EXPLORE
Below, you’ll find a list of relevant topics to explore. Each link leads to a web page or article, and you can search topics and tags by using the search icon at the top of the page.
If you are worried that you might become unable to make medical decisions for yourself - for example, if you are rendered unconscious, or have an accident, or suffer from dementia - you can now make an Advance Health Directive (AHD) and/or appoint someone to hold Enduring Power of Guardianship (EPG). Prior to all of this you should consider formulating an Advance Care Plan (ACP). This page contains information on AHDs and EPGs operative in the State of Western Australia, and provides a direct link to download the WA statutory forms. It also contains a sample ACP which you may find helpful, and offers links to related sites including documents from the Australian Catholic Bishops and Catholic Health Australia. Click here to view.
Bioethics Articles (Somerville)
Margaret Somerville, an Australian-born lawyer and ethicist now working in Canada, is one of the most respected and widely-published English-language writers on current issues in health and social ethics. This page takes you to a short biography with links to some of her more recent articles.
Bioethics Documents (Catholic Church)
This page contains links to Catholic Church documents on various questions of bioethics, located principally on the Vatican website. New documents will be added from time to time. Click here to view.
Bioethics Documents (General)
These links take you to a range of articles and documents from various sources related to issues in bioethics. For specifically Catholic documents on bioethics, see the "Bioethics Documents - Catholic Church" page.
Euthanasia
This page contains a number of resources relating to euthanasia. Click on the link or pdf file of your choice, and go directly to each resource.
In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF - ART)
As this page develops, we will post a summary of the latest advances in Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and associated technologies, as well as balanced critiques and alternative views.
Material Cooperation
In 2001 the Centre's present Director, Fr Joseph Parkinson, was awarded his doctorate in theology from the University of Notre Dame Fremantle. The title of his dissertation was, "Material Cooperation and Catholic Institutions: An inquiry into a traditional moral principle and its meaning for Catholic institutions today, with reference to Catholic hospitals in Australia". The full text can be downloaded free from the site below - when you have accessed the site, just click on "Download"
Nursing Ethics / M.O.E.C.
"Maintaining Our Ethical Culture", which replaces the former "Ethics ACES", is a three-day training program for nurses, administrators and other health professionals which aims to build knowledge and competence in practical medical ethics. This page, which has a heavy emphasis on nursing ethics, contains a number of links and resource documents which may be useful for course participants and others.
Surrogacy
Surrogacy refers to an arrangement whereby one woman (the surrogate or 'birth mother') carries a pregnancy and gives birth to a child who is then given to another woman or couple (the 'arranged parents') to raise as their own. The pregnancy may be the result of IVF, and may involve donated gametes (eggs + sperm). Surrogacy raises a number of complex legal and ethical problems. To read more, click on the links and documents below.