On Moral Theology and on Liberty

To n. 1, 665, 671, 675, 693, 695, 701, 703, 704, 705. ON MORAL THEOLOGY AND ON LIBERTY

All good and honorable men at present direct their mind to the reformation of human society. The necessity of this reformation appears too plainly from so many and such great evils of errors and iniquities by which any civil community is at once oppressed and depressed. Many remedies are brought forward by many persons. No other remedy can be efficaciously applied to them except the right knowledge and observance of the precepts of Our Lord Jesus Christ to be persuaded. Indeed the Word was made flesh, that He might be the true light which enlightens every man coming into this world, John 1:9, 14, and might save His people, Ps. 27:9. And therefore Christ sent the Apostles into the world for this end, that going they might teach all nations, teach them to observe all things whatever He Himself commanded, Matt. 28:19, 20. Moral Theology narrates, explains, and demonstrates these precepts to be observed. And the study and discipline of them also tends to this, that we who devote labor to it may be able to continue the mission of the Apostles, with the Church as guide and teacher, also we going into the whole world by our own person, voice, writings, and example of our life. The mission of the Apostles has not ended, but is always continued and will be continued even unto the end. Sending the Apostles, Christ added: And behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the age. Matt. 28:20.

Therefore we are held to study Moral Theology with all diligence, with every effort, so that in the midst of the night of the age we may be able to show to those erring the way of justice, through which all men may pass from the power of darkness into the light and kingdom of God, and all societies may be established in stable peace and proceed prosperously to true happiness. Indeed, without virtue, without honesty, without morality, to renew old things, to restore those fallen apart, is an impossible matter, and true happiness cannot be had on this earth; neither individual men, nor peoples and civil communities, can attain it. Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord, Ps. 118:1. Blessed is the nation whose Lord is its God, Ps. 32:12.

Fittingly St. Alphonsus, most versed equally in moral doctrine and in the care of souls, in the Dedicatory Letter directed to Benedict XIV, which is found at the beginning of the Moral Work, gives to the Supreme Pontiff this reason for his Work. "For since," he says, "I had been called by the benefit of God to the ministry of Missions, for helping the people scattered through the countryside, and especially those who are more destitute of spiritual helps, there seemed to me necessary for this a knowledge, more than mediocre, of moral matters, which would be suited both to instructing and to governing souls."

If to the holy Doctor a knowledge, more than mediocre, of moral matters seemed so necessary for peoples scattered through the countryside, how much more necessary will be not common knowledge, but exquisite, for the peoples of great cities? And if that knowledge, more than mediocre, of moral matters was necessary at that time, how much more will an excellent knowledge be necessary in this our time, in which Modernists and Americanists, with the name of science usurped, try to overturn the very nature of vices and virtues.

Well instructed in this moral doctrine, we will fight the good fight, and trusting in the assisting grace of God, we will open our mouth in the midst of the Church, to show and reprove that false and condemned liberty by which almost the whole world is disturbed up and down, and from which every error, every iniquity draws its origin. For from this condemned and condemnable liberty flows that liberty of opining, whence, as occasion arises, every error of rationalism and naturalism arises; that liberty of speaking, writing, acting, whence every iniquity, every delict and crime sprouts against persons, against civil society, against the society of the Church. What nation indeed exists which, notwithstanding the powerful apparatus of arms and soldiers, stands quietly in peace, without daily fearing social commotion and revolution? Dark freemasons and sectaries, socialist and communist agitators, and all others who, having the modern soul, as they say, by proclaiming themselves defenders of liberty, especially attack the Church of Jesus Christ, as the enemy of all liberty, and proclaim the separation of the civil state from the Church, plotting the ruin of Church and civil state together, continually prepare it by employing all wicked means. But all these vanished in their thoughts; and their foolish heart was darkened; for saying that they were wise they were made fools. Rom. 1:21, 22.

History itself refutes them. For the Church of Jesus Christ has always proceeded together with liberty, and has always advanced pari passu from its beginning.

For indeed, as the Apostle says, Gal. 4:26: That Jerusalem which is above, namely the Church, is free, and she is our mother. If liberty is truly liberty from dejection, from chains and bonds, the Church is the one that protects the dignity of man by proclaiming him destined for the adoption of sons of God, heir of God, coheir of Christ. The Church is the one that most constantly defends the dignity of woman by most firmly preaching the indissolubility and sanctity of matrimony, by invincibly proscribing adulterous divorce. The Church is the one that vindicates for each one dominion of his own conscience and of his own things. The Church is the one that, from the doctrine of Jesus Christ, commands one to love all, even enemies, and prohibits anyone private from taking vengeance for delicts, this right being reserved to public authority. Consequently the Church has always labored to abolish the monstrous servitude of men, always to reconcile peace among peoples, also to proscribe errors against the liberty of man by which man was being reduced to the condition of beasts.

