Ethics & Medics

Although we should respect the autonomy of our patients and engage in shared decision-making with them, the debate over Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS) has not given sufficient attention to other principles that need to be addressed in these discussions. In trying to offer a sound ethical analysis of this movement, we must weigh consequences that go beyond the individual patient and the physician. Concerns about the unintended consequences of PAS to the social dimension of human life are explored in this paper.

The nature of the Catholic faith often places practitioners at odds with established order and the specificity of our values may cause us to run afoul of secular sensibilities. What follows is a collection of writings by National Catholic Bioethics Center President, Dr. Joseph Meaney, exploring our place in the public square, the proper way to respond to government driven injustice, and some specific instances in which the current administration has infringed or threatened to infringe upon the conscience and religious rights of not just faithful Catholics, but faithful members of many other religions as well.

One of the most important questions when determining when it is appropriate to procure organs from a deceased organ donor is what can be considered death. Currently, there is significant debate over whether brain death is an appropriate method of declaring an individual dead. As it would be illicit to cause the death of a patient by removing their organs, a medical professional must be certain that a brain dead patient is, in fact, dead before the procedure. In this paper, the author makes the case in support of considering brain death actual death.

Parents have the autonomous right to choose or refuse a treatment for their child, even those that are life sustaining, if it is extraordinary or disproportionate and it is within the best interest and well-being of their child. Pediatric health care is practiced with the goal of promoting the best interests of the child to do so. Treatment is generally rendered under a presumption in favor of sustaining life. However, in some circumstances, the balance of benefits and burdens to the child leads to an assessment that forgoing life-sustaining medical treatment (LSMT) is ethically supportable or advisable. Input from specialists in palliative care, ethics, pastoral care, and other disciplines enhances support for families and medical staff when decisions to forgo LSMT are being considered.

The Supreme Court’s decision in the Dobb’s case has given rise to confusion in the medical community, mostly concerning the specific definition of an abortion and what procedures are acceptable. Catholic bioethics has a long history of examining the ethical issues surrounding procedures used in vital conflict situations and other instances where direct or indirect abortion may be the preferred treatment. This article lays out the important points and ethical dimensions surrounding some of the most common pregnancy related interventions and provides guidance to physicians seeking to treat both patients in a manner that acknowledges their value as human beings.

The Supreme Court’s decision in the Dobb’s case has given rise to confusion in the medical community, mostly concerning the specific definition of an abortion and what procedures are acceptable. Catholic bioethics has a long history of examining the ethical issues surrounding procedures used in vital conflict situations and other instances where direct or indirect abortion may be the preferred treatment. This article lays out the important points and ethical dimensions surrounding some of the most common pregnancy related interventions and provides guidance to physicians seeking to treat both patients in a manner that acknowledges their value as human beings.

This article discusses the shift in recent years of treatment for gender dysphoria, particularly in teens, away from psychotherapy and toward hormonal treatments. The author argues that, especially given the vulnerability of minors and the potentially damaging and lifelong effects of these hormonal treatments, psychotherapy should be preferred. The author also notes that the ability to give consent to such irreversible treatments is lacking or nonexistent in many minors.

Interactions between the media and Catholic institutions can be difficult to navigate, especially given the nuances of Catholic teaching and the desire of media outlets to convey the desired information in a succinct and easily digestible manner. However, these interactions also present an opportunity for evangelization and clarification of Catholic principles. Any instance of communication between Catholic institutions and secular media outfits should be done carefully and deliberately so as to limit the risks of any given statement being taken out of context or otherwise misrepresented.

Church teaching is often difficult to digest for those unfamiliar with its nuances. In particular, teachings related to IVF are seen as insensitive to those who were conceived and born as a result of the process. In this article, Rev. Kizewski explains the difference between primary and secondary causality, as well as defective choices and their results. In short, Catholic teaching on the illicit nature of the processes involved in IVF should in no way be taken as a condemnation of individuals conceived during those processes.

In this article, John Brehany continues his discussion of both the history of the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services and what future revisions might be needed. This article focuses on Part 4, the largest section of the ERDs. Part 4 addresses ethical issues related to respect for human life, fertility, assisted reproduction, surrogacy, prenatal testing, and genetic counseling.

The principle of a preferential option for the poor is an oft misunderstood Catholic teaching, in part because it is rarely explored beyond casual invocation. In this article, Christopher Reilly explores this principle as it pertains to Bioethics. In order to clarify the concept, this article puts forth nine points to follow in order to effectively implement this principle.

Brain death is a contentious subject, especially in the area of Catholic bioethics. Answering the question of when an individual is truly dead has a wide application in the field of medicine, particularly when determining when it is licit to begin the process of organ transplantation. Global Ischemic Penumbra raises an additional issue in that it closely mimics brain death, but is not in fact a terminal condition.

Recent years have seen a near exponential expansion of the acceptance of gender as a mutable aspect of the human experience, rather than as an essential property of the human individual. In this article, Pizzo explores this move and the assertions of those who espouse it. In addition, he makes the case that this move is part of a fundamental misunderstanding of human sexuality and the nature of gender in human society.

The question of when life begins is well established in the field of embryology. However, modern philosophy has given rise to the question of when a living human organism is, in fact, human. With serious ramifications in the issue of abortion, establishing the humanity of a growing human organism is still a contentious issue. Dias details the course of development of the human organism, giving compelling evidence that from the beginning of life the human organism is the same unique human being and should be given the rights appropriate to a human person.

Acceptance of Physician-Assisted Suicide has been on the rise, especially in recent years. However, it is the position of the Catholic church that this practice denies the inherent dignity of all human beings from the point of conception to natural death. The Art of Dying, a classic Catholic text recently translated into English, provides a more compassionate, faithful, and dignified approach to end-of-life care that recognizes the rights of the dying, as well as their loved ones, while remaining faithful to the teachings of the Church.

The ethical teachings of the Catholic church are often difficult to accept and understand, particularly for those with limited education in Catholic theology. Further, especially for in school or parochial situations, there is often little time to explain these positions deeply. In this essay, Cara Buskmiller, MD, proposes a simple way of quickly explaining different teachings using the concept of adding to or subtracting from the beauty of God’s plans for us.

In Vitro fertilization (IVF) is considered objectively immoral by the Catholic Church. However, there are several alternatives that have not been specifically addressed by the Church. This article discusses several of these alternatives and examines their viability from a moral standpoint. This is done with specific attention to fertility efforts used following uterus transplantation (UTx).

This article is taken from a letter written by Dr. Joseph Meaney, president of the National Catholic Bioethics Center regarding the fiftieth anniversary of the Center’s founding. It discusses several issues in medical and scientific advancement, as well as their moral implications.