Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church

by Roman Catholic Church

  MAN'S FREEDOM

  363. What is freedom?

  1730-1733

  1743-1744

  Freedom is the power given by God to act or not to act, to do this or to do that, and so to perform deliberate actions on one's own responsibility. Freedom characterizes properly human acts. The more one does what is good, the freer one becomes. Freedom attains its proper perfection when it is directed toward God, the highest good and our beatitude. Freedom implies also the possibility of choosing between good and evil. The choice of evil is an abuse of freedom and leads to the slavery of sin.

  364. What is the relationship between freedom and responsibility?

  1734-1737

  1745-1746

  Freedom makes people responsible for their actions to the extent that they are voluntary, even if the imputability and responsibility for an action can be diminished or sometimes cancelled by ignorance, inadvertence, duress, fear, inordinate attachments, or habit.

  365. Why does everyone have a right to exercise freedom?

  1738

  1747

  The right to the exercise of freedom belongs to everyone because it is inseparable from his or her dignity as a human person. Therefore this right must always be respected, especially in moral and religious matters, and it must be recognized and protected by civil authority within the limits of the common good and a just public order.

  366. What place does human freedom have in the plan of salvation?

  1739-1742

  1748

  Our freedom is weakened because of original sin. This weakness is intensified because of successive sins. Christ, however, set us free “so that we should remain free” (Galatians 5:1). With his grace, the Holy Spirit leads us to spiritual freedom to make us free co-workers with him in the Church and in the world.

  367. What are the sources of the morality of human acts?

  1749-1754

  1757-1758

  The morality of human acts depends on three sources: the object chosen, either a true or apparent good; the intention of the subject who acts, that is, the purpose for which the subject performs the act; and the circumstances of the act, which include its consequences.

  368. When is an act morally good?

  1755-1756

  1759-1760

  An act is morally good when it assumes simultaneously the goodness of the object, of the end, and of the circumstances. A chosen object can by itself vitiate an act in its entirety, even if the intention is good. It is not licit to do evil so that good may result from it. An evil end corrupts the action, even if the object is good in itself. On the other hand, a good end does not make an act good if the object of that act is evil, since the end does not justify the means. Circumstances can increase or diminish the responsibility of the one who is acting but they cannot change the moral quality of the acts themselves. They never make good an act which is in itself evil.

  369. Are there acts which are always illicit?

  1756

  1761

  There are some acts which, in and of themselves, are always illicit by reason of their object (for example, blasphemy, homicide, adultery). Choosing such acts entails a disorder of the will, that is, a moral evil which can never be justified by appealing to the good effects which could possibly result from them.

  THE MORALITY OF THE PASSIONS

  370. What are the passions?

  1762-1766

  1771-1772

  The passions are the feelings, the emotions or the movements of the sensible appetite - natural components of human psychology - which incline a person to act or not to act in view of what is perceived as good or evil. The principal passions are love and hatred, desire and fear, joy, sadness, and anger. The chief passion is love which is drawn by the attraction of the good. One can only love what is good, real or apparent.

  371. Are the passions morally good or bad?

  1767-1770

  1773-1775

  The passions insofar as they are movements of the sensible appetite are neither good nor bad in themselves. They are good when they contribute to a good action and they are evil in the opposite case. They can be taken up into the virtues or perverted by the vices.

  THE MORAL CONSCIENCE

  372. What is the moral conscience?

  1776-1780

  1795-1797

  Moral conscience, present in the heart of the person, is a judgment of reason which at the appropriate moment enjoins him to do good and to avoid evil. Thanks to moral conscience, the human person perceives the moral quality of an act to be done or which has already been done, permitting him to assume responsibility for the act. When attentive to moral conscience, the prudent person can hear the voice of God who speaks to him or her.

  373. What does the dignity of the human person imply for the moral conscience?

  1780-1782

  1798

  The dignity of a human person requires the uprightness of a moral conscience (which is to say that it be in accord with what is just and good according to reason and the law of God). Because of this personal dignity, no one may be forced to act contrary to conscience; nor, within the limits of the common good, be prevented from acting according to it, especially in religious matters.

  374. How is a moral conscience formed to be upright and truthful?

  1783-1788

  1799-1800

  An upright and true moral conscience is formed by education and by assimilating the Word of God and the teaching of the Church. It is supported by the gifts of the Holy Spirit and helped by the advice of wise people. Prayer and an examination of conscience can also greatly assist one’s moral formation.