We, having an ancient soul, not haters of liberty, will on the contrary preach to all that true liberty, repeating to all the words of the Apostle Paul to the Galatians, 5:13: For you have been called unto liberty, brethren; 4:31, Brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free: by the liberty by which Christ has freed us; and by which, even from the beginning of His birth, peace was announced to men of good will, Luke 2:13.

Which liberty consequently brought by Christ is not confusion between true and false, is not a mixing of good and evil, is not contempt of any superior power, is not violation of any right and obligation, is not transgression of any divine and human law, is not destruction of any order. This is not liberty, not liberty, but unbridled license, most shameful lust. If it is called liberty, it is that liberty which, according to the Apostle Peter, is the cloak of every iniquity. For so is the will of God, he says, that by doing good you may silence the ignorance of imprudent men: as free, and not as having liberty as a cloak of malice. 1 Pet. 2:15, 16.

Is that liberty by which, because men are equal by nature and by natural faculties, it denies every subjection to any power, of wife toward husband, of children toward parents, of subjects toward public powers? By nature and by natural faculties men are certainly equal among themselves; but they are not equal among themselves, nor can they be, in the evolution of the same faculties, in this order of things. And this is from nature itself and from God, the author and ordainer of nature. Hence the Apostle Paul, writing to the Romans, 13:1 seqq., concludes: Let every soul, therefore no soul is excluded, let every soul be subject to higher powers. And behold the reason and foundation of this subjection: For there is no power except from God; and those that are, are ordained by God.... Therefore he who resists the power resists the ordinance of God.... Therefore be subject of necessity, not only on account of wrath, but also on account of conscience. On account of conscience, not on account of the person of a man. On account of conscience, because if there is no power except from God, wherever that power is found, it itself is from God, and is the minister of God. On account of conscience, because it is from the ordination of God. Therefore if anything is commanded against the ordination of God, then certainly one must obey God rather than men, Acts 5:29, and rather die than be defiled.

Liberty is a gift of God, and therefore cannot be against the ordination of God Himself, and true and perfect liberty can exist only in good. Wherefore against God Himself, against religion, against the Church of God Himself, there can be no true liberty. Moreover liberty is the most noble dowry and perfection of human nature. Wherefore again against the right reason of man, against human nature itself, against the order and good of man and of human society, true liberty cannot be had. Liberty against the right order of things is something absurd.

For which reason the Apostle Paul, whom we have heard preaching liberty, addresses all Christians, saying: Render to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. Rom. 13:7.

Kings and Princes of all the earth, therefore render to all their dues. Hear King David: Render justice to all, equity, and judge right things, Ps. 57:2. Hear King Solomon: Love justice, you who judge the earth, Wis. 1:1.

And you who are subjects, render to all their dues. Hear the Prince of the Apostles: Be subject to every human creature, on account of God, whether to the king, as excelling; or to governors, as sent by him.... Fear God, honor the king. 1 Pet. 2:13 seqq.

And you who are masters, render to all their dues. Hear the Apostle:

Masters, furnish to servants what is just and equal, knowing that you also have a Lord in heaven. Col. 4:1.

And you who are servants, render to all their dues. Hear also the Apostle: Servants, obey carnal masters with fear and trembling, ... serving with a good will, as to the Lord and not to men. Eph. 6:5^†.

And all you men, render to all their dues. Hear the Apostle: Husbands, love your wives, and do not be bitter toward them. Col. 3:19.

And you wives, render to all their dues. Hear likewise the Apostle: Women, be subject to your husbands, as it is fitting, in the Lord. Col. 3:18.

And you children, render to all their dues. Hear the Apostle: Children, obey your parents in all things. Col. 3:20^†.

And you fathers, render to all their dues. Hear also the Apostle: Fathers, do not provoke your children to indignation; but educate them in the discipline and correction of the Lord. Col. 3:21.

And all you men, all you Christians, all you Catholics, laymen, clerics, religious, render to all their dues. Render dues to God, render dues to neighbor, render dues to yourselves.

Hear Christ Our Lord Himself: You shall love the Lord your God from your whole heart, and from your whole soul, and from all your strength, and from all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.... Do this and you shall live. Luke 10:27, 28.

