Posts (2010):
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24 December 2010
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forthcoming book: The Second Part of the Tribulation
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I'm still hard at work on my next eschatology book, entitled The Second Part of the Tribulation, which is the companion volume to The First Part of the Tribulation. The First Part... book still needs to have the dates for the Warning and the Miracle updated to April and May of 2011. The Second Part... book is currently well along. I've written about 500 pages so far. I hope to have the book completed by March of 2011. The Second Part... focuses on the reign of the ten kings, and the reign of the Antichrist. The wickedness of that time period is difficult to express fully in words. This book is not for the faint of heart.
I'm also working on a series of articles about Contraception, which you can read online here. And my new blog, Improperium Christi, is gaining some momentum and increasing its readership. Improperium Christi means 'the reproach of Christ', referring to the mistreatment that the faithful experience when they live or teach in accord with the true Catholic Christian Faith.
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29 November 2010
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Voting Ethics: the USCCB versus Cardinal Burke
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The positions of the USCCB and of Cardinal Burke on voting ethics are not the same.
The USCCB position:
Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship
A Call to Political Responsibility from the Catholic Bishops of the United States
"34. Catholics often face difficult choices about how to vote. This is why it is so important to vote according to a well-formed conscience that perceives the proper relationship among moral goods. A Catholic cannot vote for a candidate who takes a position in favor of an intrinsic evil, such as abortion or racism, if the voter's intent is to support that position. In such cases a Catholic would be guilty of formal cooperation in grave evil. At the same time, a voter should not use a candidate's opposition to an intrinsic evil to justify indifference or inattentiveness to other important moral issues involving human life and dignity."
"35. There may be times when a Catholic who rejects a candidate's unacceptable position may decide to vote for that candidate for other morally grave reasons. Voting in this way would be permissible only for truly grave moral reasons, not to advance narrow interests or partisan preferences or to ignore a fundamental moral evil."
So the USCCB is teaching the faithful that they may vote for a pro-abortion candidate, despite (not because of) that candidates position on abortion, on the basis of other morally grave reasons.
A related document, the Bulletin Insert based on the above quoted document, has a nice summary on this question:
"As Catholics we are not single-issue voters. A candidate's position on a single issue is not sufficient to guarantee a voter's support. Yet a candidate's position on a single issue that involves an intrinsic evil, such as support for legal abortion or the promotion of racism, may legitimately lead a voter to disqualify a candidate from receiving support."
The idea that abortion is the sole issue that determines our moral voting is not the teaching of the USCCB. If one candidate is pro-abortion and the other candidate is pro-life, that one issue does not compel the Catholic voter's choice. If a candidate is pro-abortion (abortion is intrinsically evil), this may possibly lead the voter to disqualify the candidate from receiving his vote -- but the document only says 'may'.
A contrary position is taken by Cardinal Burke.
From an interview with Cardinal Burke at http://www.catholicaction.org/
"Is it ever licit for a Catholic to vote for a pro-abortion candidate….?"
"No, you can never vote for someone who favors absolutely what's called the right to choice of a woman to destroy human life in her womb, or the right to procure an abortion. You may in some circumstances, where you don't have any candidate who is proposing to eliminate all abortion, choose the candidate who will most limit this great evil in our country. But you could never justify voting for a candidate who not only does not want to limit abortion, but believes that it should be available to everyone."
"And I think that if most people would reflect in this way, simply in terms of the golden rule, that they would understand that, no, it can never be right, no matter what good that I'm trying to achieve by voting for a candidate who favors that good, but at the same time favors the intrinsic evil, the grave evil of abortion, I can never justify that, voting for that candidate."
Notice that he allows that Catholics may vote for a candidate who will only limit abortion, if there is no candidate who will entirely eliminate abortion. He allows the same type of vote in his pastoral letter (41-42). But he explicitly states that one may never vote for a candidate who favors absolutely the so-called right to abortion. So if two candidate both favor absolutely the so-called right to abortion, he does not allow a vote for either candidate. Neither does he allow for the possibility -- permitted as moral by the USCCB -- of voting for the pro-abortion candidate, over the pro-life candidate, because of the moral weight of a range of other grave moral issues.
