certain groups use the power of the media and even of the state to coerce people to violate their consciences. We can see how unjust these types of actions are that insist that popular opinion, rather than conscience, should be our primary guide for action.”
I hope this information is helpful for you as you approach the election (and beyond). I’ve also included a bulletin insert provided by the Bishops that I think is extremely helpful. May God bless our nation and all of its citizens, that we may always strive to do His will in all things, and glorify Him in our private and public lives alike.
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