fel

REPORT OF THE

AD HOC COMMITTEE

ON MORAL VALUES

IN SOCIETY

NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF

CATHOLIC BISHOPS

NOVEMBER 19, 1974

&

E

lb

#

i

'

I

1

UK

wo V 1 1019

VtHTfCAl



Digitized by the Internet Archive

in 2016

'{
O' i i

'

https ://arch ive .org/detai Is/reportofadhoccomcath



Report of the Ad Hoc Committee

on Moral Values in Society

A. Moral Values in Our Society

I. The Problem

Men and women in every age and every society stand in need

of conversion to Jesus Christ and redemption by Him. In this

sense our situation today is no different from the past. Yet each

era has needs and problems uniquely its own. In the United States

today the most urgent need is re-commitment to Christian moral

values. The alternative appears to be continued deterioration in

individual and social morality. This is indeed a time to heed the

admonition of Jesus: “Anyone who hears my words and puts them

into practice is like the wise man who built his house on rock.”

(Matt. 7, 24)

In recent years there have been fundamental changes in the

values espoused by Americans, including many Catholics. Evi-

dence of such change is overwhelming. Nor is it all negative.

Many of the new emphases are positive and praiseworthy: sensi-

tivity to the dignity and fundamental equality of all men and

women; increased concern for individual self-realization; broad-

ened perception of the moral decisions which must be made

concerning participation in warfare; new appreciation of the im-

peratives of social justice. Despite the new complexities which

they have introduced into contemporary life, such insights repre-

sent progress.

But other aspects of the current scene are anything but posi-

tive. For example, while some important advances have been

made in our understanding of social justice, available information

seems to indicate enormous failures in that area of justice usually

designated as honesty. Certain violations of honesty are justified

by disturbing rationalizations. Shoplifting has become wide-

spread; its practitioners excuse themselves because no individual

is really being robbed. Students have destroyed buildings and

facilities because the school is nothing but an establishment pre-

1



tense. Blue collar workers claim fictitious working hours and

white collar workers pad their expense accounts because the com-

pany somehow owes it to them. Citizens cheat on their taxes

and politicians take bribes because that is the system; they ex-

plain, “Everybody’s doing it." Perjury and other violations of

honesty at even the highest levels of public life have scandalized

the nation. Economic exploitation of the poor continues to find

new expression as we experience spiraling inflation and high in-

terest rates. Ultimately, all this adds up to a progressive rejection

of responsibility. It is not fanciful to think that, if this were to

continue, our society would reach the point where no one would

acknowledge responsibility for anything except his own interests

and his own person.

Other examples of moral decline abound. The significance of

the sexual revolution to many people seems to be that they now

regard sex as primarily a means of self-gratification. For example,

sexual relations in marriage are often regarded in this way, rather

than as a sacred instrument fundamentally oriented to begetting

new life and one of the ways by which a husband and wife express

their mutual love and commitment. Pornography is widespread,

and society seems unable or unwilling to control it. The family

has been placed under exceptional strain by changing attitudes

toward sex, toward the roles of men and women, and toward rela-

tionships among members of different generations. Divorce is

commonplace; its easy availability and social acceptability con-

tribute to a “divorce mentality." Abortion is widely accepted,

even on grounds of convenience, and a woman’s right to control

her own body is taken by many as a total, self-evident justification

for the destruction of unborn human life. Similar attitudes under-

lie much of the growing pressure for legalized euthanasia. Al-

though euthanasia is generally supported by “humane" argu-

ments, the reality is that “convenience" factors figure at least as

largely as “humane" ones. The poor and powerless are subjected

to continued exploitation by unjust social and economic struc-

tures. Negligent and brutal attitudes toward human life are also

manifested in much of the “entertainment" offered to mass

audiences by the media; in the appalling national rate of murder

and violent crime; and, macroscopically, in a defense policy which

could involve this nation, in certain circumstances, in repetition

on a far vaster scale of the horrors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The communications media mirror the deterioration of moral

2



values in our society. Indeed in some cases the media do con-

siderably more than “mirror" what is happening; at their worst,

they proselytize for what amounts to a pagan system of morality.