  375. What norms must conscience always follow?

  1789

  There are three general norms: 1) one may never do evil so that good may result from it; 2) the so-called Golden Rule, “Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them” (Matthew 7:12); 3) charity always proceeds by way of respect for one’s neighbor and his conscience, even though this does not mean accepting as good something that is objectively evil.

  376. Can a moral conscience make erroneous judgments?

  1790-1794

  1801-1802

  A person must always obey the certain judgment of his own conscience but he could make erroneous judgments for reasons that may not always exempt him from personal guilt. However, an evil act committed through involuntary ignorance is not imputable to the person, even though the act remains objectively evil. One must therefore work to correct the errors of moral conscience.

  THE VIRTUES

  377. What is a virtue?

  1803

  1833

  A virtue is an habitual and firm disposition to do the good. “The goal of a virtuous life is to become like God” (Saint Gregory of Nyssa). There are human virtues and theological virtues.

  378. What are the human virtues?

  1804

  1810-1811

  1834

  1839

  The human virtues are habitual and stable perfections of the intellect and will that govern our actions, order our passions and guide our conduct according to reason and faith. They are acquired and strengthened by the repetition of morally good acts and they are purified and elevated by divine grace.

  379. What are the principal human virtues?

  1805

  1834

  The principal human virtues are called the cardinal virtues, under which all the other virtues are grouped and which are the hinges of a virtuous life. The cardinal virtues are: prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance.

  380. What is prudence?

  1806

  1835

  Prudence disposes reason to discern in every circumstance our true good and to choose the right means for achieving it. Prudence guides the other virtues by pointing out their rule and measure.

  381. What is justice?

  1807

  1836

  Justice consists in the firm and constant will to give to others their due. Justice
toward God is called “the virtue of religion.”

  382. What is fortitude?

  1808

  1837

  Fortitude assures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good. It reaches even to the ability of possibly sacrificing one’s own life for a just cause.

  383. What is temperance?

  1809

  1838

  Temperance moderates the attraction of pleasures, assures the mastery of the will over instincts and provides balance in the use of created goods.

  384. What are the theological virtues?

  1812-1813

  1840-1841

  The theological virtues have God himself as their origin, motive and direct object. Infused with sanctifying grace, they bestow on one the capacity to live in a relationship with the Trinity. They are the foundation and the energizing force of the Christian’s moral activity and they give life to the human virtues. They are the pledge of the presence and action of the Holy Spirit in the faculties of the human being.

  385. What are the theological virtues?

  1813

  The theological virtues are faith, hope, and charity.

  386. What is the virtue of faith?

  1814-1816

  1842

  Faith is the theological virtue by which we believe in God and all that he has revealed to us and that the Church proposes for our belief because God is Truth itself. By faith the human person freely commits himself to God. Therefore, the believer seeks to know and do the will of God because “faith works through charity” (Galatians 5:6).

  387. What is hope?

  1817-1821

  1843

  Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire and await from God eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ's promises and relying on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit to merit it and to persevere to the end of our earthly life.

  388. What is charity?

  1822-1829

  1844

  Charity is the theological virtue by which we love God above all things and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God. Jesus makes charity the new commandment, the fullness of the law. “It is the bond of perfection” (Colossians 3:14) and the foundation of the other virtues to which it gives life, inspiration, and order. Without charity “I am nothing” and “I gain nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

  389. What are the gifts of the Holy Spirit?

  1830-1831

  1845

  The gifts of the Holy Spirit are permanent dispositions which make us docile in following divine inspirations. They are seven: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord.

  390. What are the fruits of the Holy Spirit?

  1832

  The fruits of the Holy Spirit are perfections formed in us as the first fruits of eternal glory. The tradition of the Church lists twelve of them: charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, and chastity (Galatians 5:22-23, Vulgate).

  SIN

  391. What does the acceptance of God’s mercy require from us?

  1846-1848

  1870

  It requires that we admit our faults and repent of our sins. God himself by his Word and his Spirit lays bare our sins and gives us the truth of conscience and the hope of forgiveness.

  392. What is sin?

  1849-1851

  1871-1872

  Sin is “a word, an act, or a desire contrary to the eternal Law” (Saint Augustine). It is an offense against God in disobedience to his love. It wounds human nature and injures human solidarity. Christ in his passion fully revealed the seriousness of sin and overcame it with his mercy.

  393. Is there a variety of sins?

  1852-1853

  1873

  There are a great many kinds of sins. They can be distinguished according to their object or according to the virtues or commandments which they violate. They can directly concern God, neighbor, or ourselves. They can also be divided into sins of thought, of word, of deed, or of omission.

  394. How are sins distinguished according to their gravity?

  1854

  A distinction is made between mortal and venial sin.