In his pastoral letter, Cardinal Burke at first seems to agree with the USCCB position, since he states: "In certain circumstances, it is morally permissible for a Catholic to vote for a candidate who supports some immoral practices while opposing other immoral practices." (n. 38)
But then he adds a provision which absolutely prohibits using this type of balanced judgment when the immorality is one of several intrinsically evil acts that he lists:
"But, there is no element of the common good, no morally good practice, that a candidate may promote and to which a voter may be dedicated, which could justify voting for a candidate who also endorses and supports the deliberate killing of the innocent, abortion, embryonic stem-cell research, euthanasia, human cloning or the recognition of a same-sex relationship as legal marriage." (n. 39)
The Catholic voter must choose which of these two teachings, that of the USCCB or that of Cardinal Burke, to follow. Each teaching is non-infallible.
It is not the case that all Bishops are always in agreement in their exercise of the Magisterium. And it is a perhaps a misguided sense of loyalty to the Magisterium that motivates some Catholics to speak as if every magisterial teaching is infallible. But worse still is the assertion that we should believe all non-infallible teachings, on every point, with no regard for whether or not those teachings are true on every point.
The Catholic voter should consider the positions of each candidate and decide, in his or her prudent judgment, which candidate will best promote the common good.
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8 Nov 2010
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Marriage Definition Controversy in Minnesota
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The following videos were taken from the DVD distributed to Catholics in Minnesota. Marriage has been based on the union of one man and one woman since the beginning of the human race. Without this type of union, the human race would not have survived to the present time. Christianity has always taught that marriage is the union of one man and one woman. Even before Christ arrived, Judaism held that marriage is the union of one man and one woman.
The teaching of the Old Testament unequivocally condemns homosexual acts as grave sins. Jesus Christ was not unaware of this grave disorder and its grave sins. At no time did He approve of same-sex unions or homosexual acts. His teachings on chastity and marriage are incompatible with such a view. So it is absurd to claim that Christ would be in favor of same-sex marriage, or that opposition to same-sex marriage is unique to the Catholic Christian Faith. None of the Protestant reformers favored same-sex marriage, (or abortion, or contraception for that matter). The acceptance of various grave sins by some Protestant leaders is a recent modern contrivance, due to the influence of sinful secular society.
These videos discuss the harm that will occur to families, children, and society if culture and law accept same-sex marriage.
Archbishop John Nienstedt -- One Man, One Woman: Preserving Marriage in Minnesota
Knights of Columbus -- One Man, One Woman: Marriage and the Common Good
[Mark]
{7:20} “But,” he said “the things which go out from a man, these pollute a man.
{7:21} For from within, from the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
{7:22} thefts, avarice, wickedness, deceitfulness, homosexuality, an evil eye, blasphemy, self-exaltation, foolishness.
{7:23} All these evils procede from within and pollute a man.”
[Romans]
{1:26} Because of this, God handed them over to shameful passions. For example, their females have exchanged the natural use of the body for a use which is against nature.
{1:27} And similarly, the males also, abandoning the natural use of females, have burned in their desires for one another: males doing with males what is disgraceful, and receiving within themselves the recompense that necessarily results from their error.
[Galatians]
{5:19} Now the works of the flesh are manifest; they are: fornication, lust, homosexuality, self-indulgence,
{5:20} the serving of idols, drug use, hostility, contentiousness, jealousy, wrath, quarrels, dissensions, divisions,
{5:21} envy, murder, inebriation, carousing, and similar things. About these things, I continue to preach to you, as I have preached to you: that those who act in this way shall not obtain the kingdom of God.
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7 November 2010
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CPDV for iPhone/iPad
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my translation of the Bible is now available for iPhone and iPad:
http://www.sacredbible.org/
See the developer website or the app page at iTunes.Apple.com. Thanks to Greg Fairbrother for making my translation of the Bible more widely available. The app is currently (Nov 2010) available free of charge. Find it on iTunes by searching for 'Catholic Bible'.
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24 October 2010
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my book on Medjugorje and Garabandal
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I'm currently re-writing my book: The secrets of Medjugorje and Garabandal Revealed. This will be the third edition. I am
hoping to have it completed and available for purchase online by mid November of this year.
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13 September 2010
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Q and A on future Popes
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1) You have speculated that Benedict XVI will die in late 2010 or early 2011. Do you still believe that to be the case, and if so, under what circumstances?
No. I now speculate that Pope Benedict will die in mid to late 2011. My prediction of his death always included the prediction that he would be Pope at the time of the Warning, and that he would die sometime thereafter. My current date for the Warning is April of 2011. He dies sometime after the Warning, probably also after the Miracle.
I have no idea what the circumstances of his death might be.