The current situation is, in its most negative aspects, a radical

challenge to Christian moral values. In the United States today

transcendent religious belief is locked in conflict with a secularis-

ts, humanistic world view. Morality is the domain in which this

struggle is enacted most dramatically. In this conflict even many

nominally religious persons have in fact opted for the value system

of secular humanism or yielded to the temptation to compromise

sound moral principles, despite the clear statement of Jesus that

“he who is not with me is against me." (Matt. 12, 30)

At the same time, it is important that, in defending moral

values, the Church not adopt a simplistic and reactionary posture.

For example, the Church should applaud and support the move-

ment for women’s dignity and rights, even while it opposes the

view that abortion is a woman’s “right." Advances in ethical per-

ception should be recognized as such; it is necessary to be dis-

criminating and precise in distinguishing sound principle from

distorted expressions in particular cases.

II. The Christian leaven

In the Old Testament God called His people to “hear the statutes

and decrees which I am teaching" (Deu. 4, 1) so that they might

have life. Again and again He offered His people a covenant

(cf. Fourth Eucharistic Prayer). If they lived according to its con-

ditions, others would say that His people were “a wise and intel-

ligent people." (Deu. 4, 6) Jesus taught that those who heard

His words would possess the Kingdom (Mt. 25, 24) and His last

words to His followers were a call to live the truths He taught by

being witnesses of all He said and did. (Acts 1, 8) Throughout

his letters, St. Paul insists on the necessity of following the teach-

ings of Jesus which would save those who would “hold fast"

(I Cor. 15, 2) and make them the leaven of society. (I Cor. 5, 7)

The early Christians did not respond to the moral decadence

of the Roman Empire merely through protest or criticism. They

decried the values of the culture in which they lived, but they also

proclaimed Christian values through personal witness and ex-

perienced the power of the Holy Spirit working in them. These

were the values which they learned from the teachings of Jesus,

3



Whom they sought to follow in everything they did. Indeed, they

were willing to give testimony to those values both by their lives

and, if necessary, in death. They were thoroughly committed to

Christ and His teachings.

Today's Christians must not think that their vocation can be

fulfilled by merely protesting current values. Protest can indeed

serve a purpose, but it makes sense only when it is accompanied

by an affirmation. Rejecting the false values in contemporary

society is not enough; we must also affirm by our lives the true

moral values taught by Jesus Christ.

Counter-values presented by the example of a good life are

much more convincing and attractive than critiques of existing

values, however scholarly and logical or, for that matter, impas-

sioned. There is good reason for this. One cannot respond very

positively to what is simply negative: affirmations exert more ap-

peal, to both the mind and the heart. Most important, example

wins more hearers than words. The proclamation of Christian

moral values must be a lived sermon, not just an exercise in

argumentation, even though it is important that we be able to

support the moral values we propose with sound moral reasoning.

The solution to the crisis in moral values lies in commitment

to Christ on the part of all who claim to be His followers. Jesus

came to earth to show us the way, not merely to talk about it.

If we are to follow Him (and this after all, nothing less, is what

it means to be a Christian) we must do so not in words, senti-

ments or even doctrine alone. We must do so by a way of life

rooted in commitment to the Lord Jesus.

In the Old Covenant, God punished His people when they failed

to live according to His laws and to be the wise, understanding

and great people they were called to be. In the New Testament

Jesus warned His people of the fate awaiting those who fail to

observe His commandments and live the life of grace. (Matt. 7,

21 ff.)

III. Metanoia

As a preparation for the coming of the Savior on earth as a

man, John the Baptist went about preaching what is rendered in

the New Testament Greek as “metanoia." The word is given a

wide variety of interpretations in modern translations: contrition,

4



performance of works of penance, repentance, conversion, change

of heart.

The idea had already been expressed by the Prophets of the

Old Testament. It meant a new awareness and service of God.

The Prophet Joel (2, 13) cried out, “Rend your hearts, not your

garments." In the New Testament, Jesus required a turning of

one’s innermost heart to God from which flows life according to

God's will. (Matt. 5, 10 ff) Metanoia is a process which must

be a way of life. “Whoever wishes to be my follower must deny

his very self, take up his cross each day, and follow in my steps."

