COVID-19 Vaccines, Aborted Baby Cell-Lines and Catholic Moral Theology - Part G: Does the Principle of Double Effect Apply?

JMJ

I was thinking the statement I made yesterday in this article (link):

The principle of double effect doesn't apply since the actual act of murder (abortion) occurred decades ago.

I realised that perhaps the principle of double effect (link to article) does apply when focused on the act of receiving a morally tainted vaccine.

As discussed in the article, the principle of double-effect has four criteria.

The act must be moral, meaning it cannot be immoral (ie evil). This is the simple principle that the ends do not justify the means.
Any bad effect (result) must be accidental or indirectly caused, whereas the good effect is directly caused.
The intention that directs the action must be to create only the good effect. For example, you cannot intend to kill someone, but you can intend to protect your life.
Finally, the intended effect must be proportional to the intended end.

Let's do this by the numbers

Act - Receiving a vaccine: In itself the act of receiving a vaccine is morally licit.
Bad effect - cooperation in evil: In receiving a morally-tainted vaccine, we are remotely cooperating in the evil of the murder of an unborn baby that occurred decades in the past.
Intention - protection from COVID-19: The intention is to protect ourselves or others from a disease (i.e.virus) that has deadly effect on some people and debilitating on others.
Intended effect - Proportional to bad effect: The bad effect is remote cooperation in evil, with the good effect the preservation of life.

So in this situation the principle of double effect can be applied and the answer is still the same.

You can licitly receive the vaccinations.

This is not the hill the you need to die on ....

P^3

Comments

Auctorem Fidei

Can the SSPX be right about the Novus Ordo? Revision: Feb 11, 2013 On another web forum, I was engaged in a rather heated discussion about the documents of Vatican II.

Is it sinful to attend the Novus Ordo (New Mass) - Is it Sinful to Not Attend the Novus Ordo on Sunday?

+ JMJ A non-SSPX Catholic is upset over the SSPX statements on not attending the Novus Ordo Missae. Ladies and gentlemen, what the SSPX, or at least its website editor, is advocating is a mortal sin against the Third Commandment. Unless the priest deviates from the language of the Sacramentary, the consecration, and thus the rest of Mass is to be considered valid. No one may elect not to attend Mass simply because abuses are occurring therein. Might I suggest that such absenteeism is its own abuse? The Third Commandment binds under mortal sin. Father So-And-So from the SSPX has no authority whatsoever to excuse attendance at Mass, be that Mass ever so unpalatable. Source:Restore DC Catholicism Well, this is interesting. First why does the SSPX issue this statement? Because it is sinful to put your faith in danger by attending a protestant service. It is likewise dangerous to put your faith in danger by attending a protestantized mass (ie the Novus Ordo Missae

Morning and Evening and other sundry Prayers

+ JMJ Along the theme of P^3 (Prayer, Penance, Patience), and for my own reference ... here is a collection of Morning and Evening prayers from the Ideal Daily Missal along with some additional prayers. In this crisis of the Church, I do not think it is possible to do too much prayer, penance and have patience. P^3

Communique about Avrille Dominicans - SSPX.org

+ JMJ Having completed the review of the 'Avrille' perspective, this communique from the French District Superior is perfectly timed. I believe that the 'resistance' has lost rationality and further argumentation simply results in their holding on to their false ideal all the more firmly. Pray much ... First, for them to acquiesce to the grace of humility in order to obtain a clear perspective on the principles involved. Second, that we may remain faithful to the Church, and Her Dogmas, Doctrines and Principles. Lest we become that which against we strove ... P^3 Courtesy of SSPX.org

War: SSPX

+ JMJ We seem to be in transition from the persecution of the SSPX and other faithful Catholics to a civil war within the Catholic Church i.e. a true schism. Several Bishops, Priests and Dioceses have rejected outright Fiducia Supplicans (link) . This, in my opinion (IMO), is a new inflection point on the way to what will amount to an civil war within the Catholic Church. Pope Francis had spent the past ten years putting the final touches on the fault-lines within the Church and this may be the final blow that actually awakens Our Lord sleeping in the bow of the Barque of St. Peter. That is something that we need to remember, Our Lord is with his Church, even on its way to Calvary. So, what is about to happen is that, IMO, faithful Catholics will find themselves in the same situation as the SSPX. Persecuted and fighting for the heart of the Catholic Church. The history of the SSPX provides a microcosm of what we might expect to happen in the Catholic Church during a 'civil war&#

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