II. Passions and Moral
Life
1767
In themselves passions are neither good nor evil. They are morally qualified
only to the extent that they effectively engage reason and will. Passions are
said to be voluntary, "either because they are commanded by the will or
because the will does not place obstacles in their way."44 It
belongs to the perfection of the moral or human good that the passions be
governed by reason.45
1768
Strong feelings are not decisive for the morality or the holiness of persons;
they are simply the inexhaustible reservoir of images and affections in which
the moral life is expressed. Passions are morally good when they contribute to a
good action, evil in the opposite case. the upright will orders the movements
of the senses it appropriates to the good and to beatitude; an evil will
succumbs to disordered passions and exacerbates them. Emotions and feelings can
be taken up into the virtues or perverted by the vices.
1769
In the Christian life, the Holy Spirit himself accomplishes his work by
mobilizing the whole being, with all its sorrows, fears and sadness, as is
visible in the Lord's agony and passion. In Christ human feelings are able to
reach their consummation in charity and divine beatitude.
1770
Moral perfection consists in man's being moved to the good not by his will
alone, but also by his sensitive appetite, as in the words of the psalm:
"My heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God."46
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