Hear the Apostle to the Romans, 13:8. Owe nothing to anyone, except that you love one another: for he who loves neighbor has fulfilled the law.

But especially you Priests, clerics, and religious, render to all their dues. Hear the Apostle: You must be blameless, sober, prudent, modest, hospitable, not following shameful gain. Be an example of the faithful in word, in conversation, in charity, in faith, in chastity. 1 Tim. 3, 4. Render dues especially to the Vicar of Christ on earth, the Supreme Pontiff, our most loving and most beloved Father. Render to him love, honor, reverence, obedience to his most wise commands.

Hear my great Father, St. Ignatius of Loyola: "Let us be altogether of one mind and conformable with the Catholic Church itself," he says, "if something which appears white to our eyes she shall have defined to be black, we ought likewise to pronounce that it is black. For it is undoubtedly to be believed that the Spirit of Our Lord Jesus Christ and of the orthodox Church, His Spouse, is the same, through whom we are governed and directed to salvation; nor is there one God who once handed down the precepts of the Decalogue and another who at this time instructs and rules the Hierarchical Church." And He instructs and rules her through the Supreme Pontiff, the Vicar of Christ.

And hear the Supreme Pontiff himself, the Vicar of Christ, Pius X. In an Address, in the Italian language, given to Priests in the year 1912, "Love," he says, "Love the Supreme Pontiff, because the Supreme Pontiff is.... Love, not in word, nor in tongue, but in work and truth. When someone loves another he is conformed to him in thought and will, searching out his desires. And if Our Lord Jesus Christ said of Himself, if anyone loves me, he will keep my word, so the Supreme Pontiff is to be loved by furnishing due obedience to him. And therefore, when the Supreme Pontiff is truly loved, questions are not raised about that which He decrees and prescribes, how far obedience is owed, and in what things obedience is to be given; when the Supreme Pontiff is truly loved, it is not said, in order to elude obedience, that he spoke somewhat obscurely; nor are his Decrees and Ordinances called into doubt...; nor is his authority restrained within arbitrary limits; when the Supreme Pontiff is truly loved, the authority of other persons, however learned they may be, who dissent from the Supreme Pontiff, is not preferred to the authority of the Pontiff. If they are learned, they are certainly not holy, because he who is holy cannot dissent from the Supreme Pontiff." Behold the Italian words: "To love the Pope, it is enough to reflect who the Pope is.... How must he be loved? Not in word, nor in tongue, but in work and truth. When one loves a person, one seeks to conform oneself in everything to his thoughts, to execute his wishes, to interpret his desires. And if Our Lord Jesus Christ said of Himself: If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, so to show our love for the Pope it is necessary to obey him. Therefore when one loves the Pope, one does not make discussions about what He disposes or requires, or how far obedience must reach, and in what things one ought to obey; when one loves the Pope, one does not say that he did not speak clearly enough... one does not put his orders in doubt... one does not limit the field in which He can and ought to exercise his authority... one does not prefer to the authority of the Pope that of other persons, however learned, who dissent from the Pope; these, if they are learned, are not holy, because one who is holy cannot dissent from the Pope." He is not holy, sanctus non est. What then is he? He is a modern soul.

Therefore all render to all their dues, and the whole of society will be reformed; all observe the commands of Christ concerning charity and justice, and all things will be renewed in Christ. As the physical order consists in this, that each thing be placed in the place due to it, so the moral order consists in this, that rational and free creatures observe their own due obligations. From order observed there is had peace, which is the tranquility of order; and with the peace of one's own soul, and the peace of men among themselves, there is had that happiness and blessedness which can be had in this life, both of individual men and of individual societies of men. And truly then there will be new heavens and a new earth. Indeed true and perfect blessedness can be possessed only in the other life, by the possession of God. Hence happiness and blessedness in the present life can be had as no other than that which disposes us to attaining that eternal and perfect blessedness, and which is contained in justice, namely that justice which renders dues to all, and thus makes the will of man right, through due order to the end. Indeed, as is said in Prov. 14:34: Justice raises up a nation; but sin makes peoples miserable. Concerning this justice, which renders dues to all, which consequently establishes peace in the world, and which already makes us sharers of true happiness, we can well say with Aristotle: "Neither Hesperus nor Lucifer is worthy of such admiration"; και ουθ' εσπερος, ουθ' εωος, ουθω θαυμαυτος. Eth. Nicom. l. 5, c. 1, toward the end.