(Article from the Alphonsian Academy Blog by Professor Filomena Sacco)
Human moral action finds its foundation and ultimate measure in the person of Christ, according to Father Domenico Capone, CSsR, whose thirtieth anniversary of his birth into heaven we celebrate on June 23, 2025. For him, Christ is not simply a teacher of truth or an object of reflection; He is Truth Incarnate, the living Word who reveals to humanity its most authentic dignity as a person created in the image of God and redeemed by divine love.
Humanity yearns to understand the ultimate value of its life and actions. Only in Christ does humanity discern its true origin, the meaning of its existence, and the call to a living and personal communion with God. Although born in a historical time, Christ lives as the Risen One in a time that transcends our historical contingency, making his creative and salvific power present and effective in history and in the concrete life of each person (Eph 1:3-4; Col 1:15-16).
This Christocentric perspective illuminates the concept of moral conscience, a personal and dynamic space where encounter and dialogue between the person and God occur. For Capone, conscience is not the mere application of norms, but a living participation in the mystery of Christ, which calls us to charity and responsibility. It is the secret inner space where the person experiences the continuous effort to embody love and goodness in their concrete life.
Moral action is much more than the observance of external laws: it is the active realization of the person in Christ, a process of ongoing conversion and conformity to the paschal love of the crucified and risen Christ. Through this ontological and sacramental communion with Christ, man is called to approach God in charity, producing fruits of a good life that transform the person, relationships, and history itself.
Domenico Capone, son of Saint Alphonsus, dedicated his life to teaching and research on these topics, embodying in his pastoral and academic experience the tension between theological rigor and attention to concrete human reality. He was one of the founders of the Alphonsian Academy and, with a profoundly personalist approach, proposed a moral theology centered on the human person seen in light of redemption in Christ.
Another fundamental principle of Capone’s thought is the dialogical relationship between God and humanity. In Christ, humanity becomes a person capable of freely responding to the divine call.
The implications for Christian life are profound: moral commitment is not an external obligation, but an expression of the ontological vocation of the person created in Christ and called to live in charity. The mystery of Christ, in fact, is the beating heart that gives meaning and value to every moral choice, transforming even suffering and death into the prospect of the new life given by the Resurrection. A message more relevant than ever.
