Heart or Doctrine?

The October 1, 2024 penitential vigil, which preceded the opening of the last session of the synod, was marked by repentance for seven new sins. In particular, that of doctrine, reduced to “a pile of dead stones thrown at others.” Pope Francis readily castigates those who “impose truths and rules” [1].

In the crosshairs are all those who maintain that certain acts such as contraception are never licit, and that absolution and communion can only be granted to those who sincerely renounce their serious sins.

These are the “moralizers who want to keep a tight rein on God’s mercy and grace” [2]; they demonstrate a “self-reliant moralism” [3]. Doctrine appears to Francis not only as a pure instrument of the will to power, but also as completely unsuitable for the formation of the faithful. In doing so, the Pope is in direct opposition to Holy Scripture.

Is it not God Himself who promulgated a law for the people of Israel, including the Ten Commandments, accompanied by severe sanctions? This law undoubtedly included ceremonial precepts that could be changed, but it explains the natural law which, itself, does not suffer from reform any more than human nature itself.

It is said that this law is written in the heart of man because even without having received knowledge of it, it imposes itself on an honest mind. For example, after believing a lie, a child grasps the harm that it causes to common life and to mutual trust. He quickly generalizes that concept, applying it to lying in general beyond the particular mishap of which he was a victim.

Moral principles formulated as universal precepts are the result of this simple operation of the mind.

Moral doctrine is only the articulated synthesis of moral principles, justified and explained by the most primary principles. They include those that express the fundamental tendencies of man to live, to perpetuate himself, to know and love God, and to live in society [4]. The first principle requires us to do good and flee from evil. If we reject doctrine, we might as well solemnly repent of being human.

Yet, by heavily caricaturing the “moralizing attitude” in order to more easily denounce it, Francis points out a real difficulty: these moral principles are universal, and by them we must live, make decisions, and act in particular circumstances. We are not dealing with the “Good” or the “Just” in themselves, but with concrete and complex people and situations.

Are universal principles of morality enough? No, since they are universal. It also requires an assessment of the situation. Is the action I intend to perform a lie or a legitimate mental restriction? Is it schism or a legitimate guarantee of the Christian life to give bishops to the faithful? Is it murder or an exaggerated cessation of care? Is it abortion or a therapeutic act that saves a life?

The universal principle does not say; it indicates the behavior to adopt once the situation has been identified. Now very often in order to decide what is sin or not, or which of two legitimate actions is best, the exercise of faculties that apprehend the concrete and the singular is required.

This is what Blaise Pascal, and also Francis, call the heart. So the Christian must not only learn the catechism and the principles of moral theology that will indicate to him what is or is not in conformity with the law of God, but also form his heart to judiciously appreciate the nature of the acts that are proposed to him. It means to love clear actions and to abhor equivocal situations.

So the heart is not opposed to reason; it completes it. And without it, we risk very much being the abstract moralist that Francis caricatures. But since this notion of heart is vague, it allows us to confuse the strength of the virtuous soul of St. John the Baptist, who reproached Herod for his adultery to the point of his own martyrdom, and the cowardice of the pastor who, through misplaced sympathy, shirks his duty of preaching by moaning, "Who am I to judge?"

The heart will always have its reasons, but virtue, that which saves and on which we will be judged, consists in acting according to right reason enlightened by faith. So if we are as sincere as Francis wishes [5], "we know that we are in the truth when we can no longer choose" (Gustave Thibon).

[1] Encyclical Dilexit nos (DN), n°209.

[2] DN 137.

[3] DN 27.

[4] Cf. Summa Theologica, Ia IIae q.94 a.2.

[5] DN 6.