Madam, - Congratulations to The Irish Times for so generously allocating space to this important debate. Those who give priority to obedience and ignore the Church's official teaching in the documents of Vatican II might reflect on a recent example of this teaching in practice.
The recently beatified Austrian peasant, Franz Jägerstätter, is on the way to canonisation in spite of his refusal to obey his parish priest, his bishop, most of the German bishops and even the attitude of Pope Pius XII, when he refused to serve in Hitler's army because of his conscientious belief that a Christian should not support evil. Church representatives told him he had a duty to defend his country, and that the government was in a better position to decide what was good or evil in this situation. Because he believed he was doing God's will in following his conscience he was beheaded by the Nazis in 1943.
Should following my sincerely-formed conscience mean losing my reputation, my standing in the community, or even my life, my conscience is still the voice I must obey. No church, no authority, no superior can take its place. Cardinal Newman put it very simply but forcefully with his famous words: "I will drink to the pope if I must, but to conscience first". - Yours, etc,
Fr SEAN FAGAN SM, Lower Leeson Street, Dublin2.