Making Sense of Bioethics: Column 145: Considering the Options for Infertile Couples

It can be helpful to keep in mind a particular “rule of thumb” for determining whether a procedure is morally acceptable: treatments that assist the marital act are permissible, while those that replace, or substitute for, the marital act raise serious moral objections.

Making Sense of Bioethics: Column 144: Can I Donate My Body to Science?

Although there are not any fundamental moral objections to donating our bodies to science, certain details of how the donation is carried out are important.

Making Sense of Bioethics: Column 143: Doping Athletes

It seems fair to conclude that doping constitutes a form of cheating not only of one’s competitors, but also one's fans, oneself, and the integrity of the sporting activity itself.

Making Sense of Bioethics: Column 142: The Ethics of New Age Medicine

Sometimes a remedy can be borrowed from Chinese, Indian or another medical tradition, but it should be chosen for its efficacy, safety, and reasonable mode of action, and not be in conflict with principles of sound medical science or Christian teaching.

Making Sense of Bioethics: Column 141: I'm Not "Intrinsically Disordered!"

Intrinsically disordered acts, while always destructive to ourselves and to others, do not put us outside of the eventual reach of grace and mercy...

Making Sense of Bioethics: Column 140: How Does the Catholic Church Resolve New Bioethical Questions?

Many people appreciate that the Catholic Church holds firm and well-defined positions on moral questions, even if they may remain unsure about how or why the Church actually arrives at those positions, especially when it comes to unpacking new scientific developments like embryonic stem cell research.

Making Sense of Bioethics: Column 139: Thinking Through the Temptation of Cohabitation

Sex, of course, has a certain power all its own, and both sides may be tempted to play with it in ways that are potentially damaging, all the more so when they decide to cohabit.

Making Sense of Bioethics: Column 138: It's Not Wrong, If It Feels Right!

Most of us, in fact, have probably granted our emotions leeway to trump our better moral judgment somewhere along the line.

Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, PhD—Director of EducationDecember 30, 2016Natural Law, Universal Morality

Making Sense of Bioethics: Column 137: Orphans in Liquid Nitrogen

Some humanitarian tragedies occur quietly and “in the background,” only gradually coming to light years or decades after serious harm has already occurred...

Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, PhD—Director of EducationNovember 30, 2016Embryos, Frozen Embryos

Making Sense of Bioethics: Column 136: The Multiple Moral Problems of Surrogacy

Surrogacy raises grave moral concerns, and powerfully undermines the dignity of human procreation, particularly when it comes to the women and children involved in the process.

Making Sense of Bioethics: Column 135: Leaving Our Values at the Door of the Strip Club

Good parents never drive their children to strip clubs, and neither should any institution entrusted with a protective parental role; on the contrary, such institutions should erect appropriate boundaries and limits on harmful behaviors, so their residents can grow and flourish...

Making Sense of Bioethics: Column 134: Talking to Kids About Porn & Human Sexuality

...the home setting needs to differ from the outside world, serving as an oasis and a protected environment for children.

Making Sense of Bioethics: Column 133: Cremains & Respect for the Human Body

Proper disposition and care of another’s body also manifests our Christian faith in the resurrection of that body on the Last Day.

Making Sense of Bioethics: Column 132: Seeing through the Intersex Confusion

While a newborn’s ‘intrinsic maleness’ or ‘intrinsic femaleness’ may be difficult to assess in certain more complicated intersex cases, the point remains that there is an ‘intrinsic’ or ‘underlying’ sexual constitution that we must do our best to recognize, respect, and act in accord with.

Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, PhD—Director of EducationJune 30, 2016Intersex

Making Sense of Bioethics: Column 131: Embryos & the 14-Day Rule

That every one of us was once an embryo remains an indisputable scientific dogma, causing a "fingernails on the chalkboard" phenomenon for researchers every time they choose to experiment on embryos...

Rev. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, PhD—Director of EducationMay 30, 2016Embryos, Research

Making Sense of Bioethics: Column 130: On Aging Gracefully

Our later years can powerfully provoke us to come to terms with our destiny and with higher truths.

Making Sense of Bioethics: Column 129: Catholics and Acceptable Uses of Contraceptives

…while the Church has always taught that marital acts of contraception are morally wrong, the use of contraceptives can sometimes be acceptable within certain other contexts outside of consensual conjugal acts.

Making Sense of Bioethics: Column 128: Human Organs from Pigs — Is It Kosher?

...significant technical and ethical hurdles remain before growing organs in pigs is likely to be feasible. The science is still in its infancy, and researchers have yet to figure out how to make human cells co-exist in a stable fashion with animal tissues.

Making Sense of Bioethics: Column 127: At the Heart of the Tragedy of Addiction

They may feel they are defined entirely by their addiction, unlovable and wretched, rather than seeing that they are, in fact, human beings who are precious to God and those around them, and even now endowed with some tiny space of remaining freedom.

Making Sense of Bioethics: Column 126: A Higher Standard Than for Cats and Dogs

For all our similarities to the rest of the animal kingdom, we are aware of a fundamental difference in kind between ourselves and our furry friends. We are not meant to die just as animals do, or be euthanized as they are.

“Making Sense of Bioethics” CMS