Catholic bioethics
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* John B. Shea

Hazel Markwell and Barry Brown state that certain matters concerning reproduction viewed from a natural-law perspective would be seen as intrinsically evil, but that they might be regarded as justifiable from a proportionalist perspective.1 

Proportionalism is an ethical theory that holds that there is no such thing as an act that is intrinsically evil, and also that any act may be justified by the intention for which it was chosen or the totality of the foreseeable consequences of that act for all persons concerned. 

I would like to point out that this thesis was rejected and condemned by Pope John Paul II in his encyclical *The Splendor of Truth*.2

**John B. Shea** Retired Physician Toronto, Ont.

## References

1.  1. Markwell HJ, Brown BF. Bioethics for clinicians: 27. Catholic bioethics. CMAJ 2001;165(2): 189-92.
    
    [Abstract/FREE Full Text](http://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/ijlink/YTozOntzOjQ6InBhdGgiO3M6MTQ6Ii9sb29rdXAvaWpsaW5rIjtzOjU6InF1ZXJ5IjthOjQ6e3M6ODoibGlua1R5cGUiO3M6NDoiQUJTVCI7czoxMToiam91cm5hbENvZGUiO3M6NDoiY21haiI7czo1OiJyZXNpZCI7czo5OiIxNjUvMi8xODkiO3M6NDoiYXRvbSI7czoyNDoiL2NtYWovMTY2LzEwLzEyNTIuMS5hdG9tIjt9czo4OiJmcmFnbWVudCI7czowOiIiO30=) 

2.  2. Pope John Paul II. *The splendor of truth*. Encyclical letter no. *79*. Available: [www.vatican.va/holy\_father/john\_paul\_ii/encyclicals/documents/hf\_jp-ii\_enc\_06081993\_veritatis-splendor\_en.html](http://www.vatican.va/holy\_father/john\_paul\_ii/encyclicals/documents/hf\_jp-ii\_enc_06081993_veritatis-splendor_en.html) (accessed 2002 Jan 18).