Chapter 1 Study Outline
Introduction -- Difference between morality and moral law
1. Morality distinguished from humanism
2. Christian Morality
a. theological virtues
b. cardinal virtues
3. Christianity is a Religious Morality
- not a man-made ethical system
- 2 characteristics set it apart from other religious beliefs
a. God determines good and evil
b. Requires God’s grace
- sanctifying grace
- actual grace
4. Following and imitating Christ
a. Call
b. Response
c. Following
d. Discipleship
e. Imitation
5. New Life in the Holy Spirit
- cannot be done merely by human effort
- requires the Holy Spirit
6. Characteristics of Christian Morality – Be able to explain each characteristic.
a. Affects the Person and then the Action
b. Transforms the Soul and then the moral appearance
c. Encompasses Attitude
d. Stresses what ought to be done
e. Requires holiness
f. More a message of salvation than that of morality – not a morality of rules but a
morality that includes laws
g. Reward and punishment
h. Freedom
i. Fulfilled on earth but pertains to the next life
j. Begins and ends in love
k. Nourished in the mass and sacraments
Moral Theology Chapter 2 Outline Study Guide
1. Moral Theology –a science which accepts and examines divine revelation while at
the same time responding to the demands of human reason.
Catholic Moral Theology is a science that 1) enables the human mind to make correct
moral choices guided by the principles set forth by the Magisterium, 2) guides us to
live the new life in Christ that is received in Baptism, 3) enables us to secure our
reward of eternal life, 4) directs people in their quest for holiness that leads ultimately
to sainthood.
Its ethical principles are discovered in revelation and the life of Jesus and is aided by
human sciences
2. Concept of Man
Sociobiology theorizes that man is an animal who is genetically determined, there is
no moral component so there is no moral demand on people.
Secular humanism is an ethical view of life that questions or does not accept the
existence of God, an immortal soul, or an afterlife.
Christian humanism embraces humanity as a wonderful gift from God through which
we know, love and serve him and recognizes the true merit of human nature in the
context of its divinely ordained purpose and origin.
An example of the other extreme is Buddhism which emphasizes the purely spiritual
aspect and denies the role of the body in relation to human perfection.
3. Christian Concept of Mankind
a. Belief in the existence of an immortal soul in each person
b. The human soul is created by God
c. The body and the soul belong to the being of man
d. Both body and soul constitute one unity
The truths determined by Christian anthropology are:
a. The creation of man by God in his own image and likeness,
b. The existence of original sin,
c. The redemption accomplished by Jesus Christ, which makes possible the life of
grace given to us in Baptism
4. Specificity of Catholic Morality
Christians have an obligation to behave differently from the non-baptized because
Christian morality is superior to natural ethics and is distinct from other religions.
This is because it has supernatural motives; that is, the motives are directly from God.
Examples include the New Commandment to love one another and the Beatitudes.
We are aided by the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity which are infused
in us at Baptism and enable us to share in the divine nature of God.
5. Man is a Social Being – Moral Requirements of Human Solidarity – this
section tells us that we are born into the community and live out our life in the larger
human community. This sociability requires that certain ethical demands are met in
our relationship with others. We have social duties that must transcend an individual
morality. This means Christian morality is not purely individualistic but there are
social duties required of us.
6. Sources of Moral Theology
a. Sacred Scripture – inspired by God and written down by human authors. Christian
morality comes from the New Testament and there are two principles:
i) the life of Jesus is the main source from which the believer learns to live a
Christian life.
ii) the moral doctrine that Jesus preached and taught constitute the moral rule of
Christian life.
b. Sacred Tradition – includes writings of the early Fathers which systematize moral
doctrine and apply the New Testament teachings to different times. Also included are
the teaching, life and worship practices of the Church, and papal teachings that reflect
these sources.
c. The Magisterium – Church’s teaching office – defines both truths of faith and the
Church’s moral teachings. The infallibility, or immunity from error extends to all
elements of doctrine, including moral doctrine to preserve the truths of faith.
d. Ancillary Sciences – including philosophical ethics, law and other human sciences
7. Defense of Truth – Plurality of opinion in matters of custom, politics and other
relative matters are legitimate in human freedom.
The Church is both the means and goal of God’s plan, and as believers we possess a
certainty about the natural law that has been placed in our hearts by God.
