Intrinsically evil acts: masturbation

Posted on 3 January 2011 by Ron Conte

In order to be moral, each and every sexual act must be marital and unitive and procreative. The good moral object of every moral sexual act is these three meanings intended by God: marital, unitive, procreative. The type of sexual … Continue reading →

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implicit perfect contrition

Posted on 3 January 2011 by Ron Conte

Each and every person who dies committing an act of full cooperation with grace, such as choosing to accept death rather than give up the Faith, certainly dies in a state of grace. Any act of full cooperation with grace whatsoever is incompatible with the state of actual mortal sin. When a person who is in a state of actual mortal sin cooperates fully with grace, such as in an act of martyrdom or in any act of true full spiritual selfless love of God or neighbor, this interior act of full cooperation with grace necessarily includes implicit perfect contrition for all sins. The person is thereby forgiven of all sins and is returned to a state of grace, prior to death.

See this article for more on implicit repentance.

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Marital Sexual Ethics: post-coital unnatural sexual acts

Posted on 3 January 2011 by Ron Conte

After an act of natural intercourse, if the wife has not reached sexual climax, is it moral for her husband to bring her to climax with his hand or mouth? No, it is not moral; it is a grave sin. … Continue reading →

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Noah and the Flood: literal or figurative?

Posted on 3 January 2011 by Ron Conte

Most interpretations of the Biblical story of Noah and the Flood assume that the story is either entirely literal or entirely figurative (and therefore fictional). This assumption is unwarranted. Many Scripture passages contain both literal and figurative elements. For example, … Continue reading →

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The single source heresy

Posted on 2 January 2011 by Ron Conte

In this heresy, a believer relies entirely or mainly on one source, such as one theologian or one Saint, as the basis for a doctrine. Instead of relying on the teachings of Sacred Tradition, and Sacred Scripture, and the Magisterium, … Continue reading →

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Killing in self-defense: it is moral to intend the death of the aggressor?

Posted on 2 January 2011 by Ron Conte

I’m beginning to see the fittingness of the title ‘Vox Nova’ for the group blog at vox-nova.com. They have new things to say on matters of faith and morals — new because these things are not found in Tradition, Scripture, … Continue reading →

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Life Begins at Conception

Posted on 2 January 2011 by Ron Conte

This article at Catechism.cc, excerpted from my book The Catechism of Catholic Ethics, presents a theological argument, based on the conceptions of Jesus and of Mary, that life for all human persons begins at conception. The origin of each human life, in body and soul, at conception, is important to the moral definition of abortion. The article concludes with the following:

There should be no debate among the faithful about the time of ‘ensoulment’, or about when a prenatal becomes a human person. The dogmas of the Incarnation and of the Immaculate Conception necessarily imply that, in the very same instant, the body is created, and the soul is created, and body and soul are one. A human being, at any stage of life, in any condition whatsoever, has a body and a soul; every human being with a body and a soul is a human person. The soul in particular is made directly by God, in the image of God. Therefore, human life must be protected from the moment of conception. All prenatal human beings are innocent human persons created by God and in the image of God.

Read the article at Catechism.cc

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Was Mary worthy to be the Mother of God? Yes and no.

Posted on 2 January 2011 by Ron Conte

Did the Blessed Virgin Mary merit to be the Mother of God? Was the Blessed Virgin Mary worthy to be the Mother of God? First, merit by any mere human person, even the Blessed Virgin Mary, always begins with the … Continue reading →

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Jimmy Akin’s heresy on intrinsic evil

Posted on 1 January 2011 by Ron Conte

In his post of November 29, 2006 titled ‘Intrinsic Evil’, Jimmy Akin teaches yet another grave heresy to his readers. This particular heresy rejects the teaching of the Universal Magisterium on the nature of intrinsically evil acts, as determined by … Continue reading →

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Veritatis Splendor – the most important encyclical on ethics in the history of the Church

Posted on 1 January 2011 by Ron Conte

In 1993, Pope John Paul II published the encyclical Veritatis Splendor (the Splendor of Truth). The encyclical was promulgated on 6 August, Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. This magisterial document is the most comprehensive and authoritative set of … Continue reading →

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What was the Christmas Star?

Posted on 31 December 2010 by Ron Conte

A Comet, Not a Literal Star [Matthew 2] {2:1} And so, when Jesus had been born in Bethlehem of Judah, in the days of king Herod, behold, Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, {2:2} saying: “Where is he who … Continue reading →

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Gregory Popcak and the book ‘Holy Sex’ – formal cooperation with the grave sin of fornication

Posted on 31 December 2010 by Ron Conte

The Catholic Faith teaches that sexual acts outside of marriage are intrinsically evil and always gravely immoral. Catechism of the Catholic Church: “Fornication is carnal union between an unmarried man and an unmarried woman. It is gravely contrary to the … Continue reading →

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