(Lk. 9, 23)

Perhaps the greatest scandal in the Church today is the number

of unconverted, half-hearted, indifferent Catholics who parade

under its banner. Catholics by whom the message and example

of Jesus are unheeded or considered matters of indifference are

a source of scandal to both believers and unbelievers. “If we

say, ‘We have fellowship with him,’ while continuing to walk in

darkness, we are liars and do not act in truth." (I John 1, 6)

But the call to metanoia is directed not only to those who have

been conspicuously negligent. All have sinned; each of us has in

various ways held back at least some recess of his heart from

commitment to Jesus. None is an exception. “If we say, ‘We

have never sinned,’ we make him a liar and his word finds no

place in us." (I John 1, 10) God stands ready to embrace us with

His mercy and love, but only with our assent and cooperation.

If we open our hearts to Him and abandon ourselves to the

promptings of His grace, life takes on new meaning, fresh goals

and enormous dignity. The significance of a “sense of responsi-

bility" becomes clear. Since life comes to man as a God-given

gift, to live fully and truly means to return this gift to its Author,

each day, each moment. The Christian life, initiated at Baptism,

is truly a new life. Our response to the new obligations flowing

out of this new life in Christ is what we mean by the Christian

moral life.

IV. The moral life

Complex yet integrated, the moral life can be analyzed in a

variety of ways. Whatever our mode of analysis, it discloses sev-

eral distinct elements: ideals, applications and actions.

5



Ideals are the abiding and stable principles held by an indi-

vidual, the goals and purposes of life which he envisions and

espouses. They are called values—an apt word, which suggests
both the dimension of personal commitment (subjectivity) and the

dimension of independent validity (objectivity). Ordered by the

individual according to some kind of hierarchy appropriate to his

situation, they constitute a plan for his life.

Ideals must be applied and lived if they are to be more than

abstractions. This is not an easy task. An ideal may be so general

that it is difficult to recognize its relationship to daily living.

Such is the ideal of love so often presented as the sole norm of

Christian morality, as if love did not absolutely require that some

things be done and other things be avoided. This is a simplistic

solution which makes little sense. There are God-given objective

norms, some divinely revealed, some written in men's hearts

(Rom. 2, 15), which should be considered in forming our ideals

and should guide our actions; these norms are the objective basis

of sound moral living.

The practical judgment by which we estimate the relationship

of concrete acts to our value system is called the decision of

conscience. Not a distinct faculty, conscience is a moral judgment

by which we determine a concrete act or omission to be consistent

or inconsistent with the ideals we espouse.

There remains a further aspect of the moral life: the decision

to act or not to act. All that goes before this is theoretical. Once

one decides to act—for or against conscience—the morality of
one's response to a concrete situation is essentially determined.

But the previous elements are necessary for a moral (i.e., a fully

human) act. In particular it is necessary that one’s decision to

act or not act be genuinely free: that is, truly expressive of one’s

capacity for self-determination.

Moral value, then, is a specific kind of ideal. It is distinguished

from aesthetic, commercial, biological and other kinds of value.

We judge actions as morally good or evil, right or wrong, worthy

of praise or blame in so far as they are in accord with proper

values. Such judgments are moral judgments and the acts to

which they are applied are “moral” acts (that is, they “count”

in moral terms) because they can be evaluated in terms of a cer-

tain congruence between man’s behavior and objective reality.

Since man is a person, able to control some of his actions and

6



interactions involving his environment, he stands responsible for

them. The objective context of human action includes man him-

self and all those external realities including God and his neighbor

which go to make up his environment.

V. Sin

A person can have well ordered values and make an accurate

judgment concerning the moral nature of a proposed action, yet

act in defiance of his values and his judgment. We can verify this

from our own experience. St. Paul, for example, laments: “I do,

not the good I will to do, but the evil I do not intend.” (Rom. 7,

19) The values which we profess and hold are not always realized

in the actions we perform. Even Socrates wondered why “men

know what is good, but do what is bad.”

In order to achieve conformity between values and actions,

discipline of the will is required, so that a person is open to the

promptings of grace and thereby able to resist temptation. So

it is that all religions give place to asceticism and the practice of

mortification and self-denial to control and channel the passions.