A plurality of opinion is acceptable when not in conflict in the Church teachings.
Conclusion
Catholic morality incorporates a clear way of thinking based on sound philosophy and
a solid idea of mankind discovered from revelation. It acknowledges a legitimate
pluralism of opinion when it does not conflict with God’s revealed truth. The ultimate
source of human dignity is our relationship to Jesus Christ. Catholic morality does not
elevate man to a level of being faultless.
Two aspects always present in Catholic moral theology --- We aspire to high realms
of moral life but at the same time recognize our wounded nature (due to original sin).
Therefore, we need the help of the Holy Spirit through prayer and the sacraments.
Chapter 3 Freedom and the Moral Act – Study Guide
Introduction: God set down what ought to be done or avoided.
Rational principles of the Moral Life:
 Freedom - makes a person a moral agent
 Conscience - gives us the capacity to discover God’s will as written in our souls
 Law – should not limit freedom, but allow it to function properly
Also, the Christian cannot ignore this radical and definitive principle: Jesus clearly set out
what is good or evil for us by his words and the conduct of his life.
Christian morality – effective means of acquiring the dignity proper to us because it is a
morality of imitating Jesus Christ.
1. Importance of the Moral Life: right moral conduct perfects the human being, and
wrong moral conduct degrades him.
2. Man’s Ability to Choose Good and Evil: Every human is a moral being, capable of
doing good or evil, being just or unjust, honorable or dishonorable.
A person is morally responsible for his actions. A person acts with thought and
deliberation because he has intellect and will. Intelligence gives meaning to things and free
will allows for the doing or omitting of actions the intellect has determined to be good or bad.
Moral theology is the science that teaches us how to choose good and avoid evil besides
living with the dignity proper to us, we may accomplish our end which is eternal salvation
3. The Human Act, a Moral Act: A moral or immoral act is truly human when someone
brings it about with knowledge and free will. Those actions that lack knowledge or
freedom do not fall under the realm of morality
Acts of human are acts accomplished without knowledge or deliberation; examples:
breathing and blinking.
Human Acts involves the whole person, performed with knowledge and free will. These
acts or either morally good or evil depending on the degree of knowledge and freedom
involved with their commitment.
4. Knowledge as a Condition for Morality: Reason is a necessary element of morality; the
first requirement is knowledge. There are different degrees of knowledge and how that
knowledge affects his culpability
a. Full Knowledge: involves clear and deliberate knowledge of the morality of an action.
Full knowledge presumes two things
1. That the agent knows clearly what he is doing
2. That the agent be aware of its moral dimension, that it is good or evil
b. Partial Knowledge: that which is clouded by some obstacle that interferes with correct
judgment
5. The Free Human Act: Freedom is our greatest quality. By definition freedom is the
power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, to do this or that, and so to perform
deliberate actions on one’s own responsibility
Free will shapes our lives
Imputability, and therefore, responsibility for an action can me diminished (or even
voided) by ignorance, inadvertence, duress, fear, habit, etc.
Good and evil are forged in freedom
a. Existence of Freedom: Human freedom is limited precisely because the human is a
limited being, due to circumstances in which a person is born and the capabilities with
which he is born.
One is not free to be who or what he wished because God has chosen us for himself to
share his eternal life. If a person rejects this call, he may become a slave to his passions
and becomes an animal with instinctively sinful.
b. Freedom and Knowledge of the Truth: Freedom has a fundamental dependence upon the
truth, therefore ignorance is an obstacle to choosing the good. The proper use of freedom
increases our capacity to love the truth and grow in the knowledge of moral virtue.
c. Freedom and the Good: human freedom is ordered toward good and not evil. We never
lose the capability of making choices, but the habit of making correct moral choices is
necessary for freedom to function properly. Doing evil is only a sign that we have the
capability to make choices, this refers to the physical ability to perform the evil act, it
d.
e.
f.
g.
doesn’t make it right, in fact we have the moral duty to avoid them. A person increases
his freedom when he rejects evil and does good. Evil enslaves. The more one does what
is good, the freer one becomes.
Freedom and Responsibility: we are responsible for our actions and their consequences.
There is no such thing as a freedom that is independent of responsibility.
God’s Respect of Human Freedom: God will not destroy freedom because that would
reduce a person to an animal. Freedom is limited and capable of error.
