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Case #1Judy, a Catholic with three
children, is six weekspregnant and is
experiencing some
problems. After her
convulsions have been
controlled and her blood
pressure has been
stabilized, she is informed
that an emergency caesarean
delivery is necessary to treat her
condition. The fetus will certainly not survive
the delivery.
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Judy would like to saveher child, but she facesa potentially fatalpregnancy
complication if shedoes not have thecaesarian delivery.Delaying the delivery
can have adverseeffects on Judy.
Case #A
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Case #A
The logical step seemsto be to proceed with
the caesarian operation
that will result in anabortion.
Would you agree ordisagree? Why?
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Case #A
1. In this particular caseinvolving Judy, wouldabortion be considered
sinful and prohibited bythe Church? Why?
2. Is the act of abortionin general right, neutral,
or wrong? Why?
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DIRECT or INDIRECT ABORTION
A direct abortion is a deliberate action intended toexpel a live embryo or a live but non-viable fetus.Direct abortion is condemned by the Church as an
intrinsic evil.
An indirect abortion is the undesired but unavoidableexpulsion of a live embryo or a live but inviable fetus,as a result of a necessary treatment of a gravelypathological condition of the mother, usually in thereproductive system (such as cancer of the uterus inpregnancy). The Church considers indirect abortion asethically acceptable.
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For the Catholic Church, humanlife begins upon fertilization.
Sanctity of Life :
Life is a sacred gift fromGod. We dont have the
right to terminate it.When does human life begin?
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What do you
think?
When does human life begin?
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ROADSCaution
Suspicion
Reason
ASSENT or DISSENTto the Church?BLIND orREASONED?
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Case #3Ever since she came outof her coma for almost a
year, Rosario has beenin a persistent vegetativestate (PVS) and hasbeen subsisting onlythrough artificial feedingand hydration.
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Case #3
The family feels it can nolonger afford to continueand is asking you about
terminating the artificialfeeding and hydration,
which will eventually resultin the death of Rosario.
Would you agree ordisagree? Why?
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Not a medical act BUT one that is part of normal care
that must be given to everyone.
Artificial Feeding and Hydration
Withdrawing or Withholding ofLife-Support Systems
What are the benefits and harms to the individual,family and community in terms of:
- Degree of complexity and risk- Physical and moral resources- Inflicted pain on patient- Foreseen results
Is the cost proportionate or disproportionate?
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Case #3
1. In this particular caseinvolving Rosario, wouldterminating the artificial
hydration/feeding beconsidered sinful andprohibited by theChurch? Why?
2. Is this act in generalright, neutral, or wrong?Why?
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Dignity of theHuman Person :
Every person should be
treated with dignitybecause we are all createdin the image of God.
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For the Catholic Church, as long as thereis a living body, even if mental and
physical capacities are reduced or absent,there is still a person present who
deserves to be treated with respect and
care.
When does one stop being human?
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What do you
think?
When does one stop beinghuman?
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ROADSCaution
Suspicion
Reason
ASSENT or DISSENTto the Church?BLIND orREASONED?
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Wrestling with human cloning
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Human Cloning
1. In this particular casehuman cloning beconsidered sinful and
prohibited by theChurch? Why?
2. Is this act in generalbe right, neutral, orwrong? Why?
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Every person, regardless of how s/he may havebeen conceived/born, will have to be considered
human.
Dignity of the
Human Person :Every person should be treatedwith dignity because we are all
created in the image of God.
Who may not be considered human?
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Who may not be considered
human?
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ROADSCaution
Suspicion
Reason
ASSENT or DISSENTto the Church?BLIND orREASONED?
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Case #CAfter a ten-year marriage, Bradand Angelina Perez remainchildless. Theyve adopted
every possible child from everypossible nation, but they stilldecide that they want a child oftheir own. They see aspecialist who examines themand finds out that Brad is notcapable of becoming a father.
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Case #C
Because of this, Brad
and Angelina are
considering artificial
insemination so that
they can conceive a
child that is truly their
own.
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Case #C
Brad and Angelina hasapproached you for advice
about giving artificialinsemination a try.
Would you agree or
disagree? Why?
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TRANSMISSION OF LIFE BY ARTIFICIAL MEANS
By a donor outside of Marriage:Prohibited by the Church
By the husband: Allowed butonly on the conditionthat artificial insemination follows normal sexualintercourse, and consists basically in helping the spermreach the ovum so that it can fertilize the latter (by theuse of a syringe, or cervical spoon, or by methods ofconcentrating sperm density of the semen emitted duringintercourse).
Artificial Insemination
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IVF refers to the fertilization by a sperm cell in a laboratoryof an ovum extracted surgically from a woman.
ALL instances of IVF considered morally unacceptable by thehurch--even with an ovum from the wife and sperm from theusband because they separate the transmission of life from
he conjugal act.
The disposal or freezing of excess fertilized embryoesulting from IVF procedures: also prohibited by the Churchecause it violates the dignity and sanctity of life of humanmbryos
In Vitro Fertilization & Embryo Transfer
TRANSMISSION OF LIFE BY ARTIFICIAL MEANS
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Every act of procreation should involve
sexual intercourse between husband and
wife.
The bond between the unitive andprocreative meanings of the conjugal
actGod has designed marital love to be bothan expression of love and the means for
procreation.
Is it properly human toprocreate without sex?
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What do you
think?
Is it properly human toprocreate without sex?
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ROADSCaution
Suspicion
Reason
ASSENT or DISSENTto the Church?BLIND or
REASONED?
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What
have youlearned
so far ?
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(1) Appreciate theAMBIGUITY &COMPLEXITYof moral situations.
(2) Clarify your answer tothe ESSENTIALQUESTIONS about thevalues underlying thedilemmas.
(3) Understand the reasonsand values behind theCATHOLIC MORALPRINCIPLES.
When we engage inMORAL REASONING:
(4) Inform and follow yourCONSCIENCE in makinga reasoned ASSENT.
(5) If you must DISSENT,make sure youve gonethrough not only theRoad of Reason, but alsothe Roads of Caution andSuspicion.
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Every opportunity you
have in engaging inmoral reasoning withanother person is aDEFINING MOMENT.
When we face moraldecisions, we defineourselves as persons.
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Our moral decisions shapewho we are.
Exercise
moralresponsibility.