Application of the social teaching of the Church and applying the light of faith to promoting a more compassionate and fair society.

Rooted in the healing activity of Christ, an institution upholds the dignity of the whole person – body, mind, and soul. It thereby attends not only to the physical symptoms encompassing the spiritual, psychological and social dimensions of human suffering.

Built upon the inviolable nature of human dignity, the patient-professional relationship is a sacred inter-personal partnership that transcends considerations of medical utility, economic status or physical condition. Communication must be open and honest, completely free from manipulation, intimidation, or condescension, enabling the patient to share vital information and the provider to apply their medical competence.

Beginning at the moment of fertilization and created in the image and likeness of God, destined for union with God, life at any stage or condition possesses an inherent, sacred dignity. Such respect and dignity is never earned or lost when some arbitrary milestone—physiological or lack of awareness—has been clinically determined. The marriage covenant and the family safeguards life as in the family life begins and the fruit of chaste love flourishes in children.

While a known reality, death and dying are meant to be faced with the confidence of faith. There is a duty to accept ordinary treatment, offering a reasonable hope of combatting the lethal condition without imposing undue physical, emotional or financial burdens in doing so. More extraordinary treatment proposals that are burdensome, experimental, or offering no measurable beneficial effect are optional. The distinction between direct and indirect should be addressed – a direct effect is an intended end or means of an action, whereas an indirect effect is an unintended side effect or evil that develops after the act and, hence, it is only tolerated or understood as an unintended side effect of the good. A good outcome is never justified by bad means prior to the good desired. The good effect must outweigh or be proportionate to the negative side effect. Suicide and euthanasia are never morally acceptable options.

Collaborating arrangements, whether as individuals or as a Catholic institution merging or engaging other-than-Catholic providers has the complicity of such cooperation governed by the distinction between formal and material cooperation in evil. Formal cooperation means intentionally helping or sharing the evil intent of another person’s wrongful act and, as such, is always wrong. Material cooperation means providing physical help or using a service that aids a wrongful act without sharing the evil intent. If the cooperator intends, desires, or agrees with the immoral action, then, it is formal in nature whereas material cooperation can be immediate or remote. Though immediate material cooperation may not embrace the evil intention but is essential to the evil happening; thus, it is tantamount to formal cooperation and always sinful. Cooperation in a sinful act that is secondary and subservient to the act or evil intentions can be either proximate or remote. Proximate mediate material cooperation—necessary for the evil act to occur is always sinful. Yet, while remote material cooperation is sinful, except under certain conditions: the act rendering cooperation is not itself sinful and has two effects: the good one chosen and the bad effect merely tolerated. A justifiable reason used to cooperate is proportionate. Scandal is avoided by various means such as protest, explanation or another public forum.