Catholic morality is clear and definite: there are certain acts that are inherently, always and everywhere, of their very nature, evil. And can NEVER be done, whatever the intentions or circumstances.
Actions Not Inherently Evil. You may be surprised by the actions that are NOT inherently evil, but can be good, depending upon the circumstances, consequences and intention. Stealing can be good: if you take from the rich to feed the hungry, like a Robin Hood. Lying can be good: if you tell the Gestapo there are no Jews hiding in your attic but there really are. Cutting off an arm can be good: if a surgeon does it to save a life. Killing (but not the innocent) can be good: if necessary to protect life as in war, police work and (yes!) the death penalty.
Inherently Evil Actions fall mostly under two categories: violence against the innocent and sexuality/new life. Both uphold the sacredness of human life: at its origin and conclusion.
Violence against, especially killing of, the innocent can never be right. This applies to abortion and to war. For example, the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima was wrong by Catholic standards because innocent people were directly, intentionally massacred. The justification for Truman's decision was, of course, that the alternative was worse: to end the war without the Bomb would probably have required an invasion of Japan that would have resulted in more deaths, of our soldiers and the Japanese themselves. This calculus of consequences makes sense; but not for a Catholic! We simply cannot target innocents! We cannot participate in the act...Ever!
This same absolute prohibition applies to suicide, euthanasia, torture and others.
Sexuality, which touches life at its origin rather than its conclusion, is similarly endowed with reverence and prohibitions. It is the locus of the creation of a new soul; the deepest expression of the person; and a communion of unparalleled intimacy. It belongs to spousal union, only. Outside of that sacred, protected space, all sexual engagement is always disordered: adultery, fornication, prostitution, pornography, masturbation, homosexuality, pedophilia, polygamy/polyandry and other.
This moral clarity serves a Catholic well: we know with certainty that certain acts cannot even be considered. We live in an ordered, predictable, and intelligent, moral universe. We do not make the rules, but we obey them in filial trust, reverence and loyalty.
(Clarification: in such moral discussion we are condemning the action as evil, not the actor. We know that only God knows the human heart and can judge there. Human actions are normally clouded by ignorance, confusion, and passions of anxiety, anger and desire. Our principle is always: "Hate the sin, Love the sinner.")
Double Effect is the principle that allows the performance of actions that are not inherently evil but have bad consequences in order to achieve good consequences but only if: the good consequence does not flow directly from the bad; and the good consequence, but not the bad, is intended. Examples: A surgeon amputates an infected leg to save a life. The goal is to save the life; the severed limb is an unintended but accepted consequence. A pregnant woman has cancer of the uterus that will kill her and the baby. The surgeon may remove the growth, even if it has the unintended consequence of destroying the embryo, to save the mother's life. In warfare and police work deadly force is used to protect the innocent. The target must be the aggressor, not innocents and civilians. This allows that the use of such force can result in collateral, or unintended, dying of innocent bystanders; but that cannot be clearly intended or anticipated.
Relativism is the moral approach that rejects the idea of absolutes, of clear moral principles, of a firm and intelligible natural order. Rather, it is up to the individual to calculate the probable consequences of alternate actions and decide which is best. So, for the relativist, in some circumstances, a nuclear attack, torture of a terrorist, or premarital sex might be the good decision if the intentions are proper. Even within the Church this fashion is spreading.
Case Studies How would a Catholic, unlike a relativist, decide the following?
A chaste, young virgin is desired by a lustful, powerful, billionaire psychopath. He tells her: If you will indulge me, I will give $1,000,000,000 to help the poor and homeless. If you will not have me, I will use that same $1,000,000,000 to kill and torture innocent people. He means it! He is a real psycho! Should she consider it?
A strong Russian army is crossing a bridge into a major city to destroy it and many of its residents. Ukrainian guerillas are set to blow up the bridge, destroy the Russians, save the city and its inhabitants. But then they see there is a 5-year-old girl skipping on the bridge. If they detonate, she will be killed. But it will save countless lives. May they detonate? What if it was a 75-year-old grandfather skipping?
The CIA are certain that a nuclear bomb is set to explode within six hours in NYC. They have a key terrorist in custody. He is unbreakable except...he loves his 12-year-old daughter who is also in custody. If they torture her, he will likely give the information. This may save millions. Should they do so?
A doctor's friend is suffering a painful, terminal disease and severe depression. He requests aid in committing euthanasia. Death is inevitable anyway. May he cause a "mercy killing?"
Same scenario: the friend is suffering pain. The doctor treats the pain with heavy morphine. This hastens the death, but the death was not the intention. Is this a good act by virtue of the double effect?
How about the death penalty? Is that a matter of prudential action on the part of government allowed when necessary to protect life, as the Church has taught for thousands of years? Or is it now not allowed, as Pope Francis stated in his change to the Catechism? Has Church teaching changed? Was the Church wrong all these years? If you favor or implement the death penalty are you now a bad Catholic, just since a few years ago? That is a huge topic for another day!
If you like this game, I have other cases also. Isn't this fun?
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