Podcast Summary: The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)

Episode: Day 236: The Morality of Human Acts (2025)
Date: August 24, 2025
Host: Fr. Mike Schmitz
Reading: CCC paragraphs 1749-1761

Episode Overview

In this episode, Fr. Mike Schmitz explores Article 4 of the Catechism’s third pillar—focusing on the morality of human acts. He unpacks how Catholic moral teaching identifies the object chosen, intention, and circumstances as the three essential “sources” or elements determining a human action’s morality. Through anecdotes, analogies, and references to contemporary moral confusion, Fr. Mike illustrates the need for an objective moral framework and clarifies common misunderstandings related to moral decision-making.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Foundations of Moral Acts (00:45–03:00)

• Freedom is the basis for morality: because human beings can make deliberate choices, they are morally responsible.
• A human act must be freely chosen and the result of a judgment of conscience to be morally evaluated.
• All deliberate human actions are either good or evil.

“Freedom makes man a moral subject. When he acts deliberately, man is, so to speak, the father of his acts.” — [Fr. Mike, reading CCC 1749] (02:00)

2. The Three Sources of Morality (03:05–05:30)

• Object Chosen: The act itself—what you are actually doing.
• Intention: The purpose or reason behind the act.
• Circumstances: Details surrounding the act, including context and consequences.
• All three must be morally good for the act itself to be good.
• A good intention cannot make a morally evil act good; neither can circumstances.

“The morality of human acts depends on the object chosen, the end in view or the intention, and the circumstances of the action.” — [CCC, read by Fr. Mike] (03:40)

3. Examples, Analogies, and Misunderstandings (06:50–12:15)

• Referencing sociologist Christian Smith, Fr. Mike explains the cultural loss of moral categories among young adults—morality is often reduced to “stupid” or “sick,” not objectively right or wrong.
• The distinction between objective morality and moral relativism: True morality requires more than preference or utility.
• Uses practical analogies:
  • Almsgiving done to be noticed is corrupted by intention.
  • Candy to a diabetic child—good intention and act, but a bad circumstance (the child’s health) makes the act morally wrong.
• Movie/book analogy (Peter Kreeft): Like a good story needs plot, characters, and dialogue, a good moral act needs right object, intention, and circumstances.

“If even one of those things is missing, it’s no longer a great movie... In order for an action to be morally good, the object chosen has to be good, the intention has to be good, and the circumstances have to be good.” — [Fr. Mike] (11:55)

4. Critical Moral Principles (12:20–16:00)

• Two repeated maxims:
  • The end does not justify the means. (Even good intentions can’t make a bad action good.)
  • One may not do evil so that good may result from it.
• Some acts are always evil regardless of intentions or circumstances (e.g., blasphemy, perjury, murder, adultery).

“A good intention cannot make a bad action good. The end does not justify the means.” — [Fr. Mike] (13:45)

5. Clarification and Encouragement (16:05–End)

• Fr. Mike reassures listeners: even if the initial reading felt technical, understanding these principles brings clarity to choosing the good.
• Humorously reflects on his own analogies, reinforcing the lesson that right intention and circumstances can’t make up for a wrong object.
• Encourages listeners to pray for the grace to see and choose good; expresses gratitude and offers prayers for the audience.

“All three have to be good...a bad intention or a bad circumstance can make the whole moral act evil.” — [Fr. Mike] (16:40)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Moral Agency:

  “We become the father of ourselves, who we become. And also we’re the ones who choose. Right. So we’re the father of our own acts…” — [Fr. Mike] (05:05)

• On Cultural Loss of Moral Language:

  “We have lost a language of good and evil...To lose the categories of ‘this is right’ or ‘this is wrong,’ to lose the categories of ‘this is good or evil,’...eliminates the reality that we can actually evaluate the morality of actions.” — [Fr. Mike] (07:00)

• On End Do Not Justify Means:

  “A good intention cannot make a bad action good…Just because the intention is, ‘Well, if I sacrifice this one innocent person, the nation will be saved’…the end does not justify the means.” — [Fr. Mike] (14:00)

• On Book/Movie Analogy:

  “If even one of those things is missing, it’s no longer a great movie, no longer a great book.” — [Fr. Mike] (12:05)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:45] – Overview of the morality of human acts & three sources
• [03:05] – Deep dive into object, intention, and circumstances
• [06:50] – Christian Smith study & erosion of moral categories in society
• [09:50] – Illustrative analogies: almsgiving, candy to a diabetic, movie/book comparison
• [12:20] – Key principles: “end does not justify the means” and “may not do evil for good result”
• [16:05] – Final clarification, encouragement, and prayerful conclusion

Conclusion

Fr. Mike’s episode thoughtfully unpacks how the Catholic Church evaluates the morality of human acts, empowering listeners to understand and discern moral choices with clarity. By emphasizing the unchanging principles (object, intention, circumstance) and the pitfalls of moral relativism, he guides Catholics to form consciences rooted in truth—not sentiment or utility—and closes with encouragement and prayer.

End of Summary