CATHOLIC WORD BOOK - Knights of Columbus, Supreme Council

the Roman Curia. (3) An unofficial term
for a group of men and women who belong
to a religious community or institute of
consecrated life.
Conscience: Practical judgment
concerning the moral goodness or
sinfulness of an action (thought, word,
desire). In the Catholic view, this
judgment is made by reference of the
action, its attendant circumstances and the
intentions of the person to the
requirements of moral law as expressed in
the Ten Commandments, the summary
law of love for God and neighbor, the life
and teaching of Christ, and the
authoritative teaching and practice of the
Church with respect to the total demands
of divine Revelation. A person is obliged:
(1) to obey a certain and correct
conscience; (2) to obey a certain conscience
even if it is inculpably erroneous; (3) not to
obey, but to correct, a conscience known to
be erroneous or lax; (4) to rectify a
scrupulous conscience by following the
advice of a confessor and by other
measures; (5) to resolve doubts of
conscience before acting. It is legitimate to
act for solid and probable reasons when a
question of moral responsibility admits of
argument (See Probabiliorism and
Probabilism).
Conscience, Examination of: Self
examination to determine one’s spiritual
state before God, regarding one’s sins and
faults. It is recommended as a regular
practice and is practically necessary in
preparing for the sacrament of penance.
The particular examen is a regular
examination to assist in overcoming
specific faults and imperfections.
Consequentialism: A moral theory, closely
associated with proportionalism and
utilitarianism, that holds that the
preferable action is one that brings about
the best consequences. Preferred results,
rather than the objective truth and
intentionality, are the object of actions
based on consequentialism. While
traditional moral theology acknowledges
that consequences are important in
determining the rightness of an act,
importance is also placed on the intrinsic
morality of the act and the agent’s
intention.
Consistory: An assembly of cardinals
presided over by the pope.
Constitution: (1) An apostolic or papal
constitution is a document in which a
pope enacts and promulgates law. (2) A
formal and solemn document issued by an
ecumenical council on a doctrinal or
pastoral subject, with binding force in the
whole Church; e.g., the four constitutions
issued by the Second Vatican Council on
the Church, liturgy, Revelation, and the
Church in the modern world. (3) The
constitutions of institutes of consecrated
life and societies of apostolic life spell out
details of and norms drawn from the
various rules for the guidance and
direction of the life and work of their
members.
Consubstantiation: A theory which holds
that the Body and Blood of Christ coexist
with the substance of bread and wine in
the Holy Eucharist. This theory, also called
impanation, is incompatible with the
doctrine of transubstantiation.
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