So what do Catholics believe about the morality of alcohol and drinking?
The Church’s teaching on alcohol reveals several deeper truths about the faith so I think it’s worth discussing. First, a simple “groundwork” for thinking through moral issues…There are three aspects of any decision: the action itself, the intention behind the action, and the context in which it takes place.
In this framework, the object of alcohol and the act of social drinking is a “good.” It has been said to be, “the oil of conversation that is consumed when good friends get together, it puts a song in their hearts and a laughter on their lips.” Jesus himself drank wine socially as seen in the wedding at Cana. In one sense the Catholic understanding of alcohol is stated well by Benjamin Franklin: “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”
BUT, it gets trickier on the other dimensions. Drinking to get drunk, drinking to escape reality, drinking to hook-up are clear evils. The intention they express compromise the dignity and health of our bodies and others and don’t lead to human flourishing. Drinking for these purposes is something that an individual must address.
God’s created world is full of goods that manifest His love for humanity. It’s not our use, but our abuse of these goods that denies the gift.