It is true that a misunderstanding of the role of these practices

can lead to the erroneous conclusion that man achieves his own

salvation, but it is also true that these practices, properly under-

stood, must be part of the Christian life. Salvation is God’s gift

in Christ; but man’s freedom is always respected and man must

therefore cooperate with God’s work.

The judgment of conscience can also be faulty. This can come

about from a variety of causes, extending from passion to poor

instruction. Ordinarily, however, one does not long violate his

values on the basis of consistent misjudgment of their practical

import. Soon enough the deviation will be so obvious that he will

be forced to revise either his judgments or his values.

Men have always sinned, but throughout the history of Chris-

tianity they have managed to preserve a moral character; that is,

they have cared about right and wrong. They have not been

unwilling to admit their wrongdoing. In contemporary society, by

contrast, there is widespread, open repudiation of Christian values,

to the point where it may be said that for many people “good”

and “evil” have no real meaning. This points to a defect which

goes beyond moral decision, beyond even conscience, to the very

values espoused.

7



In significant ways contemporary Western culture is non-

Christian; some would say it is anti-Christian. Christian beliefs

and values are officially tolerated but given no active encourage-

ment; and they are actively opposed by some extremely strong

forces in society. All this tends not only to strip public institutions

of positive moral content, but also to reduce religious influence

on the beliefs, values and behavior of individuals.

The state of contemporary culture is a problem not only for

the present but also for the future. It will not absolutely deter-

mine the beliefs and actions of future generations, but it will have

a powerful conditioning effect on them. It is a modifying factor

which further affects all future development of culture.

It is important to note, however, that human culture is not the

product of blind forces of history or the working out of determi-

nistic principles beyond man’s power to control. While the causal

elements of culture are enormously complex, the causes are

essentially human choices and human acts. As man has power to

create and modify his physical environment, so he has power to

create and modify his social, moral and spiritual environment.

For a Church which is described as a pilgrim this realization must

be accepted as a challenge and with a sense of hope. The children

of God must always look to the future for the fulfillment of the

promises Jesus made in the past.

Values which are distorted, unsuitable and out of harmony with

man's real destiny cause the entire moral life to be in disarray.

Reason can help some—to the extent that native good sense can
reveal the insufficiency or inappropriateness of proposed activity.

In general, however, it takes a major crisis to bring men from the

path of least resistance to the path of morally good living. Even

then a reliable guide is required. In this crisis of Western man,

the bishops of the Church in the United States confidently point

to the Lord.

VI. Look to Jesus

For the Catholic Christian the ultimate source of all morality

is God. This message is found in revelation and especially in the

fullness of revelation which is found in the life and teachings of

Jesus Christ. It was His mission to reveal the Father in the fullest.

Consequently, the teachings of Jesus provide a stable guide in

terms of which our values can be appropriately determined and

8



our actions can be correctly judged. Such a foundation is not

simply situational: it does not rest merely on a unique convergence

of circumstances. Jesus pointed to fundamental principles which

apply under all conditions, and He taught them in the most

authoritative way.

His way is not the way of human reason. “For God’s folly is

wiser than men, and His weakness more powerful than men.”

(I Cor. 1, 25) Neither is the way of Jesus the easy route. “Enter

through the narrow gate. The gate that leads to damnation is

wide, the road is clear, and many choose to travel it. But how

narrow is the gate that leads to life, how rough the road, and how

few there are who find it!” (Matt. 7, 13-14) And so it is not a

popular way. Indeed, it is tremendously demanding, and it is

clearly the will of God. “You must be made perfect as your heav-

enly Father is perfect.” (Matt. 5, 48)

As one reads the moral demands which Jesus taught by the

authority of His heavenly Father, one might conclude that they

are impossible, visionary and totally impractical. What He said

about love, justice, mutual respect, marriage, forgiveness is all

too clear and, from a human point of view, all too demanding. But

He was quick to point out, in every instance, that these lofty

demands could be met with God’s help. “My grace is enough

for you.” (2 Cor. 12, 9) Jesus does not propose moral ideals as

mere objects of our striving which are unreachable in the practical

order but rather as the norms by which we are to live. We have

His assurance that His way is so in keeping with what we are and

what we are to be, that it is not impossible or oppressive. “My

yoke is easy and my burden light.” (Matt. 11, 30) He Himself

gave the example of all these things by His own life. It is the

Christian’s obligation to keep this life alive by re presenting Jesus

to today’s world. “Live a life worthy of the calling you have re-

ceived.” (Ep. 4, 1)

