Moral Theology: A Complete Course Based on St. Thomas Aquinas and the Best Modern AuthoritiesCallan, Charles J. (Charles Jerome)
Religion
Moral Theology: A Complete Course Based on St. Thomas Aquinas and the Best Modern Authorities
Callan, Charles J. (Charles Jerome)
Christian ethics -- Catholic authors
(g) If a probable opinion for liberty is opposed by an opinion that is
less, equally or more probable, one is free to act according to the
principles of Probabiliorism, Equiprobabilism, Probabilism or
Compensationism, according to conviction.
741. As for the use of moral systems by confessors, the two following
rules are generally admitted:
(a) If a penitent has formed his conscience according to one moral
system, the confessor has no right to impose on him the opinion of a
different moral system; for the Church allows liberty.
(b) If a penitent has not formed his conscience according to any moral
system and seeks the answer to a moral doubt, the confessor should
decide, not necessarily for what his own system declares lawful, but
for what appears, all the circumstances being considered, to be most
advantageous spiritually for the penitent. Example: Fr. Titus is a
Probabilist, and he usually advises questioners to follow opinions that
are less probable; while Fr. Caius, who is a Probabiliorist, always
requires that such persons follow the more probable opinions. Both act
unwisely. For persons who are better disposed, it will often be more
profitable to follow what is more probable or favorable to obligation;
for those Whose dispositions are less good, milder opinions may be
recommended, lest the smoking flax of goodness that is in them be
entirely extinguished. Neither is it right to impose as certain an
obligation which the penitent, if he were acquainted with Moral
Theology, would see is controverted.
742. In case of disagreement between confessor and penitent as to
whether absolution may be given, whose opinion should prevail? (a) If
the disagreement is concerned with matters about which the confessor
himself has to judge (e.g., the disposition of the penitent, the
requisite matter for absolution, etc.), the opinion of the confessor
must prevail; for the act of judging is his own, and he must be guided
therefore by his own conviction.
(b) If the disagreement is concerned with matters about which the
confessor is not the judge (such as the controversies of schools and
theologians), the confessor may not refuse absolution to a
well-disposed penitent, just because the latter will not accept the
opinion of his school or system. If it be manifest that the penitent’s
opinion is false or improbable, absolution may be denied him, unless it
seems more prudent to leave him in good faith.
PART II
SPECIAL MORAL THEOLOGY
743. In the First Part of this work, the means to man’s Last End were
spoken of in a general way; the features that are common to all good
acts--that they be human, morally deserving, directed according to law
and conscience--were treated. In the present Part the means to the Last
End will be discussed in particular, and we shall consider in turn the
kinds of duties that are owed by all men and those owed by persons in
special states of life.
Question I
THE DUTIES OF ALL CLASSES OF MEN
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account