St. Alphonsus Ligouri is a moral theologian, he is even declared as the patron of the moral theologians by Pope Pius XII in 1950. In his day, Alphonsus fought for the liberation of moral theology from the rigidity of Jansenism. His moral theology, which went through 60 different editions in the century following him.
His writings concentrated on the practical and concrete problems of pastors and confessors. “If a certain legalism and minimalism crept into moral theology,” he said, “it should not be attributed to this model of moderation and gentleness.”
Vatican II said that, Moral Theology should be more thoroughly nourished by Scripture, and must show the the nobility of the Christian vocation of the faithful and their obligation to bring forth fruit in charity for the life of the world.