Freedom and Divine Grace: God’s aid does not diminish our freedom, it helps us see the
truth more clearly and gives us strength to conquer our passions. The proper use of
freedom helps a person to align his will with God’s.
Freedom and Law: Freedom the power that a person has over his own acts; a power that
can be exercised only to the extent that moral choices become habits. Freedom ought to
demand what conforms to the divine will.
Freedom and law cannot oppose each other.
The key to freedom is prudence, which is the ability to make and carry our correct moral
decisions. Examination of conscience is important to understand the results of all the moral
choices and eliminate those choices that led to sin.
6. Man is Responsible for the Good or Evil of his Free Acts: For an act to be good or evil,
there needs to be knowledge and consent. Only the act that results from consent and freedom
can be called a moral act.
Conclusion:
Key Points: Free will – our power to choose between different alternatives; our power to say
yes or no. Free will characterizes mankind and forms the basis of our dignity, enabling us to
bear personal responsibility. We are free and responsible because we can choose. But we are
only free when we can choose one action over the other. If we can only say “yes” then we are
not free.
Not all restrictions involve a loss of freedom, some safeguard them. (See example of the road
on page 55).
Chapter 4 – The Moral Conscience
Concept of conscience – a person ought to conform his conscience to the will of God (in
all his actions)
Conscience receives the highest respect – “the spark of the Holy Spirit” – it is considered
sacred because in it God speaks to us
What is Conscience? It judges whether a particular act is right or wrong from an ethical
point of view. From CCC: judgment of reason whereby the person recognizes the moral
quality of a concrete act.
Purpose to evaluate whether or not a particular act is good or evil, and to advise
accordingly.
As judgment of reason, it is made with the intellect --- therefore a person is held
responsible for what he does, since he knows the good and evil involved.
Conscience is a witness to man’s faithfulness or unfaithfulness with regard to the law
and of his essential moral rectitude or iniquity. Defn of rectitude -- Moral uprightness;
righteousness. Conscience is the only witness because it is what is in the heart.
Graces – 2 outlined in Chapter 5 – the ability to interpret the natural law and the
ability to know and fulfill the requirements that the life in Christ demands. This is the
“New Law” communicated by the HS at Baptism
Conscience and Truth
Conscience is rooted in truth – truth about mankind, law and what is good and evil.
Truth is prior to conscience and must respect truth
Formation of Conscience
Obligation to correctly form conscience --- formation is a continuing life-long process
Means to the Formation of Conscience
a. acceptance of moral teaching – church possesses the fullness of truth.
b. Knowledge of the Christian life and doctrine – obligation to seek truth in moral
matters from the teaching of the Church
c. Prayer and Meditation – CCC statement: Faced with a moral choice, conscience
can make either a right judgment (in reason and divine law) or an erroneous
judgment that departs from them
d. Personal examination – internalizing one’s actions by examination of conscience
e. Spiritual Direction –
Divisions of Conscience
A judgment of Conscience can be either antecedent, concomitant, or consequent
C. is understood in relation to the law that it seeks to fulfill. Can distinquish between
 True conscience (or correct) – deduces correctly from true principles that some
act is lawful.
 Erroneous conscience – decided from false principles considered as true that
something is lawful which in fact is unlawful.
When a person does not know the moral law his ignorance is either
vincible (can be overcome) or invincible (cannot be overcome) by ordinary
diligence
 Scrupulous conscience
 Lax Conscience
Conscience is not an infallible guide; there is always the possibility of error in one’s
judgments
Acting always with Right Conscience
Obligated to follow our conscience.
Text calls conscience the instrument with which one judges his actions and these
judgments should be made with a true or correct conscience. Requires knowledge.
CCC 1780 page 68 – uprightness of moral conscience – includes the perception of the
principles of morality (synderesis); their application in given circumstances by practical
discernment of reasons and good; and finally judgment about concrete acts yet to be
performed or already performed.
