"Because of forms of conditioning and mitigating factors, it is possible that in an objective situation of sin – which may not be subjectively culpable, or fully such – a person can be living in God’s grace, can love and can also grow in the life of grace and charity, while receiving the Church’s help to this end." AL 305
What I learned in moral theology is that the moral act has three parts: object, intention, circumstances. If one of the three parts is bad, the whole act is bad! No exceptions! An act which is objectively wrong, e.g. deliberately killing an innocent person, cannot be made right or condoned or used as a gradual step in the life of virtue at all by any good intention or circumstance. What the pope is teaching here (inconsistent with the magisterium of the Church) is moral heresy! He says that persons knowingly and willingly in objective mortal sin can be subjectively in the state of sanctifying grace!
Is this the first instance in the history of the Church that a Pope sets out to teach heresy? How is that related to the doctrine of infallibility? I would say that this isolated exposition of Pope Francis is merely presented as his opinion and entirely out of consonance with the consistent teaching of all of his predecessors. Therefore, it lacks the necessary conditions for ordinary infallibility (repeated teaching in accord with the Tradition). He is simply wrong! He is a priest, a bishop, who has erred in his teaching. That's all. Let's not lose any sleep over it.
Veritatis Splendor 81. In teaching the existence of intrinsically evil acts, the Church accepts the teaching of Sacred Scripture. The Apostle Paul emphatically states: "Do not be deceived: neither the immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor sexual perverts, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor robbers will inherit the Kingdom of God" (1 Cor 6:9-10).
If acts are intrinsically evil, a good intention or particular circumstances can diminish their evil, but they cannot remove it. They remain "irremediably" evil acts; per se and in themselves they are not capable of being ordered to God and to the good of the person. "As for acts which are themselves sins (cum iam opera ipsa peccata sunt), Saint Augustine writes, like theft, fornication, blasphemy, who would dare affirm that, by doing them for good motives (causis bonis), they would no longer be sins, or, what is even more absurd, that they would be sins that are justified?".134
Consequently, circumstances or intentions can never transform an act intrinsically evil by virtue of its object into an act "subjectively" good or defensible as a choice.
Cf. The Catechism of the Catholic Church 1749-1761.
Veritatis Splendor 81. In teaching the existence of intrinsically evil acts, the Church accepts the teaching of Sacred Scripture. The Apostle Paul emphatically states: "Do not be deceived: neither the immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor sexual perverts, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor robbers will inherit the Kingdom of God" (1 Cor 6:9-10).
If acts are intrinsically evil, a good intention or particular circumstances can diminish their evil, but they cannot remove it. They remain "irremediably" evil acts; per se and in themselves they are not capable of being ordered to God and to the good of the person. "As for acts which are themselves sins (cum iam opera ipsa peccata sunt), Saint Augustine writes, like theft, fornication, blasphemy, who would dare affirm that, by doing them for good motives (causis bonis), they would no longer be sins, or, what is even more absurd, that they would be sins that are justified?".134
Consequently, circumstances or intentions can never transform an act intrinsically evil by virtue of its object into an act "subjectively" good or defensible as a choice.
Cf. The Catechism of the Catholic Church 1749-1761.
