Introduction
We live in a complex world in which all of the various sides of an issue can have a large number of passionate adherents. In addition they can all claim to have objective and valid evidence for their respective positions even though the positions are inconsistent and even contradictory. These controversies are confusing, unsettling and leave us wondering what is the right thing to do.
This memo on Catholic moral decision making can help you find clarity and peace. Its purpose is not to tell what your decision should be on any issue. Rather it presents a “road map” to forming your conscience on a moral question that will be in accord with the moral teaching of the Roman Catholic Church. It will help you arrive at the right decision for you as a faithful Catholic. That is the way to eternal life with the Risen Lord. Sharing His glory when our journey here on earth is ended is the deepest desire of the human heart and the very purpose of our existence.
Approval by a Bishop
Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki reviewed and approved of the method presented here. I appreciate the time he spent doing so. He is the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Springfield IL and teaches a course on Catholic health care ethics at the University of Notre Dame. See his article attached below for further guidance on the question of the moral obligations of being or not being vaccinated for COVID-19.
Dear Fr. Bill,
I think your memo on Catholic moral decision-making is well-written and morally sound. Your memo in conjunction with my article, the article by Fr. Tad Pacholczyk and the links to the USCCB and Vatican documents provide ample analysis that should be helpful for anyone seeking moral guidance on this issue.
Peace and blessings,
† Bishop Paprocki
Why Making the Right Moral Decisions is of Utmost Importance
The Bible reveals repeatedly that each person’s eternal judgement will depend on their deeds or works, that is, their decisions and actions and how they lived their life. Four examples of this biblical teaching:
- “… the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and will come out – those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation” (Jn 5:28-29);
- “For all of us must appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Cor 5:10);
- “… O Lord. For you repay to all according to their work.” (Ps 62:13; “Work” here is a biblical idiom for works or deeds);
- “… [God] judges people, each according to their deeds” (Sir 16:12).
This includes moral decisions that involve complex and controversial issues. Every Catholic is obliged to make their own moral decision guided by a well formed conscience. Making the right moral decision depends on using the right method.
Method for Catholic Moral Decision Making
To illustrate the method of Catholic moral decision making we will consider the moral question: To accept a COVID-19 vaccine or not.
1. Pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance throughout the moral decision making process.
2. Approach the question with an open mind. Begin the analysis with each of the options – to vaccinate or not – having an equal chance of becoming your decision. This means not uncritically jumping on bandwagons – either way – before beginning the process.
This is a biblical teaching:
“Those who plead the case first seem to be in the right; then the opponent comes and cross-examines them.” (Proverbs 18:17)
Explanatory comment of this verse by the bible scholar who translated the Book of Proverbs from the original biblical language – ancient Hebrew – to modern American English:
“A persuasive speech in court can easily make one forget there is another side to the question. When the other party speaks, people realize they made a premature judgment. The experience at court is a lesson for daily life: there are two sides to every question.”
This is also common sense: Making up one’s mind about an issue before examining it and looking at all sides of the question is not the path to truth. Doing so risks being an exercise in laziness, caving in to the ego or allowing yourself to be led astray by other people’s opinions, point of view or agendas.
3. The following principles are paramount and must guide the process:
- The primacy of human life. All humans are made “in the image and likeness of God” (Gn 1:27). In particular Catholics are “temples of the Holy Spirt” (1 Cor 6:19) by virtue of the sanctifying grace received in the sacraments. Therefore human life is always to be protected and fostered.
- Promote the common good. Christians do not live just for themselves or even their families but for the benefit of the larger society they live in and the world.
- Take all the factors relevant to the decision into account, not just one. For example, the fact that the Pfizer vaccine used a cell line derived from a cell of the kidney of a baby aborted in 1972 as part of the testing regimen for its vaccine is certainly an important consideration in deciding whether to accept that vaccine. However that is not the only relevant factor relevant to this moral question. Others are: the fact that large millions of people across the world are being infected with the corona virus and are suffering and dying as a result; the huge economic dislocation resulting from the pandemic; the disruption of education and social life; a large portion of the healthcare profession stating that vaccines such as Pfizer can help protect the population from the pandemic.