Conduct modeled on right principles is needed since it is wrong to make judgments w/out
knowledge of the law or its precepts. Never act when conscience is in doubt – required to
determine the good or evil of a choice before acting
If necessary to act immediately: (that is unable to seek informed judgments) should
follow these rules:
 Evil means never justifies good ends
 Love for God and neighbor overrides any other consideration
 Golden Rule
Bible’s Appeal to Our Conscience
Found in Revelation
Arguments for the Existence of Conscience
Nature of man (rational animal) includes conscience. Essential characteristic is capacity
for reflection – being conscience of his life and actions
3 Ways
 Sense experience – self awareness, self reflection is exclusive of man
 Rational discernment – (intellectual conscience) not only sensations (or feelings)
but on a higher intellectual level
 Moral reflection – (doesn’t end with sensation or thought) – reflects on what he
ought to do and once acted, later reflects on the good or evil of his actions
Conscience does not keep quite. It praises and reprimands, it exhorts and correct, it
incites and represses
Conscience and Law
Confrontations in Conscience and Law
Stress on law at one time – now overemphasis feelings
If strict adherence to the law then = Normative ethics = excessive rule of laws and
imperatives, little room for conscience to judge
If overemphasis without regard to law = risk of moral subjectivism where conscience of
the individual becomes the only moral judge
2 extreme paths:
Autonomous morality- treats conscience as the only moral authority and professes an
autonomy of mankind before any law. (autonomy means independence)
Heteronomous morality – enslaves conscience to an absolute dependence on norms
In fact: conscience and norm ought to assist one another in a participatory theonomy,
which means that all decisions are made with a sense of God’s presence.
Conscience does not create law, rather it takes it as a guide.
Normed norm – page 71
Right conscience prevails over an unjust law – example: abortion
Distortion and Degradation of Personal Conscience
Not exempt from the possibility of error.
Ignorance of Christ and his Gospel, bad example given by others, enslavement to one’s
passions, assertion of a mistaken notion of autonomy of conscience, rejection of Church’s
authority and her teaching, lack of conversion and of charity
CCC statement on page 72 is very important
Conclusion: Conscience is the practical judgment of reason regarding the morality of an
action that leads a person to perform the action or refrain from performing it.
As a faculty of reason, conscience must humbly seek the truth.
Every person has the obligation to form his conscience according to the objective
standards of good and evil that have been determined by God.
The highest ideal is to be faithful to right conscience since this equals being faithful to
God and to himself.
Theology III -- Chapter 5 -- Ethical Norms and Law
1. Definition of Law – an ordinance of reason for the common good, made and
promulgated by those who are in charge of the community.
Properties of Law
a. an ordinance of reason
b. exist for the common good
c. made by those who are responsible for the care of the community
d. must be officially promulgated
2. Kinds of Law (different expressions)
A. Eternal Law – the cosmic order established by God. God’s wisdom as manifested
in all acts and movements. The properties are:
a. it is primordial law and ought to be the starting point for all laws
b. it is the foundation of all law
c. it is intrinsic
d. it is universal
B. Natural Law – the eternal law written on the heart of every human being, as it
applies to human life. The part of the eternal law that applies to the rational
creature. Two basic characteristics:
a. Universality, which means that it applies to everyone
b. Immutability, which means that it does not change. Its interpreter is the
Magisterium—the Pope and the bishops in communion with him
C. Positive Law – law promulgated by those in authority. Laws created by the proper
authority that enjoin specific obligations upon individuals. There are three kinds
of positive law:
a. Divine Positive Law – legislated by God
b. Ecclesiastical Positive Law – emanates from the legislative power of the
Church
c. Civil Positive Law – legislated by a legitimate government
D. Evangelical or New Law – specifically Christian. Law that directs the life and
worship of the Church
3. Meaning and Purpose of Law
Human laws should correspond to God’s will, since he creates and knows all that aids
our human life. The supreme rule of life is the divine law itself, the eternal, objective
and universal law by which God out of his wisdom and love arranges, directs and
governs the whole world and the paths of the human community.
Good and evil have a foundation based on the truth
4. Just Law
– a law is just if it corresponds to the natural law. An ordinance of reason or the common
good, corresponding to divine law and promulgated by one who has care of the
community. Conditions that must be met for a law to be just:
a. it must promote the common good
b. the burdens that the law imposes on society must reflect an “equality of
proportion”
c. all use of authority is a share in God’s authority
The three components of a just law (CCC, 1925):
a. respect for and promotion of the fundamental rights of the person
b. prosperity, or the development of the spiritual and temporal goods of society
c. the peace and security of the group and its members
5. Conflicts Between Conscience and Law
Conscience does not fabricate moral values but takes them from objective reality. Law
offers conscience a means to detect moral good and evil. So natural law, divine positive
law, the norms of the Church, and civil legislation offer the conscience a way to see what
is good and evil, just or unjust.
