This document summarizes several key moral principles in Catholic healthcare: 1. The principles of totality and integrity hold that a person's functional integrity may be sacrificed to preserve their life or health when no other options exist, such as removing diseased organs. However, this does not apply to reproductive organs without health risks. 2. Ordinary means of preserving life are obligatory, while extraordinary means are optional. Whether a treatment is ordinary or extraordinary depends on its risks, costs and chances of success weighed against a person's condition. 3. Confidentiality and professional secrecy are important but information may be disclosed for the common good, such as to prevent significant harm. 4. The principle of double

1. Ch 3 Selected Moral Principles

2. A. Totality and Integrity

“All persons served by Catholic health care
have the right and duty to protect and
preserve their bodily and functional
integrity. The functional integrity of the
person may be sacrificed to maintain the
health or life of the person when no other
morally permissible means is available.”
Ethical and Religious Directives for
Catholic Health Care Services.

3. 
The principle of totality is based on the
natural law which says that life is to be
preserved and maintained. Although this
does not mean using life-prolonging
procedures that are insufficiently beneficial.

4. 
Surgery for the good of the human body is
directly opposed to mutilation which is a
destruction of the body.

The principle of totality aims to preserve life
in its totality, in its whole and sometimes
that may mean sacrificing a part of the
body.

5. 
More concretely – examples may be
amputations, cancerous tissue removal,
organ removal.

Pg 14. On the removal of Healthy organs
1) when the preservation of the organ may
cause grave injury. 2)when the removal
means avoiding more serious
complications 3) when the removal will
diminish the risk of death.

6. 
This principle however may not be applied
to the generative organs (sterilization)
when the health of the individual is not at
stake. Here the end of preserving life is
not present.

Organ transplants are permissible as long
as the life of the donor is not placed at risk.

7. B. Ordinary and Extraordinary
Means.

These two terms refer to the means to
preserve life.

Ordinary means are obligatory.

Extraordinary are optional and many not be
chosen.

The extraordinary may be chosen with the
hope of healing a person or they may
produce no benefit.

8. 
The principle to preserve life is not
absolute.

Patients have the right to all information
concerning their status, this is not a
doctor's decision.

Read aloud directives 55, 56 and 57 pg 17

Analysis of Benefits and Burdens can be
complicated.

9. Videos on the Issues

Fr. Koterski - Speach on End of Life Issues

EWTN Roundtable on Last Issues

What is PVS? NCBC

Why is Catholic Health Care Unique?

10. C. Confidentiality

Confidentiality – the root word is a latin
word confidere – to trust. To show
confidence is to show trust with one
another.

Confidence – is not only having trust for
one another but showing respect for one
another.

Authority – given the position of authority of
a doctor care should be taken for a
person's reputations and condition.

11. 
Esteem for patience – speak well and not
in a depreciative manner. Slander x

Protect reputation

Upon receiving confidence, do not have the
right to divulge for whimsical matters. “Those
who might be privy to certain confidences do not have the
right to disclose them to others without the approval of the
person whom the knowledge is about” pg 20

12. 
Maintaining confidentiality for the Common
good.

Three types of secrets

Natural Secret

Professional Secret

Parent – Children Secrets

13. 
Professional Secrecy and the Common
Good.

If the observance of the professional
secrecy would be more harmful than
helpful for the common good, then the
obligation of secrecy ceases and is
replaced by the obligation to reveal the
secret. Pg 22

14. D. Principle of Double Effect

A good effect that is intended but along
with the good effect there is a concomitant
evil effect that is not intended.

“the principle of double effect governs
situation in which one action is followed by
two effects, one good (and intended), the
other evil (foreseen but not intended).”

15. Four Conditions for DE

1) the action in itself is a good act
considered in its object.

2) the good effect is intended not the bad
effect.

3) the good effect is not produced by the
bad effect.

4) there is a proportionately grave reason
for performing the bad act. Pg 24

16. 
Action Good in itself.

The object itself has to be good, if it is not
than the action cannot be taken, no matter
the good intent or good effects. Some acts
are always objectively wrong.

17. 
Intention of the act is for the morally good
act.

The intention for the good effect and the
bad effects are merely tolerated and not
wanted.

Although the intention is not enough for a
good act, the object in itself must be good.

18. 
No Evil Means to a Good End

The bad effect once again is not intended
but merely tolerated.

In these cases all other remedies must be
attempted first, this is a last resort type of
intervention.

We cannot do evil in order to procure
goodness.

19. 
Proportionate Reason – due proportion
between the good and bad effects.

Usually the overall health and life of a
person is a proportionate reason to a loss
of bodily function.

Video - Principle of Double Effect

20. F. Common Good

“The common good is a good that is
shared or participated in by many persons”
pg 31CHCE

Requires an organization – Politics,
Authority

Different from an an individual good

Principle of Subsidiarity

21. 
Principle of Common good requires
sacrifices from Individuals.

22. G. Conscience

Definition: Conscience is a person's reason
making a judgment of right or wrong
according to a set of moral principles that
a person holds with conviction.

23. Types of Conscience

Certain conscience – judges without doubt
or fear that the opposite is true.

Doubtful conscience – is a conscience that
either makes no judgment or judges with
fear that the opposite is true.

Erroneous conscience – is one that judges
good as evil or evil as good.

Correct conscience – judges good as good,
evil as evil.

24. 
Read Directive 28 and 32 from the book
CHCE and comment.

Conscience is inviolable, yet not infallible

The subjective guide to morality hearing
the objective voice speaking to it from
within, yet not confused with the self. Pg 32

25. Videos on Conscience

Catholic Conscience Video
Comments Fr. Barron Catholic Conscience
Cardinal Newman on Following Conscience