Nothing really? We should be grateful that we have these written instruments outlining the central doctrines of our faith. If someone were to attempt convincing me that Mary is the fourth person of the Blessed Trinity, or Jesus was only a male Jew, or that God did not create the universe and this is an evolution or an advance of the central dogmas of the Catholic Church, I would not have to write to the Congregation of the Doctrine and Faith to see if the Church had changed these doctrines. I already know that the aforesaid speculations are completely contrary to the faith of the Church since I know the creeds. Even many Protestants and Orthodox will recite with fervor these same creeds, the latter leaving out the notion that the Holy Spirit proceeds from “the Son”. I cannot call myself simply “a Catholic”, just because I adhere to these creeds, but it is a minimum foundation.
These confessions of faith are essential for the life of contemplation and prayer, but they do not tell me everything about being a Catholic. There are also other fundamental doctrines that I must adhere to, such as the real and substantial presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, the primacy of the successor of Peter over the whole Church, as well as that the other six sacraments bring grace to those disposed. In addition to everlasting life with God as my ultimate end in happiness, there are two other possibilities: damnation and purgatory. The persons in the latter purifying state of existence can be aided by prayer, the Mass and the works of mercy done for them while the former are beyond help.
In addition to knowing by faith the divine acts of creation, redemption and salvation, we also need to know how to live. The creeds do not tell us what is the will of God for our salvation. Part of the good news is that we can fail if we think we can get to our ultimate destiny of eternal bliss on our own. Such failure is always do to a profound disobedience to the precepts given to us by God and the humanity of Christ. Often, neglecting the counsels of the Lord Jesus undermine our ability to obey the major precepts as well. How can this be good news?
When we go see a doctor because of extreme pain in one of our organs, he may discover with the help of MRI or a CAT scan that I have cancer. This is bad news for me. But, he may also say there is a cure for this cancer such as chemotherapy or cobalt treatments. The cure may be difficult, but if I had a family to take care of and a job worth pursuing, the solution is good news. Good news makes no sense unless there is bad news to begin with. Hence, we have the need to know that damnation is real possibility, but if we take Christ at His word, there are solutions away from the evil that awaits us, if we rely exclusively on ourselves.
There are two kinds of precepts: positive and prohibitive. In traffic law, we discover the same. Often there are signs which prohibit certain speeds, or the use of off-ramps and positive laws which say “slow down,” “caution work ahead,” “slippery when wet.” Above all these laws is the more general principle to drive safely at all times. Driving under these laws creates a common good of unity in action on the road and accidents should rarely occur. What is safe driving may sometimes require not following the letter of the posted law if it is foreseen that harm to others will be done. So, likewise with divine precepts, some actions are absolutely prohibitive called intrinsically moral evils. Other human acts are always prohibited, by reason of circumstances like drinking alcohol if one is predisposed to alcoholism. Others are positive precepts requiring a set of circumstances in order to do them or otherwise are not here and now obligatory such as going to Mass when the roads are iced and slippery, the church being miles away.
Therefore, when Catholics say they are pro-life, they are basically saying they wish to obey all precepts for the love of God, and in the political sphere do all they can to bring human laws in sync with divine precepts already present in varying degrees in human nature’s practical side of their intellects. The human mind already has theoretical principles of thinking, such as the principle of non-contradiction, so the practical side of the mind already knows one should pursue the good and avoid all moral evils or the vices against prudence, temperance, fortitude and justice. With a certain amount of thinking one can see that spontaneous mindless action, taking innocent human life, stealing, lying, getting stoned on drugs, becoming intoxicated with alcohol or sex for its own sake, fearing to suffer for the sake of truth, undermine personal human flourishing and eventually if not immediately harm others. Here, one can also reason about the major vices without too much difficulty: vainglory, envy, avarice, unreasonable anger, gluttony, lust and “sloth” or boredom toward truth and goodness. With a little more thought, we can see the deleterious consequences to a person and a culture when moral turpitude trumps virtue and becomes the “new virtue.”
With family life in crisis caused by easy divorce and remarriage civilly, false sex education, easy access to hooking up, pornography, contraception use and abortion, alcoholism, and drug abuse, it takes heroic virtue on the part of the family who believe in character, to raise their children against the tyranny of the majority who believe fervently that some moral evils are moral goods and should be promoted and protected by civil law. All a Synod can do is give hope to families who believe and try to live the call to the perfection of charity at home, and try to protect their offspring from seeking bliss from the dark side of the evil one.
Divine precepts begin with a general principle to love God by doing his will and loving neighbor such that we do him no harm and promote his eternal fulfillment by respecting his rights and coming to his aid when necessary (corporal and spiritual works of mercy). The Creeds set the basis why obeying God is the sign that we love him. After all, he is our Creator, Redeemer, Re-creator and Consummator.
Father Basil Cole, O.P. is currently a Professor of Moral and Spiritual Theology, Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception, at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C. Father is also author of Music and Morals, The Hidden Enemies of the Priesthood and coauthor of Christian Totality; Theology of Consecrated Life. A native San Franciscan, Father has been a prior in the Western province of the Dominicans, a parish missionary and retreat master, and invited professor of moral and spiritual theology at the Angelicum in Rome.
