The Church rightly showed the face of the good and merciful God when, as a mother, she gave permission for people in complex situations to receive the sacraments after being accompanied in discernment and conversion by a priest.

I invite the Church to go further and emphasise what is already Church teaching - that a person'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/her faith's teachings, the Church's teachings, the Bible, human experience, other people, etc., but this does not necessarily mean that the person abides by the magisterium.

Obviously, the more important the decision is, the more prudence should be exercised. And I cannot imagine the golden rule - 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you' - to ever be broken. Let us remember that a judgement of conscience uses reason and logic and the judgement may go against what we feel. Deciding according to the spirit of the law goes much further than obeying the rules.

One last thing: I cannot imagine a person seriously contemplating what the Will of God is without being guided by someone who is holy and wise. But wisdom must take precedence. In this respect, the spiritual director can be a lay person. Sometimes I feel that priests are afraid of losing their role/power of being the only spiritual leaders.

Joe Portelli

Nadur