How can men live in Christ and come to understand more

fully His teachings? Certainly Scripture is a primary source. But

the Lord must be more to us than words on a printed page. He

is a living person, touching our lives as the living Lord who rose

from the dead and will come again in glory to complete His victory

over sin and claim the Kingdom of God which He established

among men. An active prayer life and the practice of self-denial

give us this experiential knowledge of the living Lord. Further-

9



more, the message of Holy Scripture comes alive in the Church,

the Paschal Mystery is made present preeminently through the

Eucharist and the sacraments, and prayer and mortification are

most meaningful in the community of God’s people.

VII. Look to the Church

While Jesus lived and taught in a society very different from

ours, He lives on in the Church. In order that we may translate

the perennially valid principles of Christian morality into the

context of contemporary society and its problems and challenges,

He provides trustworthy guidance through His Church. Otherwise

we would become increasingly confused and divided.

The message of Jesus comes to man in every generation until

the end of time through the teaching Church—the Magisterium.
This is not due to the wisdom or virtue of the imperfect human

beings who perform the function of teaching in the Church; rather

it is due to the will of the Church’s divine Founder, Jesus Christ,

and to His abiding presence in the Church through His Spirit.

What Jesus taught is not only represented to each age, but is

meaningfully phrased and actively interpreted with the authority

and reliability which He promised and guarantees. It is for this

reason that the Magisterium deserves our loyal obedience.

Through the reflection of the Church on the teachings of Jesus,

His principles are extended to the problems of men in every age,

even as those problems change and new ones emerge. The appli-

cations of Our Lord’s teachings today are authoritatively articu-

lated by those who hold the place of the apostles, the bishops,

who in union with the Holy Father constitute the highest expres-

sion of the Magisterium. It is in this role that, faced with the

circumstances of our times and our society, we call for a universal

metanoia within the Church, a wholehearted return to the teach-

ings of Jesus, a revitalized awareness of the presence of the Spirit

among us, a renewal of truly Christian morality in our time. Then,

please God, we can become what we are called to be: a leaven for

all society.

VIII. Evangelization and Christian values

The vast majority of Americans take their values more or less

uncritically from the society around them. This is not said in

criticism or condescension, for society exercises its influence upon

10



all of us in ways that are both pervasive and subtle. Unfortunately,

however, our society is permeated with secularism and grounded

in naively optimistic assumptions about human nature. Accord-

ing to this view, all that is needed to perfect man and society is

better education, new economic organization, different political

institutions, and, perhaps, liberation from the lingering inhibi-

tions still imposed on the individual psyche by the “old morality."

What has traditionally been called sin is increasingly explained

as a psychosocial problem, not a religious one: individuals go

astray solely because of family background; crimes are the result

simply of a poor social environment; wrongdoing is forced upon

us only by the actions and beliefs of peers. In the new lexicon

actions may be “aggressive" or “self-destructive" or “anti-

social" or “alienating"—but not sinful.
There are, however, signs that this way of thinking is losing

its credibility. Laden with guilt and anxiety, men are looking

for a different therapy. Just as in the days of the Apostles, the

world is ripe for conversion. People are receptive—more so per-
haps than they have been for centuries—to the Good News of
Jesus Christ. Society has drifted so far from Christian values that

the Gospel can be preached with new freshness and appeal. It

is time for a new thrust of evangelization, so that people may be

intimately acquainted with Jesus, and His teachings can be the

basis of a radical change in values.

B. Recommendations for the Development of Moral Values

I. The importance of the individual

Given the magnitude of the challenge, there may be a tendency

to ask: What can one person do?

It is precisely with the individual that we must start. In calling

Catholics to a serious examination of their value system and to

metanoia, it is essential to address each as an individual. All of

us must do our part by personal witness, by instructing and guid-

ing our children and by influencing in a positive way our circle

of friends and associates.

