Divine Authority and Absolute Moral Norms

According to the Doctors of the Church, God is a divine Lawgiver who may give a command that overrides an absolute moral norm. In this article, some of the modern and ancient scenarios in which absolute moral norms are superseded by divine authority will be explored and discussed. This article will also consider Francis’s description of how conscience can generate such “exceptions” through a process of personal and pastoral discernment in the concrete lives of specific persons. In conclusion, the article considers the Magisterium’s articulation of how moral norms and conscience are not destined to contradict each other but rather converge as mutual and complementary representatives of divine authority.