The Church rightly showed the face of the good and merciful God when it gave permission to people in complex situations to receive the sacraments after confiding to a priest.

I invite the Church to go further and emphasise what is already Church teaching, namely that one’s conscience should be the ultimate guide in deciding what is good or bad.

In this search for truth the person should obviously consult his or her faith, the Church’s teachings, the Bible, human experience and other people.

Obviously, the more important the decision is, the more prudence should be exercised. And I can’t imagine the golden rule (‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you’) to be ever broken.

Furthermore, I can’t imagine a person seriously contemplating what the will of God is without consulting someone who is holy and wise.

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