We must begin with ourselves. Scrutinizing our values, care-

fully comparing them with what Jesus proposes, holding them up

to the light of the Church, and then living them, we shall come

to know Jesus more truly and live in Him more intimately and

effectively. No other beginning can lead us anywhere. Each indi-

ll



vidual must start with himself. “All the faithful of Christ of what-

ever rank or status are called to the fullness of Christian life and

to the perfection of charity.” (Lumen Gentium, 40)

The next object of concern is the family, which, even with all

its present problems remains the most powerful direct influence

on the process of value formation in the young. Parents must

both know the Church’s moral teaching more fully and impart

it to their children more effectively. As the fundamental unit of

society, the family must be a prime object of our efforts. When

each Christian family becomes a vibrant community of faith, then

we can exert a powerful influence on the direction of society and

its institutions.

Finally, each individual must endeavor to influence the segment

of society in which he lives in intimate contact. Here the example

of personal witness is the most effective sermon possible. There

is no doubt about the attractiveness of true virtue. Men of solid

moral principle proclaim God’s love, peace and joy; they rouse

in us the rapture of living. But as individuals we must also strive

to make our part of God’s world a true community. We must try

to help others to share, to love, to esteem one another, to relate

as members of a family in which all are brothers of Christ and

children of the same God. In a word, we must strive as Christians

to form society into a true community of lovers and believers.

II. The obligation of the Church

As Catholics, then, we should realize that we are not isolated

individuals but members of a community; we are the People of

God. The community which is the Church should be the setting

and reinforcement for our efforts at personal conversion and com-

mitment to Christ and Christian moral values. The contemporary

world, so often a place of isolation and alienation, makes par-

ticularly acute the need for the Christian to experience the

strength and encouragement that come from Christ through the

various manifestations of Christian community within the Church.

These multiple forms of community should be renewed, sup-

ported, and further developed in meeting today’s moral crisis.

a. Ordinary Programs

The Church already acts as a teacher and supporter of moral

values through virtually everything it says and does. It carries

12



on a broad and impressive range of programs which make up a

massive de facto enterprise in the area of value formation; it

urges mortification, self-denial and commitment to Christ. There

is less need for the Church in the United States to undertake

distinctly new programs in these areas, than to give a new orien-

tation to much that is already being done. The Church's teaching

and support of these values must be planned and deliberate, not

incidental or accidental. Its “ordinary" means of forming values

and fostering conversion must be analyzed and adapted to convey

Christ-centered concepts in a consistent, comprehensive manner

which responds to present-day needs.

1. Therefore it is important that the National Catechetical Di-

rectory, now in preparation, continue to address the question of

relating the values proclaimed by the Church to the Church’s

ongoing programs of religious education. This would involve,

for example, the relationship between religious education and

“secular" subjects in Catholic schools, including the “values"

dimension of the latter. It would involve relating the values being

taught in out-of-school religious education classes to the values

simultaneously being taught the same students in public schools:

in some cases to reinforce the teaching of values in the public

schools, in other cases to counteract it. Those planning and con-

ducting out-of-school religious education programs should make

a conscious, planned effort to relate religious education to the

“secular” education their pupils are receiving at the same time

in public schools. Teaching and formation concerning moral

values must also be part of the program of Catholic colleges and

universities and campus ministry efforts. Catholic education,

wherever or however it is given, should stand firm on the reality

of sin, the true nature of Christian moral life, and the need of

conversion or metanoia. Jesus taught with authority; under the

guidance of the Magisterium we, too, must teach with authority.

2. A similar effort should be made in devising and conducting

programs of adult and continuing education. Such programs

should give major emphasis to these objectives. In doing so, they

should take into consideration the non-Church factors (such as

secular media) which are also influencing the values and attitudes

of adult Catholics. Adult religious education should not be some-

thing apart from “real life" but should directly confront the issues

and concerns in which Catholic adults are involved as members

of secular society.

13



3. Likewise, there should be emphasis on these same matters

in programs of continuing education for priests. Such programs

should take into account the moral issues and questions of the

contemporary world and, in doing so, equip priests better to

understand and respond to the needs of those whom they serve.

