The means of social communication (especially the mass media) can give rise to a certain passivity among users, making them less than vigilant consumers of what is said or shown. Users should practice moderation and discipline in their approach to the mass media. They will want to form enlightened and correct Consciences the more easily to resist unwholesome influences.

Prudence is the virtue that disposes practical Reason to discern our true good in every circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it; "the prudent man looks where he is going." 65 "Keep sane and sober for your prayers." 66 Prudence is "right reason in action," writes St. Thomas Aquinas, following Aristotle. 67 It is not to be confused with timidity or fear, nor with duplicity or dissimulation. It is called auriga virtutum (the charioteer of the virtues); it guides the other virtues by setting rule and measure. It is prudence that immediately guides the Judgment of Conscience. the prudent man determines and directs his conduct in accordance with this Judgment. With the help of this virtue we apply moral principles to particular cases without error and overcome doubts about the good to achieve and the Evil to avoid.

A good and pure Conscience is enlightened by true faith, for charity proceeds at the same time "from a pure heart and a good conscience and Sincere faith." 60

If - on the Contrary - the ignorance is invincible, or the moral subject is not responsible for his erroneous Judgment, the Evil committed by the person cannot be imputed to him. It remains no less an evil, a privation, a disorder. One must therefore work to correct the errors of moral Conscience.

Ignorance of Christ and his Gospel, bad example given by others, enslavement to one's passions, assertion of a mistaken notion of autonomy of Conscience, rejection of the Church's authority and her teaching, lack of conversion and of charity: these can be at the source of errors of Judgment in moral conduct.

This ignorance can often be imputed to personal responsibility. This is the case when a man "takes little trouble to find out what is true and good, or when Conscience is by degrees almost blinded through the habit of committing Sin." 59 In such cases, the person is culpable for the Evil he commits.

A human being must always obey the certain Judgment of his Conscience. If he were deliberately to act against it, he would condemn himself. Yet it can happen that moral conscience remains in ignorance and makes erroneous Judgments about Acts to be performed or already committed.

Sin is an offense against Reason, Truth, and right Conscience; it is failure in genuine love for God and neighbor caused by a perverse attachment to certain goods. It wounds the nature of man and injures human solidarity. It has been defined as "an utterance, a deed, or a desire Contrary to the eternal law." 121

Unintentional ignorance can diminish or even remove the imputability of a grave offense. But no one is deemed to be ignorant of the principles of the moral law, which are written in the Conscience of every man. the promptings of feelings and passions can also diminish the voluntary and free character of the offense, as can external pressures or pathological disorders. Sin committed through malice, by deliberate choice of Evil, is the gravest.

Every offense committed against justice and Truth entails the duty of reparation, even if its author has been forgiven. When it is impossible publicly to make reparation for a wrong, it must be made secretly. If someone who has suffered harm cannot be directly compensated, he must be given moral satisfaction in the name of charity. This duty of reparation also concerns offenses against another's reputation. This reparation, moral and sometimes material, must be evaluated in terms of the extent of the damage inflicted. It obliges in Conscience.

Before Pilate, Christ proclaims that he "has come into the world, to bear witness to the Truth." 265 The Christian is not to "be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord." 266 In situations that require witness to the faith, the Christian must profess it without equivocation, after the example of St. Paul before his judges. We must keep "a clear Conscience toward God and toward men." 267

Public authorities should make equitable provision for those who for Reasons of Conscience refuse to bear arms; these are nonetheless obliged to serve the human community in some other way. 107

The citizen is obliged in Conscience not to follow the directives of civil authorities when they are Contrary to the demands of the moral order, to the fundamental rights of persons or the teachings of the Gospel. RefuSing obedience to civil authorities, when their demands are contrary to those of an upright conscience, finds its justification in the distinction between serving God and serving the political community. "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." 48 "We must obey God rather than men": 49

As long as a child lives at home with his parents, the child should obey his parents in all that they ask of him when it is for his good or that of the family. "Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord." 22 Children should also obey the Reasonable directions of their teachers and all to whom their parents have entrusted them. But if a child is convinced in Conscience that it would be morally wrong to obey a particular order, he must not do so. As they grow up, children should continue to respect their parents. They should anticipate their wishes, willingly seek their advice, and accept their just admonitions. Obedience toward parents ceases with the emancipation of the children; not so respect, which is always owed to them. This respect has its roots in the fear of God, one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Agnosticism can sometimes include a certain search for God, but it can equally express indifferentism, a flight from the ultimate question of existence, and a sluggish moral Conscience. Agnosticism is all too often equivalent to practical atheism.

