THE DISTINCTIVENESS OF CATHOLIC MEDICAL ETHICS
Fr. Peter Beaulieu, Chaplain, Worcester Guild
January 12, 2008
In the contemporary Catholic approach, medical ethics uses
the intellectual tools of fundamental moral theology and
applies them to clinical situations. The components of the
moral law are natural law, philosophical ethics, divine revelation,
and the magisterial teachings of the Church. As noted above,
Saint Thomas Aquinas holds pride of place in Catholic theology.
Simply put, Saint Thomas described the universe as caused by and cared for by God. The divine (or eternal) law of God is the means by which He rules the world that He brought into being. God’s divine law is reflected in the very nature of all created things. We recognize that each kind of thing in the world has its own “nature” and that a particular thing is more or less perfect to the degree that its proper nature is fulfilled in it – a good orange has a vivid color, little interior membrane and a sweet taste, for example.
Therefore, it is part and parcel of human nature to be inclined toward our authentically
human acts and end(s), which lead to eudaimonia or human flourishing. “Practical
reason” or prudence impels us toward those actions, which fulfill us in our human nature
prior to any intellectual deduction. Reason is further used to determine the best way to
achieve an end desired within a given situation.
The most basic principle of morality is that good is to be done and evil avoided. Life is
manifestly a good. Thus we are naturally impelled to preserve and nurture the lives that
God has given us. Suicide is rejected; we must take ordinary care of our health; we are
disposed to propagate our species. The pre-reflective dictates of practical reason also
impel us to pursue development of the rational virtues (prudence, aesthetics, intellectual
knowledge) as well as the virtues of the will (justice, courage, temperance). Furthermore,
it is necessary to work in conjunction with others for the furthering of the common good
of society as a whole.
Another crucial element of Catholic morality is the fact of sin and the redemption won
for us by Christ. It is because of sin (and first of all the Original Sin of Adam and Eve)
that human persons do not unfailingly pursue the good in morally appropriate ways. Sin
continues to cloud human reason, weaken the will, and incline us to do evil. These
effects of sin (or concupiscence) continue to plague the human person even after
Baptism. But through that Sacrament, the Divine Life of Jesus Christ begins to live in the
one baptized. By cooperating with the graces given by God, the Christian can
increasingly be conformed to the perfect human nature of Christ, and capable of rejecting
sin and doing what is right, true, and good.
CLICK HERE for more information on medical ethics from Fr. Beaulieu.
January 12, 2008
In the contemporary Catholic approach, medical ethics uses
the intellectual tools of fundamental moral theology and
applies them to clinical situations. The components of the
moral law are natural law, philosophical ethics, divine revelation,
and the magisterial teachings of the Church. As noted above,
Saint Thomas Aquinas holds pride of place in Catholic theology.
Simply put, Saint Thomas described the universe as caused by and cared for by God. The divine (or eternal) law of God is the means by which He rules the world that He brought into being. God’s divine law is reflected in the very nature of all created things. We recognize that each kind of thing in the world has its own “nature” and that a particular thing is more or less perfect to the degree that its proper nature is fulfilled in it – a good orange has a vivid color, little interior membrane and a sweet taste, for example.
Therefore, it is part and parcel of human nature to be inclined toward our authentically
human acts and end(s), which lead to eudaimonia or human flourishing. “Practical
reason” or prudence impels us toward those actions, which fulfill us in our human nature
prior to any intellectual deduction. Reason is further used to determine the best way to
achieve an end desired within a given situation.
The most basic principle of morality is that good is to be done and evil avoided. Life is
manifestly a good. Thus we are naturally impelled to preserve and nurture the lives that
God has given us. Suicide is rejected; we must take ordinary care of our health; we are
disposed to propagate our species. The pre-reflective dictates of practical reason also
impel us to pursue development of the rational virtues (prudence, aesthetics, intellectual
knowledge) as well as the virtues of the will (justice, courage, temperance). Furthermore,
it is necessary to work in conjunction with others for the furthering of the common good
of society as a whole.
Another crucial element of Catholic morality is the fact of sin and the redemption won
for us by Christ. It is because of sin (and first of all the Original Sin of Adam and Eve)
that human persons do not unfailingly pursue the good in morally appropriate ways. Sin
continues to cloud human reason, weaken the will, and incline us to do evil. These
effects of sin (or concupiscence) continue to plague the human person even after
Baptism. But through that Sacrament, the Divine Life of Jesus Christ begins to live in the
one baptized. By cooperating with the graces given by God, the Christian can
increasingly be conformed to the perfect human nature of Christ, and capable of rejecting
sin and doing what is right, true, and good.
CLICK HERE for more information on medical ethics from Fr. Beaulieu.
