We are once again considering the wrongfulness of direct abortion and, more generally, the deliberate killing of human beings in…
A direct abortion is an abortion that is deliberately chosen and is always morally wrong. It is morally wrong because…
Human life is a precious gift from Godwho made man and woman in His own image and likeness. The human…
Human life is a precious gift from God. In its very first chapter, the Bible tells us, “God created mankind…
Spe Salvi (“saved in hope”) is the title of a marvelous encyclical letter written by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007. The…
In concluding these reflections on organ and tissue transplantation, I hope to be able to provide some guidance to the…
When we think of organ and tissue transplantation, we first might think of the donation of fully developed human body…
In order to ethically transplant vital organs from a consenting donor, it is necessary that the donor’s death be confirmed.…
Organ and tissue transplantation is a growing area of contemporary medical practice that raises a variety of ethical concerns. This…
Organ and tissue transplantation is a growing area of contemporary medical practice that raises a variety of ethical concerns. This…
The right of an individual to follow his or her conscience has long been a matter of dispute in our…
Dominican Friars Health Care Ministry of New York is an extension of the health care ministry of the Catholic Church.…
Jesus Christ, in his earthly lifetime, showed himself to be the divine physician, healing bodies and spirits by his power…
Jesus performed innumerable healing miracles during his brief public ministry. Jesus’ healings demonstrated the power and tender love of God…
The health care ministry of the Church’s ordained and commissioned ministers, as well as that of the Christian faithful who…
The health care ministry of the Catholic Church is – or at least ought to be – an extension of…
Every year we celebrate Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion. We hear the account of the Lord’s Passion from one…
In the gospels, there are dozens of stories in which people personally encounter Jesus and are transformed by the experience.…
According to the Gospel of John, Lazarus of Bethany, the brother of Martha and Mary, was ill, and his sisters…
When illness or injury threaten to end our lives or the lives of our loved ones, we may well find…
In our consideration of end-of-life health care, we seek to understand how we can determine which potentially life-sustaining measures are…
When someone is experiencing life-threatening illness or injury, ethical questions about the preservation of life often arise. What kinds of…
I have set before you life and death . . . Choose life (Deuteronomy 30:19). With these words, Moses exhorts God’s…
Human life is a precious gift from god. In its very first chapter, the Bible tells us, “God created mankind…
Dominican Friars Health Care Ministry of New York is blessed with a great number of faithful and dedicated people who…
The Eucharist, the most holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, is “the source and summit of the…
“For me, it has always been clear: life is worth it only if you want it.” Thus states Carlos Framb…
Most, if not all, of the ethical problems in the world of health care come from a failure to grasp…
Preservation of bodily life is among the most basic goals of health care. The means that are used to accomplish…
Bringing Holy Communion to the sick is an important part of Catholic health care ministry. In this reflection, we will…
Everybody wants to be home for Christmas. Everybody wants to spend Christmas with family. But some people can’t be home…
Like all human beings, patients receiving medical care can be identified with Jesus Christ by virtue of the Incarnation, the…
The patients I encounter in my health care ministry are not, for the most part, runners. Many of them can…
We often use the word “patient” when speaking of men and women who are receiving medical care without giving much…
Every year on the first of November, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of All Saints, the great commemoration of all…
There are great joys that people in health care get to experience. Patients get well, receive favorable diagnoses, overcome difficult…
We are accustomed to evaluating people according to professional standards. “She’s a good doctor.” “He’s a good accountant.” “Their second…
The sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, when administered to the dying, is called by the Catechism of the Catholic…
I am writing this on September 29, the feast day of the archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. They are the…
The Anointing of the Sick is a sacrament that is frequently misunderstood. When I receive emergency calls asking me to…
I have set before you life and death . . . choose life! The choice that Moses set before the…
Our society generally uses the term “reproductive rights” to refer to the options that should be made available to a…
Christian revelation tells us that seeking what is truly good — and seeking the one who is Truth and Goodness…
“The Church draws her life from the Eucharist.” With these words, Pope Saint John Paul II began his 2003 encyclical…
That illnesses can now be diagnosed and treated when a child is still in the womb represents a significant advance…
Every year at Pentecost the Church commemorates the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and the Blessed Virgin…
Conscience, according to Saint Thomas Aquinas, is the act of the human intellect by which “we judge that something should…
In recounting the events of Easter Sunday, The Gospel of Luke presents us with the beautiful narrative in which Jesus…
On Easter Sunday the Church is full of rejoicing! That rejoicing is expressed in many ways, but never more beautifully…
Throughout our lives, and most especially in the season of Lent, the Church invites us to reflect upon and more…