The Center for Human Rights at The Catholic University of America recently welcomed Fr. Kevin Flannery, S.J., to deliver the fifth annual Human Rights Lecture. A distinguished scholar of moral philosophy and a former consultor to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Fr. Flannery offered a penetrating reflection on the nature of conscience, grounding his analysis in the classical and Christian intellectual tradition.
Drawing on the works of Aristotle, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Thomas More, Fr. Flannery explored the foundational concept of synderesis—that innate capacity of the human mind to grasp first principles of moral action. He examined how this understanding of conscience as rooted in reason and ordered toward the good offers a critical counterpoint to more subjective or relativistic accounts prevalent in modern discourse.
Fr. Flannery also highlighted the enduring relevance of these thinkers for contemporary debates on moral responsibility, human dignity, and the rights of conscience—especially in legal and cultural contexts where those rights are under increasing pressure. His lecture invited students, faculty, and guests alike to consider how a properly formed conscience, guided by truth and illuminated by grace, stands as a cornerstone of authentic human freedom.
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