Deacon Bob Yerhot serves the diocese of Winona, Minnesota. He has dedicated his life to the service of his family and the Catholic Church. He has studied philosophy, classical humanities, theology and social work at St. Mary’s College (now University) Winona, Minnesota, the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Italy, and the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
DISCLAIMER: Everything I write in this blog is my own opinion and should not be construed as reflecting the position of anyone else or any other entity. I strive to accurately express the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church when I post about such teachings. For definitive explanations of Church teachings, refer to your diocesan bishop and to the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE – Every original writing that I post in my name remains my property. I retain copyrights. It may not be reprinted, reproduced or utilized without my direct permission or without clearly and evidently attributing it to me by name. If done electronically, a direct link to the original writing is required.
PATRON OF THIS WEBLOG – Pope John Paul I (Papa Luciani), also known as the “Smiling Pope,” the 263rd Successor of Peter, who reigned for 33 days in August – September 1978. Your Holiness, pray for us! We pray with you your fervent prayer: “Lord, take me as I am, with all my defects, my sins, and make of me what you desire.” Thank you for your simplicity and charity.
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Category Archives: Ethics and Morality
The Basis for Morality
I had an interesting conversation yesterday with a colleague about the Church and moral teaching. If I understood correctly his position, he thought the “rules” that the Church teaches about moral behavior, especially in regard to homosexuality, are the creation … Continue reading
Posted in Ethics and Morality
4 Comments
More on the Pope’s Comments
In my November 30 post on “Random Thoughts”, I commented on the Pope’s remarks about the development of conscience, using the example of a male prostitute’s use of a condom as a first sign of taking moral responsibility for his … Continue reading
Posted in Ethics and Morality
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Random Thoughts
Can’t seem to find much I think is worth blogging about in the news recently. The big hubhub of course is the book that came out about Pope Benedict XVI, the result of an extensive and informal interview he gave … Continue reading
Update on NFP Post
In case you haven’t read the comments on my recent post about doctors and NFP, Karen has provided us with the following link to an expert in the field of the Lactational Amenorrhea Method of family planning. www.sph.unc.edu/?option=com_profiles&Itemid=6388&profileAction=ProfDetail&pid=7123235232 Thanks again, … Continue reading
Papa Luciani on Role of Conscience in Moral Decisions
Back on August 1, 1978, shortly before he was elected Pope, Cardinal Albino Luciani gave an interview in which he expressed his initial response to the then recent news of the birth of the first “test tube baby.” In it, … Continue reading
Why Do So Many Catholic Doctors Hesitate to Promote Natural Family Planning?
It would seem that a great majority of Catholic physicians fail to promote Natural Family Planning (NFP) with their patients. Why? Perhaps for many reasons. The Catholic News Agency reports the following which they reprinted from NFP Outreach: Most doctors … Continue reading
Posted in Ethics and Morality, Marriage and Family
3 Comments
Ignorance of Sin Damages Our Children
Bishop Anthony Taylor of the diocese of Little Rock said this during his homily a couple of weeks ago: “Over the last 45 years our society has become very permissive — anything goes! This leaves us and especially our children … Continue reading
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The Loss of Moral Vocabulary
I spent most of the day today in a conference on ethics in clinical social work. The presenter was a nationally known professor, clinician and author. To his credit, he did a wonderful job keeping us on track, presented some … Continue reading
Posted in Ethics and Morality, General Interest
6 Comments
“The True Measure of Humanity….”
Pope Benedict XVI wrote the following in his encyclical Spe Salvi, “The true measure of humanity is essentially determined in relationship to suffering and to the sufferer… A society unable to accept its suffering members and incapable of helping to … Continue reading
Posted in Ethics and Morality
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Wisdom of our Elders
I was listening to a television rerun last night. The scene was a room full of nursing home residents who had been essentially “dumped” into the facility by family. A few of them commented, “People treat animals better than us. … Continue reading
Marriage of One Man and One Woman — “Ideal” or Foundational?
There seems to be an increase in the notion that the union of one man with one woman into which children are born and nurtured is simply an “ideal” and not fundamental to the definition of marriage. Proponents will be … Continue reading
Markets Created by Abortion
I just received the latest Ethics and Medics. The entire issue is a partial reprint of Victoria Evans’ thesis, “Commercial Markets Created by Abortion: Profiting from the Fetal Distribution Chain,” presented to the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum in Rome. Victoria … Continue reading
Quiz and Quote for the Day
The quiz question is: “Who wrote this in November 1974?” The quote is: … abortion does not free the woman so much as it frees her partner, whether he be her husband or not, from nuisances and irritations, allowing him … Continue reading
Posted in Ethics and Morality, Marriage and Family
2 Comments
50th Anniversary of “The Pill”
My good friend Deacon Joe recently sent me a couple of links to a two-part article written by Michelle Bauman, a junior at the University of Dallas where she is studying politics and journalism. Despite its widespread use, the birth … Continue reading
If You Haven’t Done So….
If you haven’t had the chance yet to log on to National Catholic Bioethics Center, I would encourage you to do so. I know in my diaconate formation, I wished we would have had a longer course on bioethics, so this splendid … Continue reading
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Quote for the Day
“Our society permits everything, and forgives nothing.” –attributed to Francis Cardinal George by Fr. R. Simon (Perhaps a little hyperbole, but the point is well made. For some reason, we don’t like to let go of perceived or received hurts … Continue reading
Posted in Ethics and Morality, General Interest
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The Human Body — Gift not Object
Let me try to succinctly summarize one reason why pornography and contraception are wrong and destructive to the human person and the human community. Both are rampant in our society, and the mainstream media and perhaps most of society today … Continue reading
Posted in Ethics and Morality
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The Call to Celibacy
Celibacy is a special vocation to live life without sexual intercourse and to integrate one’s sexuality completely into one’s life — into all that one does and says. All of us are called to live an integrated life, expressing our … Continue reading
The De-Professionalization of Healthcare
One of the things that really bothers me in the field of contemporary healthcare has to do with Advanced Directives (AD) and their effect on the patient-professional relationship. At face value, one might say, ADs are an expression of the … Continue reading
Posted in Ethics and Morality
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On Being a Christian
Deacon Gordon sent me a quote that I would like highlight. Please read the first comment on yesterday’s “Quote of the Day”, or read on below. “Being a Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or lofty ideas, but the … Continue reading
Posted in Ethics and Morality, General Interest, Popes
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