"Nobody may be forced to act against his convictions, nor is anyone to be restrained from acting in accordance with his Conscience in religious matters in private or in public, alone or in association with others, within due limits." 34 This right is based on the very nature of the human person, whose dignity enables him freely to assent to the divine Truth which transcends the temporal order. For this Reason it "continues to exist even in those who do not live up to their obligation of seeking the truth and adhering to it." 35

Ministries should be exercised in a spirit of fraternal service and dedication to the Church, in the name of the Lord. 81 At the same time the Conscience of each person should avoid confining itself to individualistic considerations in its moral Judgments of the person's own Acts. As far as possible conscience should take account of the good of all, as expressed in the moral law, natural and revealed, and consequently in the law of the Church and in the authoritative teaching of the Magisterium on moral questions. Personal conscience and Reason should not be set in opposition to the moral law or the Magisterium of the Church.

To the Lord's Sermon on the Mount it is fitting to add the moral catechesis of the apostolic teachings, such as Romans 12-15, 1 Corinthians 12-13, Colossians 3-4, Ephesians 4-5, etc. This doctrine hands on the Lord's teaching with the authority of the apostles, particularly in the presentation of the virtues that flow from faith in Christ and are animated by charity, the principal gift of the Holy Spirit. "Let charity be genuine.... Love one another with brotherly affection.... Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints, practice hospitality." 29 This catechesis also teaches us to deal with cases of Conscience in the light of our relationship to Christ and to the Church. 30

The Old Law is the first stage of revealed Law. Its moral prescriptions are summed up in the Ten Commandments. the precepts of the Decalogue lay the foundations for the vocation of man fashioned in the image of God; they prohibit what is Contrary to the love of God and neighbor and prescribe what is essential to it. the Decalogue is a light offered to the Conscience of every man to make God's call and ways known to him and to protect him against Evil:

First, the common good presupposes respect for the person as such. In the name of the common good, public authorities are bound to respect the fundamental and inalienable rights of the human person. Society should permit each of its members to fulfill his vocation. In particular, the common good resides in the conditions for the exercise of the natural freedoms indispensable for the development of the human vocation, such as "the right to act according to a sound norm of Conscience and to safeguard . . . privacy, and rightful freedom also in matters of religion." 27

Authority is exercised legitimately only when it seeks the common good of the group concerned and if it employs morally licit means to attain it. If rulers were to enact unjust laws or take measures Contrary to the moral order, such arrangements would not be binding in Conscience. In such a case, "authority breaks down completely and results in shameful abuse." 23

Sin creates a proclivity to sin; it engenders vice by repetition of the same Acts. This results in perverse inclinations which cloud Conscience and corrupt the concrete Judgment of good and Evil. Thus sin tends to reproduce itself and reinforce itself, but it cannot destroy the moral sense at its root.

Some rules apply in every case: - One may never do Evil so that good may result from it; - the Golden Rule: "Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them." 56 - charity always proceeds by way of respect for one's neighbor and his Conscience: "Thus Sinning against your brethren and wounding their conscience . . . you sin against Christ." 57 Therefore "it is right not to . . . do anything that makes your brother stumble." 58

Faced with a moral choice, Conscience can make either a right Judgment in accordance with Reason and the divine law or, on the Contrary, an erroneous Judgment that departs from them.

In the formation of Conscience the Word of God is the light for our path, 54 we must assimilate it in faith and prayer and put it into practice. We must also examine our conscience before the Lord's Cross. We are assisted by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, aided by the witness or advice of others and guided by the authoritative teaching of the Church. 55

The sacrament of Penance can also take place in the framework of a communal celebration in which we prepare ourselves together for confession and give thanks together for the forgiveness received. Here, the personal confession of Sins and individual absolution are inserted into a liturgy of the word of God with readings and a homily, an examination of Conscience conducted in common, a communal request for forgiveness, the Our Father and a thanksgiving in common. This communal celebration expresses more clearly the ecclesial character of penance. However, regardless of its manner of celebration the sacrament of Penance is always, by its very nature, a liturgical action, and therefore an ecclesial and public action. 90

Like all the sacraments, Penance is a liturgical action. the elements of the celebration are ordinarily these: a greeting and blesSing from the priest, reading the word of God to illuminate the Conscience and elicit contrition, and an exhortation to repentance; the confession, which acknowledges Sins and makes them known to the priest; the imposition and acceptance of a penance; the priest's absolution; a prayer of thanksgiving and praise and dismissal with the blessing of the priest.