2) You have also speculated that Cardinal Arinze will be the next pope and will be known as Pope Pius XIII. Do you still believe that to be true? Cardinal Arinze is older now, and has not been in the public eye as much.
Yes, I still think that Cardinal Arinze will be the next Pope, and that he will take the name Pope Pius XIII.
The conservative Cardinals will vote for Arinze because he is conservative. Some liberal and moderate Cardinals will vote for him because he is black and from Africa. I don't believe that he is too old. The Cardinals are not anxious to elect another Pope who will reign for a long time, like Pope John Paul II. So it is in his favor that he is older. The recent election of a black U.S. President might also influence some Cardinals to vote for Arinze. Certain political and human factors influence the Cardinals' choice of Pope.
3) Do you have any insight as to who might succeed Arinze after his short reign, or is it too early to speculate?
The Pope after Arinze will reign for a short time, less than one year. I don't know who he might be.
4) Concerning the legitimate pope and the antipope that you mention as being in Rome in 2013...do you expect both of these men to emerge from the college of cardinals, or is it possible that one or both of them will not be cardinals at the time of their election (or "election" in the case of the antipope?)
It has never been the case that a Pope must be elected from among the Cardinals. I think it is possible, given the chaos in the world at that time, that a non-Cardinal Bishop could be elected as the true Pope. But the antipope is actually more likely to be a Cardinal, because they will want him to be seen as legitimate, so he can't be too liberal, or too young, or a non-Cardinal.
5) Do you have any insight as to who this antipope might be, how his "election" will happen?
I don't know who this antipope might be. But I have written on this subject of the election:
http://www.catholicplanet.com/future/valid-election.htm
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8 August 2010
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The servant who deserves a beating
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[Luke]
{12:47} And that servant, who knew the will of his Lord, and who did not prepare and did not act according to his will, will be beaten many times over.
{12:48} Yet he who did not know, and who acted in a way that deserves a beating, will be beaten fewer times. So then, of all to whom much has been given, much will be required. And of those to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be asked.
The parables of Jesus express important truths on two levels of meaning:
1. the direct level of meaning, which can be literal or figurative
2. the indirect level of meaning, which is often called the spiritual meaning
Certain parables only make sense on the direct level of meaning as a figure. If we try to understand the parable literally, it does not make sense.
For example, in the parable of the wedding feast (Mt 22), the man who is not wearing a wedding garment receives this punishment: "Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Mt 22:13). Taken literally, it would be absurd to give such a severe punishment to someone merely because of the way that he is dressed. The incongruity of the parable if taken literally helps us to realize that the meaning is a figure. The parable is not able how to treat persons dressed inappropriately, but is about the 'wedding garment' of the state of grace. No one can enter into the wedding feast of Heaven without the garment of the state of grace given to him at Baptism. Those who die without the state of grace are sent to the outer darkness of Hell.
Similarly, the parable about the lord of the vineyard who pays workers the same, whether they worked a full day or a single hour is figurative, not literal. When we try to understand the parable as if it were literal advice on how to pay employees, it does not make sense. And so we are thereby led to the proper figurative meaning, again about the kingdom of Heaven. Some persons entire Heaven having converted late in life, even in the figurative 'last hour' of life. Other persons live their whole lives as devout disciples of Christ. All are paid with the same length of happiness in Heaven: eternity.
So when Jesus talks about beating one servant more and another servant less, He is not literally giving advice to beat one's servants. The true meaning of this parable is to be found as a figure. Jesus is indicating that punishment for sins, represented under the figure of a beating, is more or less depending on culpability. The two servants who committed the same sin, i.e. the same behavior that deserves a beating, are punished differently, one more and the other less. The one servant had a greater culpability because he knew the teachings of his lord; this servant symbolizes Christians who sin seriously despite knowing the teachings of Christ through His Church. The other servant had a lesser culpability because he did not know the teachings of Christianity, or of Catholicism specifically; this servant symbolizes Protestants, as well as non-Christians, who have a lesser understanding of right and wrong than Catholic Christians. Any reduction in knowledge of morality concerning a sin will reduce culpability for that sin.
Why is the servant who did not know his lord's will beaten? In the case of Protestants, they know the teaching of Christ partially, so they are partially culpable; their punishment is less than those who had full knowledge of the immorality of their actions. But even when the servant symbolizes human persons who do not have any knowledge of morality from Divine Revelation, they still have knowledge of morality from reason (from natural law), and so they retain a degree of culpability.
