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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Perspective

Dehumanizing one another                  

A female sharpshooter nicknamed “Lady Death” has recently become a Ukrainian folk hero for defiantly attacking Russian soldiers undercover. The young markswoman fought for several years in eastern Ukraine against Kremlin-backed […]

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Too much morphine?

To help people navigate some of the complex decisions involved in end-of-life situations, the National Catholic Bioethics Center offers a free and confidential consultation service via e-mail or phone. Often […]

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The ethics of pig to human organ transplants

Early this year, a Maryland man suffering from severe heart failure underwent a new experimental procedure, receiving a pig heart transplant. His medical team had determined he would be a […]

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Eugenics, forced sterilization and protecting the mentally challenged

Although most Americans today are unaware of it, the United States has a sad and extensive history of forced sterilizations, especially within the past century. In 1907, Indiana legalized forced […]

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New cures from embryonic stem cells?

A recent article in the New York Times by Gina Kolata chronicles the remarkable story of a patient who for many years suffered from Type 1 diabetes. After receiving a newly […]

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Sexual atoms and molecules

A major issue in bioethics today involves “informed consent,” but some try to make everything about consent. This is especially notable when it comes to ethical discussions around the exercise of […]

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Decisions of consequence

I recently watched a compelling video prepared by a group called “Heartbeat International.” They provide women who regret having taken an abortion pill the chance to reverse their decision through a […]

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The moral analysis of boxing

In 1996 when Muhammad Ali lit the Olympic flame on international television, the issue of sports-induced brain damage was raised to new prominence. One of the greatest boxers in history, […]

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What young people could most profit from hearing about marriage

Young people today experience various pressures and expectations that can make them anxious. In a recent essay, Professor Timothy P. O’Malley, of Notre Dame’s McGrath Institute for Church Life, crisply […]

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Challenging the establishment on childhood gender transitions

A 23-year-old woman named Keira Bell recently brought a pivotal lawsuit against the National Health Services Gender Identity Development Clinic in London, better known as the Tavistock Clinic. Keira experienced significant […]

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Countering Catholic misinformation about vaccines

A priest recently mentioned to me that he was not planning to get the COVID-19 vaccine. He told me he was concerned that RNA vaccines could alter our DNA and […]

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The ‘quality of life’ error

During “serious illness conversations,” some doctors will ply their patients with this question: “What is your minimally acceptable quality of life?”  Behind the question can be the implication that if […]