"The whole power of the sacrament of Penance consists in restoring us to God's grace and joining us with him in an intimate friendship." 73 Reconciliation with God is thus the purpose and effect of this sacrament. For those who receive the sacrament of Penance with contrite heart and religious disposition, reconciliation "is usually followed by peace and serenity of Conscience with strong spiritual consolation." 74 Indeed the sacrament of Reconciliation with God brings about a true "spiritual resurrection," restoration of the dignity and blesSings of the life of the children of God, of which the most precious is friendship with God. 75

Without being strictly necessary, confession of everyday faults (venial Sins) is nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church. 59 Indeed the regular confession of our venial Sins helps us form our Conscience, fight against Evil tendencies, let ourselves be healed by Christ and progress in the life of the Spirit. By receiving more frequently through this sacrament the gift of the Father's mercy, we are spurred to be merciful as he is merciful: 60

The reception of this sacrament ought to be prepared for by an examination of Conscience made in the light of the Word of God. the passages best suited to this can be found in the moral catechesis of the Gospels and the apostolic Letters, such as the Sermon on the Mount and the apostolic teachings. 53

The contrition called "imperfect" (or "attrition") is also a gift of God, a prompting of the Holy Spirit. It is born of the consideration of Sin's ugliness or the fear of eternal damnation and the other penalties threatening the sinner (contrition of fear). Such a stirring of Conscience can initiate an interior process which, under the prompting of grace, will be brought to completion by sacramental absolution. By itself however, imperfect contrition cannot obtain the forgiveness of grave Sins, but it disposes one to obtain forgiveness in the sacrament of Penance. 52

Conversion is accomplished in daily life by gestures of reconciliation, concern for the poor, the exercise and defense of justice and right, 33 by the admission of faults to one's brethren, fraternal correction, revision of life, examination of Conscience, spiritual direction, acceptance of suffering, endurance of persecution for the sake of righteousness. Taking up one's cross each day and following Jesus is the surest way of penance. 34

To respond to this invitation we must prepare ourselves for so great and so holy a moment. St. Paul urges us to examine our Conscience: "Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks Judgment upon himself." 216 Anyone conscious of a grave Sin must receive the sacrament of Reconciliation before coming to communion.

The faithful should "distinguish carefully between the rights and the duties which they have as belonging to the Church and those which fall to them as members of the human society. They will strive to unite the two harmoniously, remembering that in every temporal affair they are to be guided by a Christian Conscience, Since no human activity, even of the temporal order, can be withdrawn from God's dominion." 451

Faith is an entirely free gift that God makes to man. We can lose this priceless gift, as St. Paul indicated to St. Timothy: "Wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good Conscience. By rejecting conscience, certain persons have made shipwreck of their faith." 44 To live, grow and persevere in the faith until the end we must nourish it with the word of God; we must beg the Lord to increase our faith; 45 it must be "working through charity," abounding in hope, and rooted in the faith of the Church. 46

To be human, "man's response to God by faith must be free, and... therefore nobody is to be forced to embrace the faith against his will. the act of faith is of its very nature a free act." 39 "God calls men to serve him in spirit and in Truth. Consequently they are bound to him in Conscience, but not coerced. . . This fact received its fullest manifestation in Christ Jesus." 40 Indeed, Christ invited people to faith and conversion, but never coerced them. "For he bore witness to the truth but refused to use force to impose it on those who spoke against it. His kingdom... grows by the love with which Christ, lifted up on the cross, draws men to himself." 41

Moral Conscience concerning the unity and indissolubility of marriage developed under the pedagogy of the old law. In the Old Testament the polygamy of patriarchs and kings is not yet explicitly rejected. Nevertheless, the law given to Moses aims at protecting the wife from arbitrary domination by the husband, even though according to the Lord's words it still carries traces of man's "hardness of heart" which was the Reason Moses permitted men to divorce their wives. 101

Seeing God's covenant with Israel in the image of exclusive and faithful married love, the prophets prepared the Chosen People's Conscience for a deepened understanding of the unity and indissolubility of marriage. 102 The books of Ruth and Tobit bear moving witness to an elevated sense of marriage and to the fidelity and tenderness of spouses. Tradition has always seen in the Song of Solomon a unique expression of human love, a pure reflection of God's love - a love "strong as death" that "many waters cannot quench." 103

The education of the Conscience is a lifelong task. From the earliest years, it awakens the child to the knowledge and practice of the interior law recognized by conscience. Prudent education teaches virtue; it prevents or cures fear, selfishness and pride, resentment ariSing from guilt, and feelings of complacency, born of human weakness and faults. the education of the conscience guarantees freedom and engenders peace of heart.