Laws that contravene the natural law and inflict injury on members of society cannot be
cooperated with. A person should always be open to what has been given by just law. On
the other hand, it is never permitted to follow a law that is contrary to morality as defined
by reason. We are bound by conscience to resist any law that forces us to violate the
natural law and prudence dictates whether or not we should resist any law that permits
such violation.
Chapter 6 Outline – Morality and Action
1. Human Acts
 Human Acts: one done with intellect and will, knowledge and consent, may be good or evil
 Acts of Humans: do not involve intellect and will (example – breathing, sneezing)
2. Components of the Moral Choice
 The Object is the matter of the human act or the action itself, determines the morality of an act. A
good toward which the will directs itself.
 The Intention or End refers to the subject or person, the end is the motive or intention for which a
person commits a good or evil act. A movement of the will toward the end, the goal of the activity.
 Circumstances are the factors that occur with the act and that contribute to the morality of the act.
The moral conditions that are added to and modify the moral nature of an action. There are six:
who, what, where, why, how and when
3. The Principle of Double Effect: used to determine whether or not actions that have a good and an evil
effect are permissible.
An action that meets all four of the conditions listed below may be permissible:
a. the action must be good in itself (or indifferent) – an intrinsic evil action is never permitted even if
it has a good effect.
b. the agent must have the right intention (bad effect is permitted or tolerated). One may never
directly intend an evil rather one allows the evil to occur because it cannot be separated from the
good that was intended.
c.
the evil effect cannot be the means to the good effect. The good effect must be a direct result of
the action since the end does not justify the means. Cannot commit an action in which the good
effect comes about as a direct result of the evil effect
d. the good effect must balance the evil effect – the good effect must be equal to or outweigh the evil
effect. When there is a foreseeable evil effect of an action, there must be a proportionately grave
reason for acting.
4. The Objectivity of Good and Evil
Modern secular ethics – denies the reality of moral good and evil. Acknowledges the existence of good and
evil but sees then as corresponding to the different circumstances of an individual. Therefore, not objective
and susceptible to change.
5. Historical Argument for Moral Objectivity
Circumstances are a significant factor in judging the goodness or malice of an act, but never does the
morally good or evil depend solely on the circumstances.
6. Some Errors from Ethical Relativism
Most Common Errors:
a. Situation Ethics: moral good and evil result from the situation in which the person finds himself.
The act cannot be judged alone, but only in its circumstances. Claims that moral conduct cannot be
guided by universal principles, but must be guided by the concrete circumstances in which each
person finds himself.
i. Pope Pius XII argument against situation ethics: it is not based on universal moral
laws.
ii. Denies the existence of moral absolutes.
b.
Consequentialism: moral concepts of good and evil are derived from the consequences that follow
an act, and not from the objectivity of the law that determines them. Therefore, as act is good if
goodness results from the act and evil if evil results from the action.
There are three errors in this theory:
1. the effects are overvalued; ignores the principle that states that an evil does not bring
about good (St. Paul)
2. violates the principle that the end does not justify the means
3. advocates may consider those consequences that are good for him but not good for
another person or for society
c.
Proportionalism: seeks to justify the morality of an act by the proportion of the effects that follow
it (variation of consequentialism). If the evil that follows is less in proportion to the good, then the
act is good (and vice versa). This method trivializes the importance of morality.
i. Neither the circumstances nor the results are the criteria for judging human actions
ii. A morality based on this theory would destroy the moral concepts of good and evil
and render them meaningless.
Chapter 7 Sin and Conversion Study Guide
Distinctions made with types of sin:
 Physical evils result from Adam’s sin
 Moral evil is freely committed and can be avoid
Classical Definitions of Sin:
a. Sin is any deed, word or desire against Eternal Law (St. Augustine)
b. Sin is the voluntary transgression of the divine moral law (St. Thomas Aquinas)
c. Sin is a turning away from God, to creatures, in a disordered way (St. Thomas Aquinas)
The meaning of Sin in the Bible:
 Old Testament: Deviance or fall, Rebelliousness, Error, disgrace, madness,
crime impiety, evil act, treachery, malice and foolishness
 New Testament: Deviance, to lose the path, iniquity, injustice, impiety
Sin as a personal Act: Sin is an act of human freedom, which proceeds from our knowledge,
therefore a person is always responsible for his sins.