- Read the primary source first before consulting secondary sources. For example, in the case of a papal pronouncement, the papal document or transcript of a talk by the Pope should be read first. Then if you wish consult secondary sources such as commentaries, analyses, opinions etc. about the Papal pronouncement. In no case should you use secondary sources to form an opinion without consulting the primary source first (unfortunately this often happens regarding papal documents and pronouncements, people form an opinion based solely on secondary sources such as the media – in many cases only the secular media – without reading what the Pope himself actually said or wrote!).
- Use only statements, data etc. within the full context in which they appear. Do not accept or take into account statements lifted out of the larger context in which they originally appeared. This can lead to distorted and even erroneous ideas of what the statement, data etc. really say. This method of using information makes one vulnerable to manipulation by the one presenting data divorced from its context.
4. Perform an unbiased investigation of each side of the question:
For Example: To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate COVID-19:
- In Favor of Vaccination: Arguments, data, evidence etc.
- Not Being Vaccinated: Arguments, data, evidence etc.
5. Keeping the above principles in mind evaluate the evidence for each option and draw a conclusion.
6. Keep an open mind regarding your conclusion. Be willing to change it if subsequent evidence comes to light that indicates your original conclusion was not the best. This can easily happen when you are deciding complex and controversial issues such as whether to vaccinate or not for COVID-19. Ongoing research, experimentation, scientific and statistical monitoring of the situation etc. can produce new data that was not available at the time of your original investigation.
All this sounds like a lot of time and work for a complex and controversial issue. Is there another way to come to a good moral decision?
Yes. Catholics can – and should – follow the teachings and example of the Holy Father. He is the Vicar of Christ on earth and is informed by the best theological minds in the Church. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in the Vatican performs a thorough and objective assessment of major moral issues such as the question of COVID-19 vaccination. They also have access to the top authorities and minds in a given field when performing moral assessments. One of the Vatican’s most valuable services to the universal Church is that they do the hard, time consuming work described above for us! They also do it much better than most of us can because of the resources available to the Vatican.
We are the sheep and the pope is our shepherd. We should obey him, especially on important moral issues. True obedience means obeying the Pope at all times, even when we have a different way of thinking about an issue and even when we disagree with his position. He exemplifies the truth in word and action. This of course goes against the individualism, relativism and subjectivism of the profoundly secular culture we are immersed in every day. Nevertheless obeying and following the example of the pope is pleasing to the Lord (whom the pope reports to) and an important aspect of Catholic spirituality. It is assurance our moral decisions are pleasing to the Lord which is the way to heaven. It is also necessary to achieve the perfect unity Christ wills for His Church, “… that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, … so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me…” (Jn 17:21-23). This applies to all matters including those that do not involve papal infallibility.
Here are the links to the Vatican and USCCB documents that provide a fuller discussion of the moral issue regarding COVID-19 vaccination:
The moral obligations of all the faithful regarding COVID-19 vaccines: When you need hope look to the pope! When you need light keep him in sight!
Those who accept a vaccine that used cell lines derived from cell(s) from an aborted child have a moral obligation. They should contact the firm that produced the vaccine, i.e., Pfizer, Moderna etc. and inform them that:
- Those who recognize the fact that life begins at conception should not be forced into the moral dilemma of being vaccinated against their conscience (with a vaccine having a connection to abortion) or not being vaccinated at all.
- Using cell lines related to abortion is unnecessary. There are other sources for cells adequate for research, development, testing and production of vaccines. Some of these sources might be cells from miscarried or stillborn babies, umbilical cords etc.
- Contact:
Those who choose not to be vaccinated are morally obligated to minimize the chance they will spread the virus to others, particularly the most vulnerable such as the elderly, sick and infirm etc. This means the unvaccinated must wear masks whenever in public, maintain physical distance of six feet or more and sanitize their hands frequently.