The figure of a beating is fitting because the punishments for sin in Purgatory are relatively severe. The corporeal punishments of this life, such as a beating, may seem harsh, but the punishments of Purgatory are harsher still. The souls in Purgatory do not have bodies; they are present in Purgatory in soul only, and so they are punished in soul only. But the punishments of the soul reach to the very depths of the human person. The souls in Purgatory would suffer less if they were beaten in body daily. Instead, they have the much more severe suffering of understanding their own sins and the harm done by their own sins, without any rationalizations or distractions.
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19 July 2010
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new blog
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I've started a new blog called improperium Christi
My new blog will be used mainly to discuss about my work in theology and my work with Sacred Scripture and to reply to detractors.
This blog will continue for my thoughts on various issues pertaining to Catholicism in general.
The new blog (currently) allows readers to add comments. This blog does not.
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15 July 2010
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My qualifications as a Roman Catholic theologian
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I am a baptized and confirmed Roman Catholic, who believes and practices the Catholic Faith.
I have a bachelor's degree in philosophy and theology (a double major) from Boston College, magna cum laude.
I am the author of over 150 articles of theology on dogmatic theology, moral theology, marital sexual ethics, soteriology, Mariology, eschatology, and other topics. I have written a series of articles on Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture, and the Magisterium, and a series of articles refuting the doctrinal errors and other false claims of certain alleged private revelations.
I am the author of six books of theology --
three on eschatology:
1. The Bible and the Future of the World
2. The Secrets of Medjugorje and Garabandal Revealed
3. The First Part of the Tribulation
one on moral theology:
4. The Catechism of Catholic Ethics: A work of Roman Catholic moral theology
one on Biblical chronology:
5. Important Dates in the Lives of Jesus and Mary
one on speculative theology about the Trinity and about the Virgin Mary:
6. New Insights into the Deposit of Faith
I worked on some of the Deuterocanonical books for the World English Bible Project:
Tobit, Judith, Esther (Greek), Baruch, Jeremiah's Letter, Daniel (Greek).
I was a proof-reader for the Tweedale edition of the Clementine Vulgate (London, 2005).
I also produced my own edit of the Clementine Vulgate, completed in 2009.
I am the sole translator and editor of the Catholic Public Domain Version (CPDV) of the Sacred Bible, which I translated from the Pope Sixtus V and Pope Clement VIII Latin Vulgate using the Challoner Douay version as a guide. The Catholic Public Domain Version adheres to the Vatican Norms for Bible Translation. The CPDV is a fairly literal translation, which does not impose inclusive language or political correctness on the text. The Old Testament was translated in the light of the New Testament, and both Testaments were translated in the light of Roman Catholic teaching. I have placed my translation entirely in the public domain.
I continue to write commentary on Sacred Scripture, and to make my commentary available online.
I am currently working on another book of eschatology, The Second Part of the Tribulation, and on a series of articles analyzing the Nova Vulgata Bible.
I continue to lead discussions of dogmatic, moral, and speculative theology, and an online Bible study, in my discussion group: CatholicPlanet.Net
But even if I had none of the above qualifications,
I would still be a Roman Catholic theologian for this one reason:
I have been writing theology nearly every day for many years,
and I continue to do so.
Ronald L. Conte Jr.
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12 June 2010
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Heresy
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There are many heresies among Catholics today, very many heresies. Many Catholics do not believe the teaching of the Church that direct abortion is always immoral, even to save the life of the mother, even in cases of rape or incest. Many Catholics do not believe the teaching of the Church that contraception is intrinsically evil and always gravely immoral. Many Catholics are ignorant of many of the teachings of the Church. But even when they know what the Church teaches, they feel free to reject that teaching if their own opinion, for any reason at all, is different.
Yesterday, at the close of the Year of Priests, Pope Benedict said: "The Church too must use the shepherd's rod, the rod with which he protects the faith against those who falsify it, against currents which lead the flock astray." and "Today we can see that it has nothing to do with love when conduct unworthy of the priestly life is tolerated. Nor does it have to do with love if heresy is allowed to spread and the faith twisted and chipped away, as if it were something that we ourselves had invented."
The greatest threat to the Church is the sins of Her own members, but one of the worst sins is heresy. For heresy separates the faithful from the truth, allowing them to be more easily led astray.
[Titus]
{3:10} Avoid a man who is a heretic, after the first and second correction,
{3:11} knowing that one who is like this has been subverted, and that he offends; for he has been condemned by his own judgment.