The Loss of the Meaning of Sin: Culture has become insensitive to issues of sin---the moral evil
of sin cannot disappear but the awareness of sin and the hate for it has diminished. Factors that
contribute to the loss of the sense of sin are the following:
a. Cultural and ethical relativism – individual decides what is good for him
b. Incorrect statements of Modern Psychology – existence of sin denied
c. Confusion between morality and legality – what is legal may not be moral
d. Secularism – rejects the reference to God
Divisions of Sin: not all sins are the same kind, neither is all immoral acts equally sinful
a. By its origin – either original or actual
1. Original – Adam and Eve
2. Actual – committed by each of us
b. By its gravity – mortal or venial
Moral sin involves three conditions;
1. grave matter – serious violation of natural law
2. full knowledge – know the sinful character of the act and its opposition to God’s
law
3. complete consent – sufficiently deliberate to be a personal choice
Venial Sin is a less serious offense that offends the love of God, does not separate us from
God, weakens our relationship with him.
c. By its intent – formal or material
1. formal sin is a voluntary and freely chosen action contrary to the law of God. It is
culpable
2. Material sin is an involuntary transgression committed without either required
knowledge or full deliberation. There is no culpability since the person is not
aware that it is a sin.
d. By its Manner: Commission or Omission
1. Sin of commission is the choice to do an evil act. Stealing
2. Sin of omission is when a required act is omitted. Choosing to miss Mass
e. By its Manifestation: External or Internal
1. External sin is committed with words or actions
2. Internal sin is found in thought or desire. Evil thoughts
Concomitant with the prohibition against sinning is the requirement to avoid all occasions of sin.
An occasion of sin is any person, place or thing that will likely lead to sin. It is sinful to
deliberately place oneself in a situation where there is certainty that one can be tempted.
Cooperation in Evil
We may never explicitly or implicitly cooperate in the sin of another. Cooperation is the help
afforded to another in the execution of his sinful purpose. May be formal or material.
a. formal cooperation– cooperation in or agreement with the evil will of the person
acting
1. Explicit formal cooperation is the willing cooperation in the evil act (doctor
performing an abortion)
2. Implicit formal cooperation is not direct participation in the act itself, but
occurs when the cooperating person’s will cannot be distinguished from the
person acting (secretary at an abortion clinic)
b. material cooperation – when the cooperator does an act that is not in itself evil but
helps another person do an evil act
1. Immediate material cooperation – the concurrence in the evil act of another
that apart from the intention tends to produce the evil intended by the agent
(this is equivalent to implicit formal cooperation and is wrong) (nurse at an
abortion clinic)
2. Mediate material cooperation – the object or intention of the cooperator is
not that of the person committing the evil act. Depends on proximate or
remote
i.
proximate – person who cleans the surgical instruments
ii.
remote – person who washes the windows at the hospital
The circumstances in which a person may cooperate in an action that has unintended evil
consequences are:
 The evil must not be a direct result of the act
 The cooperator may not intend the evil which occurs
 There must be no possibility of scandal
Examples – bus driver or person who drives someone to have an abortion
Effects of Sin
Mortal sin destroys charity in the heart of man – turns him away from God
Venial sin allow charity to subsist even though it offends and wounds it
Conversion and Forgiveness – call to conversion – central theme of John the Baptist and
Public ministry of Jesus begins with the call to conversion
Objective of moral doctrine: proclaims God’s mercy preserving us from despair, teaches us the
joy of forgiveness
Sacrament of Reconciliation
Baptism is the first sacrament of forgiveness
Sacrament of Reconciliation subsequently gives peace to the one who receives it
Justification – We are justified (remission of sins) by the Passion of Christ. It is gained through
Baptism. The goal of justification is the glory of God and of Christ and the gift of eternal life.
Contrition – sincere sorrow for offending God and hatred of the sin and resolve to sin no more.
a. Perfect – forgives mortal sin immediately – sorrow for sins because we have
offended God.
b. Imperfect – does not forgive sins immediately -- sorry for our sins because we fear
God’s punishment (called attrition)
Conversion – turning away from sin and toward the mercy of God. Expressed in the Scriptural
passage of the Prodigal Son. Christ is always there to forgive sinners and bring them back to him.