4. The “values” question should also be incorporated con-

sciously into the Church’s communication programs. Catholic

newspapers, magazines, television and radio productions do, of

course, already deal effectively and informatively with many con-

temporary issues. It would be desirable, however, if Catholic

media efforts (including also the parish bulletin) could be brought

together on the diocesan level in a coordinated program of value

formation also involving schools, Confraternity of Christian Doc-

trine, campus ministry, adult and continuing education, and the

continuing education of priests.

5. There is great need to strengthen family life programs and

to coordinate them with the sort of comprehensive effort in the

area of value formation just described. In view of the current

pressures on marriage and family life in secular society, Catholic

husbands and wives need much assistance from the Church in

living out the principles of Christian morality in their relationship

with each other. Catholic parents likewise need the strong, sympa-

thetic support of all institutions of the Church (parish, schools,

CCD, etc.) in their efforts to impart moral values to their children.

Support is more necessary than ever today because society at

large no longer offers such assistance to parents and in many

ways fosters values which directly contradict those they wish to

transmit to their children.

6. It is desirable that spiritual formation programs for religious,

seminarians and clergy also take specific note of the “values”

question and be integrated in the coordinated effort at value forma-

tion which is being sketched here. Once again it is a question of in-

suring that such programs take conscious note of the challenges

to all these essential values which exist in our secular society

and respond realistically to them.

7. The contemporary problem and challenge of values should

be an immediate concern of the “suffering Church” on earth. One

might envision specific programs which would encourage the

sick and infirm in homes for the aged and incurables to offer their

14



prayers and sufferings for the correction of moral abuses in the

world today. To some such a suggestion may smack of simplistic

piety, but its value will be apparent to those who appreciate the

power of prayer, the role of self-denial and mortification, and the

meaning of metanoia.

8. Major attention should be given to the role of the Liturgy

and especially the daily and Sunday homily in a coordinated pro-

gram of value formation. As with the other things noted here, it

is clear that the Liturgy and the homily do in fact play a significant

role in Catholic value formation at the present time. The em-

phasis, therefore, is on making them more effective agents of

value formation, as part of a well thought-out diocesan program.

As was stated, we do not see a need for creating new “ordi-

nary" programs of value formation. These already exist in suffi-

cient number and they touch, or can touch, the lives of every

segment of the Catholic community. Instead there is a need to

orient these existing efforts toward the specific problem of form-

ing and supporting committed Catholics.

b. Extraordinary Programs

To this end certain “extraordinary” efforts are needed, in order

to call attention to the problem and point the way to its solution.

They should dramatize the need for conversion, renewal and com-

mitment by each individual Catholic, and provide both the sub-

stance and the impetus for a reorientation of the Church’s “ordi-

nary” programs of value formation. In particular, since the life

of the Church as a community is profoundly influenced by its

leadership, leaders in the Church must themselves provide models

of renewal and commitment. The intention is to enlist in this

effort bishops, pastors, religious superiors, teachers at all levels,

scholars, parents (as leaders of the family community) and others

in actions which give witness to their acceptance of the moral

teaching of Christ. The following “extraordinary” actions are

therefore recommended.

1. It is suggested that the bishops collectively give some public

and dramatic expression of their renewal and commitment. This

might be done on the occasion of the bishops’ annual meeting,

through a form of “commitment service” incorporated into their

concelebrated Liturgy.

15



2. A similar expression of renewal and commitment might be

given on the diocesan level by each bishop together with his

priests and people.

3. Similar public acts of renewal, repentance and commitment

might be encouraged on the part of pastors and their parishes,

religious superiors and their communities, teachers and students,

leaders and members of diocesan and parish groups, parents and

children.

4. The bishops may wish to consider designating a national

day of penance and moral renewal for the U.S. Church, devoted

to reflection on the moral challenges which confront our society

and to full personal acceptance of the moral teachings of Jesus.

5. It seems appropriate for each bishop in his diocese to issue

some formal directive to his priests and people (including the

aged, the handicapped and the suffering) concerning the teaching

and reinforcement of moral values in Catholic schools, Confra-

ternity of Christian Doctrine, and all other diocesan and parish

programs and institutions. While this would take whatever form

the bishop deemed advisable, it might appropriately incorporate a

special call to repentance, renewal, and conversion to Christ, all

related to the problem of moral values in our country today and

the needs of our brothers and sisters throughout the world.

