Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk, Ph.D.

Making Sense of Bioethics

Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk, Ph.D. earned his doctorate in neuroscience from Yale and did post-doctoral work at Harvard. He is a priest of the diocese of Fall River, Mass., and serves as the director of education at The National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia. See www.ncbcenter.org.

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‘De-Extincting’ Long-Vanished Animal Species?

Several private companies have set out to “resurrect” extinct species using DNA and cloning technologies, with ongoing efforts to revive the dire wolf, wooly mammoth, dodo bird, and various other […]

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The Trump Executive Order on IVF

In mid-February, President Trump issued an executive order entitled, “Expanding Access to In Vitro Fertilization” (IVF), in which he stated, “My administration recognizes the importance of family formation, and as […]

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Getting ‘Death with Dignity’ Right

Nurses and doctors can encounter distressing images as death unfolds for their patients. Those approaching death may make odd bodily movements, give off stenches, or emit strange groans. Perhaps they […]

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Catholic Hospitals and ‘Gender Reassignment’ for Minors?

In October of 2024, a group known as Do No Harm released the Stop the Harm Database (STHD), a searchable internet resource that comprehensively catalogs sex change treatments performed between […]

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The Most Serious Miscalculation of All?

Physician-assisted suicide, according to its advocates, offers a good way to wrap up our life as we face extreme suffering. When we think we have reached the limit of what […]

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Poking the Hornet’s Nest of In Vitro Fertilization

A sweeping decision by the Alabama Supreme Court back in February sent shock waves through the world of assisted reproduction. Alabama Justice Jay Mitchell, writing on behalf of the court’s […]

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Surrogacy and the Selfish Commodification of Children

At the beginning of 2024, Pope Francis offered strong public criticism of surrogate motherhood. His willingness to speak out on this important topic has helped to pull surrogacy out of […]

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Access to Your Newborn’s Blood?

Many parents and concerned citizens would probably be surprised to learn that their children’s blood samples are being accessed by law enforcement agencies without their knowledge or consent. In 2021, […]

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Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria and the Seduction of Our Daughters

In recent years, the number of young people with gender dysphoria, or extreme discomfort in one’s biological sex, has skyrocketed in the United States and Western Europe. Professor Lisa Littman, […]

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Setting a Moral Vision as Parents

When I was recently visiting with friends, a group of young girls was playing in a neighboring yard. Every few minutes, for more than an hour, one of them would […]

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Suicidal Fears and Authentic Accompaniment

When we realize that someone we love may be suicidal, it can be complicated to figure out how best to respond. The threat of suicide from a friend or family […]

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Holding the Line on Brain Death

How do we determine that someone has died? The Uniform Determination of Death Act (UDDA), which has been an important part of the medical and legal landscape in the U.S. […]