Basic Catholic Morality

Outline of Course

by John A. Hardon, S.J.

The Purpose

The aim of this course is to obtain some fundamental instruction in the principles and practice of Catholic morality.

As a result of this basic instruction, the student should be able to give an intelligent account of the Church’s teaching on the moral order.

Immediately we see that the purpose of this course is not only to acquire some understanding of Catholic morality, but also to put this knowledge into apostolic practice.

Thus the present course ties in with its companion course on the re-evangelization of America. How so? Because to re-christianize America two levels of evangelization are needed:

To teach the truths of the Catholic faith that have been so widely neglected, misunderstood and misrepresented.
To teach the principles of Catholic morality that are so drastically denied and in their place we see the most blatant pagan immorality not only tolerated but brazenly taught to young children in schools and legalized by the highest judiciary of the country.

The Method

Our procedure will follow a certain pattern:

The textbook is the Introductory Catechism of Moral Theology.
The class lectures following the sequence of the Catechism but expanding on its contents.
Periodic quizzes on the students’ reading of the Catechism/ or a short essay turned in.
Some time each class for written questions submitted by the students.