What are the sources for the magisteriums moral teachings ?
The answer lies in the unity of three sources, from the natural law, the Scriptures, and tradition, yet each is derived from the one divine will of God. It is common today in the context of ‘morality, particularly in the field of medical ethics, for those formulating ethical teachings and policies, to have recourse to the so called ‘natural law’. It is not possible to give a full explanation in this short letter, but it is helpful to have some idea as to what is meant by the term and its significance for the moral life. The development of the concept of a natural moral law, intrinsic to human nature and, what is more, capable of being known by the use of reason, as against an external law formulated by an external authority, has been one causing much controversy. Can human beings, with their knowing and reasoning powers, identify a natural moral ‘law’ within human nature as, for example, scientists have done with the ‘laws’ of physics ? The answer is clearly no, for any law of reason i