6. It is suggested that the bishop and his pastors arrange

special “commitment Liturgies ” on the diocesan and parish

levels, during which the problem of moral values would be called

specifically to the attention of Catholics and they would be asked

to make a commitment (similar to the renewal of the priestly

promises on Holy Thursday). Such special Liturgies might be

developed by national or diocesan liturgical groups, but it is hoped

that they would be given a specific, local orientation and concern

by parish liturgical committees.

7. Special programs of renewal and reconciliation should be

undertaken in each diocese as part of the Holy Year observance.

These programs should be planned and implemented on the dio-

cesan level, to correspond to the needs and opportunities in par-

ticular dioceses.

8. The planners of the 1976 Eucharistic Congress might con-

sider incorporation of a “renewal and commitment” theme—in
the context of moral values—into that observance. The NCCB

16



Bicentennial program might also consider appropriate ways of

incorporating the same themes into its planning.

9. The USCC Communication Department should be asked to

develop a proposal for special nationwide media programs on

these themes. In this connection it is highly desirable that there

be one or two major television programs—either telecast on net-
works or produced for syndication to local TV stations—dealing
with the problem of moral values and the need for conversion and

commitment. The Communication Department should be invited

to present a specific plan for accomplishing this. (Syndication is

perhaps the more feasible approach and, it should be noted, is a

method successfully used by other religious groups.)

10. It is necessary to address the ecumenical and interreligious

aspects of the problem of moral values. While the activities sug-

gested here are directed specifically to the Catholic community,

and Catholics should be the principal “audience” of the Church’s

immediate efforts in this area, the possibilities for dialogue and

even collaboration with other religious groups should not be over-

looked. Among other things, it might be appropriate for ecu-

menical and interreligious dialogues increasingly to address them-

selves to specific moral and ethical issues, with a view not only

to identifying areas of disagreement but also to finding areas of

consensus and shared concern and exploring the possibilities of

joint action on these.

1 1 . It might also be appropriate to encourage dialogue on specific

moral and ethical issues with those who do not profess religious

belief.

12. Finally, it is recommended that a major document on moral

values be prepared and published by the bishops of the United

States. This document should be prepared in consultation with

qualified specialists and in communication with the general

Catholic community. It should incorporate themes and topics

identified in this report, situating them in the context of a well

developed theory of the principles of Christian morality and the

ways in which moral values are formed and sustained. If appro-

priate, the document, or an accompanying or subsequent docu-

ment, might further develop the recommendations for “ordinary”

and “extraordinary” activities contained in this report. In any

case, planning for follow-up activities of many kinds should ac-

company the preparation of the document. The bishops’ meeting

17



of November, 1976, is suggested as the occasion for approval

and publication of this major document.

It is also recommended that this urgent and sensitive topic

be considered as a point of discussion between the bishops and

the community of Catholic scholars. There can be great value

in a planned dialogue among representatives of both groups

concerning the problem of moral values in our society.

18



STANDING ORDER SERVICE

By filling in and returning the form below, you will

be included in the standing order service, a plan by

which each new printing of the USCC Publications Office

is automatically mailed to subscribers. These printings

are mainly Papal Documents and the Bishops' yearly

statements but may include special publications or an

occasional pamphlet of current interest. Many include

indexes, study outlines and bibliographies.

Not all Papal messages or documents are included

but rather a selection of the more important ones or

those of special interest to American Catholics, or for

which there is an unusual number of requests.

There are usually from 15 to 30 printings each year

ranging in price from 10$ to 75 <£. The total yearly

bill is usually $12.00 to $20.00 depending on the num-

ber of items published during the year. Occasional

special standing order discounts off the list prices are

offered on some items.

Billings are made annually in December for the pre-

ceding year, unless you specify otherwise or unless the

quantity ordered is large. You may cancel your stand-

ing order any time.

I wish to place a standing order for copies of

all new printings issued by the USCC Publications Office

until such time as I request cancellation of this order.

Please address the mailings as follows:

Name

(Print)

Address ..

City State Zip

Signature



.





1975

Publications Office

UNITED STATES EATHOLIE EONFERENEE

13 IE Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.E. E0005