Fr. Tom Knoblach Consultant for Healthcare Ethics, Diocese of St. Cloud.
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Healing and the Church: Catholic Approaches to Medical Practice Fr. Tom Knoblach Consultant for Healthcare Ethics, Diocese of St. Cloud
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Transcript of Fr. Tom Knoblach Consultant for Healthcare Ethics, Diocese of St. Cloud.
Healing and the Church:
Catholic Approachesto Medical Practice
Fr. Tom KnoblachConsultant for Healthcare Ethics,
Diocese of St. Cloud
1) How should “mission” and “margin” be
balanced?
2) How should Catholic health care respond to
victims of sexual assault?
3) When may labor be induced?
4) May tubal ligation be performed to prevent
risks associated with a future pregnancy ?
Quaestiones DisputataeA Small Sample
5) How can we ensure that a patient’s
preferences for end of life care are honored?
6) When is the provision of medically-assisted
nutrition and hydration morally required?
7) When may implantable cardiac devices be
disabled?
8) May a Catholic hospital partner with another
provider that does elective sterilizations?
Others ? …
“Peace be with you. As the Father has sent
me, so I send you.” And when he had said this,
he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.” …
“Have you come to believe because you have
seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen
and have believed.”
We begin with the Resurrection, because:“The mystery of Christ casts light on every
facet of Catholic health care: to see Christian love as the animating principle of health care; to see healing and compassion as a continuation of Christ’s mission; to see suffering as a participation in the redemptive power of Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection; and to see death, transformed by the resurrection, as an opportunity for a final act of communion with Christ.” [ERD, General Introduction]
When is health care Catholic health care?◦ “When the bishop says it is”
Can. 300 – No association shall assume the name “Catholic” without the consent of the competent ecclesiastical authority, in accord with the norm of can. 312.
◦possible points of reference: visible symbols, structures, and presence commitment to ERD and other moral
teachings option for the poor / social witness canonical structures and reserved powers
from Ex Corde Ecclesiae, n. 17:◦ animated by Christian inspiration◦manifests ongoing commitment to its proper
mission in the world◦maintains fidelity to the Gospel as it comes
through the Church◦ provides visible service in witness to the
transcendent
Goal: the practice of medicine in a genuinely Catholic way◦ animated by Christ’s teaching, a collaboration
with the healing ministry of Christ, as a mission of the Church
◦ a holistic view of the person, body and soul, and made in the image of God
◦ a vocation to use one’s gifts wisely and generously for the common good as a witness to charity (“beyond the Hippocratic Oath”)
◦ upholding the inherent dignity of each human life, regardless of the circumstances of the person’s development or decline
◦ accepting the responsibilities and the limits of human capabilities to restore health or preserve life, rooted in the belief in eternal life
An open, honest, constructive, and routine relationship with the bishop(s) is essential and worth the time and effort it requires ◦Governance structures where applicable◦Reporting relationships◦Organizations (CMA) at the non-institutional
level◦Sense of personal ownership for the larger
mission of the Church◦Who is the liaison?
An awareness of Catholic moral teaching as related to the practice of medicine is required◦ In general, natural law illumined by
revelation, reflecting on the complex and composite nature of the human person and his/her capacities
◦The “three fonts” of morality◦The role of conscience◦The centrality of prudence◦The connection of the virtues◦The personal pursuit of holiness (cf.
Spe Salvi)◦Magisterial teaching on specific
issues …
When ethical questions arise, what do I actually do?
◦Gather the relevant facts
◦Refer to the ERD
◦Refer to general principles of Catholic moral
teaching
◦Refer to Catholic commentators / “auctores probati”
◦Refer to experience (individual and collective,
institutional policy, consultation)
◦Refer to secular standards of practice, legal factors,
current trends, “general secular morality” for
context and contrast
The reality: each of us forms our own
personal ethical synthesis from various
sources
◦Family system
◦Educational experiences
◦Religious tradition / beliefs
◦Personal life experiences
◦Listening to people we come to trust
For convenience, various principles develop
Principles are tools – templates developed from
past experiences that serve as shorthand and
“starting points” (points of reference) in
deliberating about specific cases
Not answers but help frame the right questions
They are general rules that must be applied
with prudence to particular situations
A few examples: “The Georgetown Mantra” – Beneficence,
Non-maleficence, Autonomy, and Justice Double Effect (when an action has both
good and bad effects) Totality (parts exist for the sake of the
whole) Common Good (conditions necessary in the
community for its members to thrive) Confidentiality Ordinary and Extraordinary Means Informed Consent Principles governing Cooperation (when I
interact with someone doing things against my own moral commitments)
All the right theories, principles, and policies in the world still need to be lived out by persons in concrete circumstances – recall that ethics is a practical discipline
Prudence grows with knowledge gained by study, experience, and reflection
Prudence allows us to make the best choice, here and now, in these circumstances, while respecting our larger commitments with integrity
Where are your interests in learning more?
Where do you look for resources / information?
Questions / Discussion …
