RIP: Russell Shaw (updated)
ERDs - perpetuaing DISinformation
Photo by JC Gellidon on Unsplash
As per John Grondelski, PhD, "The Plenary Assembly of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) meeting in Baltimore, November 10-13, is probably most widely known for its “Special Message” on immigration. But another important document came out of that gathering: the seventh edition of the bishops’ “Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services” (ERD)." (Catholic World Report, 11/19/25).
Why I Give the USCCB an "F"
I previously outlined/summarized my main concerns (cf, Catholic Stand, 7/8/25):
Some claim confusion on the morality of matters which should be quite clear, such as transgenderism, embryo transfers, emergency so-called contraception, brain death criteria, and induced pluripotent stem cells (cf, Amazon customer review of the New Charter for Health Care Workers, English edition, 12/12/17)....
The USCCB’s 3/20/23 Doctrinal Note on the Moral Limits to Technological Manipulation of the Human Body should have...[long ago] been incorporated into its Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services. Our sexualities are a gift from God! How can any Catholic leader not [have] realize[d] that Catholicism excludes the promotion of transgenderism?....
Catholicism clearly excluded embryo transfers (aka snowflake adoptions) in Dignitas Personae # 19 of 2009)....To act as though the morality of embryo transfers were an open question strikes me as scandalous (cf, National Catholic Bioethics Center releases new book on embryo adoption debate, CatholicVote org, 6/28/25)....
While Directive 36 of the USCCB’s ERDs [STILL!] appears to theoretically allow a protocol for using (so-called) emergency contraception for female victims of sexual assault, the protocol is not scientifically valid. The Catholic Medical Association has long ruled out (so-called) emergency contraception because of its abortifacient potential (cf, Statement on Emergency Contraception in Cases of Rape, Catholic Medical Association, 9/14/15)....
Some have been misleadingly... acting as though the church uncritically endorses brain death criteria (cf, “Brain Death” Lacks Medical, Moral, and Legal Foundations and is a Concealed Form of Euthanasia, Dr Heidi Klessig, 2/12/25)...
Section 30 of Dignitas Personae seems to preclude the use of induced pluripotent stem cells, though some claim them to be free of ethical concern [not i !]....
Way back in 2005, the Pontifical Academy for Life provided Moral Reflections on Vaccines Prepared from Cells Derived from Aborted Human Fetuses. Within these reflections is an explanation of teaching on “cooperation” in the evil acts of others.
Conclusion
We can NEVER go wrong with prayer!
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About the Author
Joe Tevington is a proudly orthodox Catholic, a husband since 1986, a dad to two adult children, a grandpa to two, and a civil service retiree. He is a sign language fluent certified rehabilitation counselor with graduate degrees in deafness rehabilitation, religious studies/moral theology, & Christian counseling psychology, as well as a catechetical diploma and certificates in benefits planning and Catholic social ministry. He deeply appreciates Catholic teaching on the sanctity of human life and the sanctity of the transmission of human life, as well as how they are to inform us in our apostolates and ministries.
On much lighter notes, he fancies himself to be the foremost authority on his native Brooklyn, when it comes to architecture, cinema, geography, history, Italian food, stick ball, stoop ball, or wiffle ball.
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