ABSTRACT
Innovative Catholics seek to produce codes of conduct that communicate principles for living, but the task is not easy. They are faced with the dilemma of resolving two contradictory approaches to moral behaviour, which are respectively produced by the hierarchical Church and secular society. The reforms to classical social morality also inspired many Innovative Catholics to give specialised service to the poor, the marginalised and victims of injustice. Innovative Catholics recognised within the council documents a contemporary social morality which they were keen to promote and practise. When Innovative Catholics criticise classical sexual morality, they argue that it inhibits Church and society from benefitting from the breadth of attributes an individual self has or can develop. Innovative Catholics consider a person's gender and sexual orientation and often their sexual status to be secondary to their ability to minister. In short, a classical morality is looked upon as having a deleterious effect on mission and service.
