Expert: Tom Schott - 10/23/2006

Question
I was looking through profiles of different experts here and found something on yours that seemed disturbing to me.
The first was this question:  

Something controversial or provocative about this subject The answers to all important questions don't necessarily come from Rome.

And this one:

Something interesting about this subject that others may not know: The highest moral arbiter for any human being is his or her conscience. It's higher than the pope, higher than Councils, higher than any bishop, priest, deacon, brother, nun, or spiritual advisor.

What I find difficult is that the conscience must be formed, and to be formed correctly it must be molded after God, which is done by devoting oneself to His Church and those He gave authority to for teaching and council.  Your profile statement seemed to say that the conscience alone, outside of the Church, is enough.  Please clarify.

Also, if the answers to life don't come from Rome, then where do they come from?  Isn't Rome the location of the Holy See, the seat of God's Church that leads us to Him and to all of the answers that we seek?  Again, please clarify.


Answer
Sir,

I see nothing in my remarks about conscience that could be construed as saying conscience alone is the sole moral arbiter. Nor is there a denial that one must have an informed conscience--that is, knowledgeable about Church teachings, to make proper moral judgments. That said, and provided one has a properly informed conscience, one may act morally without being in agreement with the Church. What you chose to call a "correctly formed" conscience is apparently always in accord with the Church. I do not think we are conscience-bound to agree with the Church on everything. It's certainly possible to come to a certain judgment on a moral question that does not agree with the Church's position.

And in that case we would be wrong to not follow our conscience. We are told in The Catechism "A human being must always obey the certain judgment of his conscience. If he were deliberately act against it, he would condemn himself." (#1790) And in choosing in accord with conscience, "man strives to interpret the data of experience and the signs of the times assisted by the virtue of prudence, but the advice of competent people, and by the help of the Holy Spirit and his gifts." (#1788)

This speaks to your second question: it should be obvious from the above that all "answers to life" do not come from the Vatican. They come from experience, competent people, the help of the Spirit, as well.

I trust this has provided sufficient clarification.

Deacon Tom