Canon 915 and individual conscience

[JimG]

Canonist Edward Peters comments on some guidelines for implementing AL.

“But the claim that Canon 915 yields to the conclusions of personal conscience as reached by a Catholic approaching for holy Communion is, as I have pointed out many, many times, completely wrong. Canon 915, and the tradition upon which it stands, operate in the face of observable behavior and not personal conscience.”

A demur on the AOW document implementing Amoris laetitia

A single sentence threatens to undercut the good presented in “Sharing in the Joy of Love”, the graphically-attractive, 55-page pastoral plan published by the Archdiocese of Washington (DC) to impl…

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[AugustTherese]

“Canon 915, and the tradition upon which it stands, operate in the face of observable behavior and not personal conscience. Civil marriage after divorce is observable behavior, behavior that is gravely contrary to Christ’s teaching on the permanence of marriage, to the Christian’s duty to avoid giving scandal, and to the Church’s law on reception of the sacraments.”

How many Catholics, even Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, still do not understand the difference between grave and mortal sin?!

Just because a grave sin can be observed, does not inherently mean it is mortal to one’s soul.

 

[JimG]

Which, I think, was Dr. Peter’s point. The canon does not concern itself with the condition of anyone’s soul, nor should it. It is concerned with outward behavior.

“Civil marriage after divorce is observable behavior, behavior that is gravely contrary to Christ’s teaching on the permanence of marriage, to the Christian’s duty to avoid giving scandal, and to the Church’s law on reception of the sacraments.”

 

[Vico]

“Canon 915, and the tradition upon which it stands, operate in the face of observable behavior and not personal conscience. Civil marriage after divorce is observable behavior, behavior that is gravely contrary to Christ’s teaching on the permanence of marriage, to the Christian’s duty to avoid giving scandal, and to the Church’s law on reception of the sacraments.”

How many Catholics, even Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, still do not understand the difference between grave and mortal sin?!

Just because a grave sin can be observed, does not inherently mean it is mortal to one’s soul.

CIC Canon 916 addresses reception and the state of grace.