CONSCIENCE IS NOT PRIVATE JUDGMENT

By Tim Rohr

The recent scuffle on this blog relative to a couple of candidates for governor who are also communion-going Catholics and Freemasons, has brought several issues to the fore, but namely the need to clarify the difference between conscience and private judgment. 

The Catholic Church authoritatively teaches that membership in Freemasonry is a "grave sin." Anonymous Freemason (in the aforementioned "scuffle") consistently argues that his membership in Freemasonry is not a grave sin because his conscience tells him so. 

I don't fault Anonymous Freemason for believing this as most likely he is a product of our contemporary CCD system, if not also adult faith formation, which has led him to believe that conscience equates to making up your own mind about what is a "grave sin" and what is not.

This isn't new. We have seen this time and time again with many Catholics when it comes to issues such as abortion, contraception, and same-sex relations. 

The real issue is a misunderstanding and thus a misdirection by Catholic formators (teachers and pastors) about the concept of "conscience."

In short "conscience" is formed from two words: "con" (with) and "science" (knowledge). CONSCIENCE = WITH KNOWLEDGE. Knowledge of what? In the matters of Catholic faith and morals, it is knowledge of what the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church believes and authoritatively teaches.

Conscience, at least in the Catholic moral context, is NOT private judgment - which is exactly what you see in all the arguments presented by Anonymous Freemason. However, as already stated here (and elsewhere), Anonymous Freemason is certainly not alone. 

Here's hoping that there are some pastors who are paying attention and will address the matter at soonest. By the way, in that regard, we should all be appreciative of Anonymous Freemason's obstinate denial of Catholic Church authority, otherwise, the Church's prohibition on Catholic membership may not have become as well known.