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19 May 2010
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Current Projects
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I'm currently working on my book, The Second Part of the Tribulation, and on a book titled, On Tradition, Scripture, and the Magisterium.
The former is the companion to my book, The First Part of the Tribulation. The latter is a work of dogmatic theology about the three
pillars of truth in the Catholic Faith, Tradition, Scripture, Magisterium (TSM).
I am also revising my book, The Secrets of Medjugorje and Garabandal Revealed, to make its third edition. The dates for the
Warning and Miracle will be the revised dates in my article (see below). I will also be adding some new material to the chapters.
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17 April 2010
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Revised Dates for the Warning, the Consolation, and the Miracle
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A brief online article is here (Revised Dates) on the topic of the dates for the start of the tribulation. I've been wrong on this point repeatedly before. The start of the tribulation is difficult to determine. But once the tribulation begins, I believe that the dates for subsequent events will become clearer and more firmly established.
Please understand that my writings about the future are speculative eschatology,
based on study and interpretation, not certain knowledge.
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10 February 2010
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The Effect of the Warning on Politics
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There is much discussion currently, in the U.S., about the 2010 and the 2012 elections. My view is that the Warning on Good Friday of 2010 will change the political landscape, very quickly and very substantially, at the local, national, and international level, in all nations. Some political leaders will die at the Warning, at the shock of seeing their many sins. Some will repent, and this repentance will change their political policies and actions. Some will refuse to repent, but will soon feign repentance, when they see how popular repentance is with the voters. Even the unrepentant politicians will soon be afraid to state a pro-abortion position, because so many voters will have become pro-life. Popular political ideas, currently gaining in acceptance, such as legalized 'gay marriage', will no longer have a chance of becoming law.
In other nations, the same events will occur. Many political leaders will have died at the shock of seeing their many unrepentant sins. The number who die will be small as a percentage, but large in terms of effect. Many political leaders will repent; many will not repent. Many nations will move further from sin, as a nation. But in some few nations, the unrepentant will gain the upper hand, and will seize power. This is particularly true in the Arab/Muslim nations of the Middle East and northern Africa, where violent extremists, both religious extremists and secular extremists, will suddenly seize power, in fear and desperation. And their success in seizing power later leads to the start of World War 3.
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25 January 2010
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Predictions and Expectations
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I have many predictions in my eschatology about the future of the Church and the world.
However, nothing that I say or write should ever be considered a prediction about myself and my work. When speaking about myself, I am merely commenting on my own life and work, and my reasonable expectations for how that work may be received. My expectations are based on how my work has been received so far, and on the history of the Church, as to how controversial works have been treated in the past. These expectations are not predictions.
My predictions concerning the Church and the world are many and various, and these are found in my books and articles of eschatology.
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10 January 2010
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My forthcoming book on moral theology
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There is a great need among the faithful for this type of book, which covers the basic principles of Catholic ethics in a comprehensive and understandable manner. The book presents both the basic teachings of the Church on morality, as well as sound Catholic moral theology. Very many Catholics are ignorant of these basic teachings, or are badly misinformed. All too often, Catholics seeking knowlege of the moral teachings of the Church rely exclusively on the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC). While the CCC is a useful resource, it covers the topic of moral teachings only to a limited extent. A Catholic relying solely on the CCC for his knowledge of morality will lack some teachings, and will be likely to misunderstand even what is found in the CCC. So the faithful need other resources in order to learn Catholic teaching on ethics.
Here is the chapter list from my book:
Introduction
1. The Basis for Morality
2. The Eternal Moral Law
3. The Three Fonts of Morality
[A. Intention, B. Moral Object, C. Circumstances]
4. The Principle of Double Effect
5. Judgment and Moral Certitude
6. Conscience
7. Degrees of Sin and Culpability
8. Interior Acts and Exterior Acts
9. Positive and Negative Precepts
10. The End Does Not Justify the Means
11. Tradition, Scripture, Magisterium
12. Doctrine and Discipline
13. Imperfection and Perfection
14. Types of Evil
15. Direct and Voluntary Deprivations
16. Proper Moral Definitions
17. Theft and Lying
18. Types of Murder
19. Just and Unjust Violence
20. Just and Unjust War
21. Slavery
22. Abortion and Contraception
23. Assisted Reproductive Technology
24. Sexual Sins
25. Marital Sexual Ethics
26. Sets of Acts
27. Incomplete Acts
28. Cooperation with Evil
29. Temptation
30. Grace and Salvation
(edited to change title of last chapter)
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