Janet E. Smith

The Pre-eminence of Autonomy in Bioethics

Upon reading case books on medical ethics or simply news reports in the media, one cannot escape noticing that the medical professions are currently involved in practices that some few decades ago would have been unthinkable, not only because of the level of technology involved, but because of the then prevailing moral evaluation of the practices. One reads of Dr. Kevorkian and his death machine; of a sixty-one-year-old woman having a baby conceived with another woman’s ovum in a petri dish; of embryos created solely for experimental purposes; of vital organs taken from living anencephalic infants; of millions of abortions yearly. Clearly a revolution of some kind, beyond the merely technological, has taken place.

Special issue in Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of Humanae vitae

The Linacre Quarterly is preparing a special issue in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the papal encyclical Humanae vitae. In this short encyclical, Blessed Paul VI, besides confirming Church teaching on how contraception violates God’s plan for sexuality, also called on physicians to acquire the knowledge necessary to give wise counsel and healthy direction on moral methods of family planning to married persons. He also called on scientists to develop and study effective methods of natural family planning. In memory of his prophetic vision, we are inviting papers that discuss the consequences of the use of contraceptives, use of natural family planning, and the effects of methods of NFP on marital dynamics, the medical professions, and society. We ask authors to reflect on the goal of the Linacre Quarterly, to reveal the truths of the Catholic Church in the science and practice of medicine. Articles submitted for publication will be evaluated not only for their educational or informational value related to this topic, but also for contribution to a deeper understanding of ethical issues arising from the encyclical Humanae vitae (HV). Submissions could address, but are not limited to:

Guided Autonomy and Good Friend Physicians

The professional discipline of bioethics for some time now has seemed to be concerned primarily with two major questions.1 One is how various ethical theories such as utilitarianism, deontology, natural law ethics, principlism, feminist care ethics or casuistry (and perhaps other systems as well) would assess a certain action, e.g., assisted suicide or cloning.

Conscience, Contraception, and Catholic Health-Care Professionals

The Churchs teachings are often very challenging. Those who are involved in the health-care professions and who conduct their practices in accord with Church teaching can expect misunderstanding and even rejection from their colleagues and patients. One of the most difficult teachings of the Church is its condemnation of contraception. In 1968 Pope Paul VI issued the encyclical Humanae vitae, which hit the world like a bomb. In it he affirmed the Churchs long-standing teaching on human sexuality and condemned contraception in particular. Today scientific advances such as in vitro fertilization and embryonic stem-cell research, as well as the challenges in making moral decisions about end-of-life care, make it increasingly difficult for health-care professionals to practice in accord with their deeply held moral convictions. Developing a properly formed conscience, which is the voice of God, is essential in dealing with these contemporary issues and making right choices. This essay outlines the process for properly forming the conscience. It also explains why prescribing contraception is morally wrong.