Catholic Q&A

Q: Why was situation ethics rejected by the Church?

A: Situational ethics states that certain other moral norms can be disregarded when agape love requires it. This is a variation on teleological ethics, which states that the ends justify the means. One example given by the founder situational ethics, Joseph Fletcher, was that of a woman who had sexual relations with a guard at a Ukranian POW camp in order to get pregnant and be released to return to her family. The argument was that the loving thing to do was return to her family and this end allowed her to achieve it through whatever means necessary.

The Church rejects this ethic because it is wrong to place the demands of love in opposition to the demands of morality, since love seeks to fulfill perfectly the law of morality. The loving thing to do in the above scenario would be for the wife to remain steadfast in her love for her husband and family and not to succumb to pressure. A love which violates the laws of morality is not a love at all. The objective laws of morality cannot be bent to love nor do they have to be, since love is in accord with them.

For more information, see Pope John Paul II's Veritatis Splendor, #71-83.

Q: Who makes up the Catholic Church's Magisterium?

A: The bishops in union with the Pope make up the Magisterium of the Catholic Church. See the Catechism of the Catholic Church, #85.

Q: What was the Virgin Mary's last name?

A: Last names were foreign to Jewish culture of the Blessed Virgin's time. When we examine Jewish figures in the New Testament, they are usually referred to by their other family members, their place of origin, or their trade: Simon, son of Jonah, James, son of Zebedee, Jesus of Nazareth, etc. Women were generally referred to in relation to men: Mary, wife of Cleopas. The Blessed Virgin was most likely known as Mary, Mother of Jesus or Mary, Wife of Joseph.

It is interesting to note that genealogy was of great importance to the Jews, who would memorize their ancestry from an early age. They considered their heritage as strongly related to their personal identity, so it makes sense that they would refer to their ancestors in their own names.

Q: When did Mary pray the Magnificat?

A: Luke 1:46-55 is the text of Mary's Magnificat, which she prayed in response to the greeting and praise of her cousin Elizabeth. The Magnificat is a prayer of humility which points to God's faithfulness instead of her own blessedness. It mirrors the prayer of Hannah, who had a similar story to Elizabeth (cf. 1 Samuel 2:1-10).

His Servant and Yours,


Micah