Conscience
is the faculty of human reason that makes practical judgments regarding
what is morally right or wrong. In the search for truth, a person
should always turn to a respected authority for enlightenment. Catholics
are encouraged to turn to the teaching authority of the church, namely
to what’s referred to as the magisterium. But those who act in a way that differs from the letter of the law cannot be presumed to be doing so in bad faith. The
decision to do what is right or wrong always remains a personal one.
Catholics are bound to follow their conscience. In the case of Catholics
who have remarried without the benefit of an annulment, the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith teaches that Catholics whose
“nullity of marriage cannot be demonstrated” are not permitted to
receive the Eucharist, unless special permission has been given them to
live as “brother and sister.” Read more.
Born during the turbulent era of the French Revolution, Saint Jeanne Jugan rose above hardship and a lack of formal schooling to become a profound vessel of Christ’s mercy. After losing her father at a young age and working through her youth as a kitchen maid and nurse, her life radically changed one freezing night when she encountered a blind, paralyzed elderly woman with nowhere to go. Jeanne carried the woman back to her own home, placed her in her own bed, and began a lifelong mission of radical hospitality. This act of profound love blossomed into the Little Sisters of the Poor , a thriving community dedicated to sheltering and honoring the destitute elderly. Despite later facing heavy trials—including being unjustly sidelined and stripped of her leadership by a controlling chaplain—Jeanne accepted her obscurity and exile with a joyful spirit, resting her complete trust in God's hidden providence until her death in 1879. In our daily lives, Saint Jeanne Jugan invites us to lo...