Conscience must be informed and moral Judgment enlightened. A well-formed conscience is upright and Truthful. It formulates its Judgments according to Reason, in conformity with the true good willed by the wisdom of the Creator. the education of conscience is indispensable for human beings who are subjected to negative influences and tempted by Sin to prefer their own judgment and to reject authoritative teachings.

Man has the right to act in Conscience and in freedom so as personally to make moral decisions. "He must not be forced to act Contrary to his conscience. Nor must he be prevented from acting according to his conscience, especially in religious matters." 53

Conscience enables one to assume responsibility for the Acts performed. If man commits Evil, the just Judgment of conscience can remain within him as the witness to the universal Truth of the good, at the same time as the evil of his particular choice. the verdict of the Judgment of conscience remains a pledge of hope and mercy. In attesting to the fault committed, it calls to mind the forgiveness that must be asked, the good that must still be practiced, and the virtue that must be constantly cultivated with the grace of God:

The dignity of the human person implies and requires uprightness of moral Conscience. Conscience includes the perception of the principles of morality (synderesis); their application in the given circumstances by practical discernment of Reasons and goods; and finally Judgment about concrete Acts yet to be performed or already performed. the Truth about the moral good, stated in the law of reason, is recognized practically and concretely by the prudent Judgment of conscience. We call that man prudent who chooses in conformity with this judgment.

It is important for every person to be sufficiently present to himself in order to hear and follow the voice of his Conscience. This requirement of interiority is all the more necessary as life often distrActs us from any reflection, self-examination or introspection:

Conscience is a Judgment of Reason whereby the human person recognizes the moral quality of a concrete act that he is going to perform, is in the process of performing, or has already completed. In all he says and does, man is obliged to follow faithfully what he knows to be just and right. It is by the Judgment of his conscience that man perceives and recognizes the prescriptions of the divine law:

Moral Conscience, 48 present at the heart of the person, enjoins him at the appropriate moment to do good and to avoid Evil. It also judges particular choices, approving those that are good and denouncing those that are evil. 49 It bears witness to the authority of Truth in reference to the supreme Good to which the human person is drawn, and it welcomes the commandments. When he listens to his conscience, the prudent man can hear God speaking.

"Deep within his Conscience man discovers a law which he has not laid upon himself but which he must obey. Its voice, ever calling him to love and to do what is good and to avoid Evil, sounds in his heart at the right moment.... For man has in his heart a law inscribed by God.... His conscience is man's most secret core and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths." 47

The object chosen is a good toward which the will deliberately directs itself. It is the matter of a human act. the object chosen morally specifies the act of the will, insofar as Reason recognizes and judges it to be or not to be in conformity with the true good. Objective norms of morality express the rational order of good and Evil, attested to by Conscience.

Freedom makes man a moral subject. When he Acts deliberately, man is, so to speak, the father of his acts. Human acts, that is, acts that are freely chosen in consequence of a Judgment of Conscience, can be morally evaluated. They are either good or Evil.

By his Reason, man recognizes the voice of God which urges him "to do what is good and avoid what is Evil." 9 Everyone is obliged to follow this law, which makes itself heard in Conscience and is fulfilled in the love of God and of neighbor. Living a moral life bears witness to the dignity of the person.

The dignity of the human person is rooted in his creation in the image and likeness of God (article 1); it is fulfilled in his vocation to divine beatitude (article 2). It is essential to a human being freely to direct himself to this fulfillment (article 3). By his deliberate actions (article 4), the human person does, or does not, conform to the good promised by God and attested by moral Conscience (article 5). Human beings make their own contribution to their interior growth; they make their whole sentient and spiritual lives into means of this growth (article 6). With the help of grace they grow in virtue (article 7), avoid Sin, and if they sin they entrust themselves as did the prodigal son 1 to the mercy of our Father in heaven (article 8). In this way they attain to the perfection of charity.

The human person: with his openness to Truth and beauty, his sense of moral goodness, his freedom and the voice of his Conscience, with his longings for the infinite and for happiness, man questions himself about God's existence. In all this he discerns signs of his spiritual soul. the soul, the "seed of eternity we bear in ourselves, irreducible to the merely material", 9 can have its origin only in God.