  395. When does one commit a mortal sin?

  1855-1861

  1874

  One commits a mortal sin when there are simultaneously present: grave matter, full knowledge, and deliberate consent. This sin destroys charity in us, deprives us of sanctifying grace, and, if unrepented, leads us to the eternal death of hell. It can be forgiven in the ordinary way by means of the sacraments of Baptism and of Penance or Reconciliation.

  396. When does one commit a venial sin?

  1862-1864

  1875

  One commits a venial sin, which is essentially different from a mortal sin, when the matter involved is less serious or, even if it is grave, when full knowledge or complete consent are absent. Venial sin does not break the covenant with God but it weakens charity and manifests a disordered affection for created goods. It impedes the progress of a soul in the exercise of the virtues and in the practice of moral good. It merits temporal punishment which purifies.

  397. How does sin proliferate?

  1865

  1876

  Sin creates a proclivity to sin ; it engenders vice by repetition of the same acts.

  398. What are vices?

  1866-1867

  Vices are the opposite of virtues. They are perverse habits which darken the conscience and incline one to evil. The vices can be linked to the seven, so-called, capital sins which are: pride, avarice, envy, anger, lust, gluttony, and sloth or acedia.

  399. Do we have any responsibility for sins committed by others?

  1868

  We do have such a responsibility when we culpably cooperate with them.

  400. What are structures of sin?

  1869

  Structures of sin are social situations or institutions that are contrary to the divine law. They are the expression and effect of personal sins.

  CHAPTER TWO

  The Human Community

  THE PERSON AND SOCIETY

  401. In what does the social dimension of man consist?

  1877-1880

  1890-1891

  Together with the personal call to beatitude, the human person has a communal dimension as an essential component of his nature and vocation. Indeed, all are called to the same end, God himself. There is a certain resemblance between the communion of the divine Persons and the fraternity that people are to establish among themselves in truth and love. Love of neighbor is inseparable from love for God.

  402. What is the relationship between the person and society?

  1881-1882

  1892-1893

  The human person is and ought to be the principle, the subject and the end of all social institutions. Certain societies, such as the family and the civic community, are necessary for the human person. Also helpful are other associations on the national and international levels with due respect for the principle of subsidiarity.

  403. What is the principle of subsidiarity?

  1883-1885

  1894

  The principle of subsidiarity states that a community of a higher order should not assume the task belonging to a community of a lower order and deprive it of its authority. It should rather support it in case of need.

  404. What else is required for an authentic human society?

  1886-1889

  1895-1896

  Authentic human society requires respect for justice, a just hierarchy of values, and the subordination of material and instinctual dimensions to interior and spiritual ones. In particular, where sin has perverted the social climate, it is necessary to call for the conversion of hearts and for the grace of God to obtain social changes that may really serve each person and the whole person. Charity, which requires and makes possible the practice of justice, is the greatest social commandment.

>   PARTICIPATION IN SOCIAL LIFE

  405. What is the foundation of the authority of society?

  1897-1902

  1918-1920

  Every human community needs a legitimate authority that preserves order and contributes to the realization of the common good. The foundation of such authority lies in human nature because it corresponds to the order established by God.

  406. When is authority exercised in a legitimate way?

  1901-1904

  1921-1922

  Authority is exercised legitimately when it acts for the common good and employs morally licit means to attain it. Therefore, political regimes must be determined by the free decision of their citizens. They should respect the principle of the “rule of law” in which the law, and not the arbitrary will of some, is sovereign. Unjust laws and measures contrary to the moral order are not binding in conscience.

  407. What is the common good?

  1905-1906

  1924

  By the common good is meant the sum total of those conditions of social life which allow people as groups and as individuals to reach their proper fulfillment.

  408. What is involved in the common good?

  1907-1909

  1925

  The common good involves: respect for and promotion of the fundamental rights of the person, the development of the spiritual and temporal goods of persons and society, and the peace and security of all.

  409. Where can one find the most complete realization of the common good?

  1910-1912

  1927

  The most complete realization of the common good is found in those political communities which defend and promote the good of their citizens and of intermediate groups without forgetting the universal good of the entire human family.

  410. How does one participate in bringing about the common good?

  1913-1917

  1926

  All men and women according to the place and role that they occupy participate in promoting the common good by respecting just laws and taking charge of the areas for which they have personal responsibility such as the care of their own family and the commitment to their own work. Citizens also should take an active part in public life as far as possible.

  SOCIAL JUSTICE

  411. How does society ensure social justice?

  1928-1933