Human Dignity: The foundation of all Catholic Social Teaching is the inherent dignity of every human person because everyone is created in God's image and likeness and therefore, valuable and worthy of respect. The Church calls for Integral Human Development, which concerns the wellbeing of each person in every facet of life including economic, political, social, ecological, and spiritual. The dignity of the individual demands justice: people should not make economic, social or environmental choices which cause disparities between people. The dignity of the person does not come from the work they do but from the people they are: each person is imprinted with God's image. When we deal with each other, we should do so with a sense of awe that arises from the presence of something holy and sacred. Subhuman living conditions, unlawful imprisonment, slavery, human trafficking, and poor working conditions poison human society and destroy human dignity. Human personhood must be respected with a reverence that is religious. Scripture: Genesis 1:26-31; Deuteronomy 10:17-19; Luke 10:25-37; Romans 12:9-18; 1 Corinthians 3:16

The Common Good and Community: As human beings we are both sacred and social people. We achieve our fulfilment within community; so how society is organised, its economy, law and policy, directly affect human dignity and how individuals are able to grow and flourish within community. While it is very important to love our neighbour, it also requires us to have a broader view of life and to take responsibility to contribute to the good of the whole of society, to contribute to the common good. Human dignity can only be realised and protected within society. We must love our neighbour, locally and globally, and prioritize the good of the human family over commercial interests. The common good also includes all people, creatures and habitats. Our treatment of the ecosystem has consequences for the well-being of future generations. We live in an interdependent world and we need to measure our own self-interest against the greater common good and contribute equitably to global solutions. The state prospers when there is good moral rule, well-regulated family life, respect for religion and justice, just and fair taxation, and appropriate provision of social services. Every level of society should benefit from the state and the state should work to promote the common good. The state should watch over the community in its parts but it must also pay particular attention to the weak and the poor. Promoting the common good means promoting the full development of all humanity and encouraging them to take an active part in society. While the Church should never replace the State, she cannot remain on the sidelines in the fight for justice. The Church promotes justice through bringing about an openness of mind and will in seeking the common good. In today's world where injustice abounds, a call to global solidarity is logically and inevitable. The notion of the common good also extends to future generations. We can no longer speak of sustainable development apart from intergenerational solidarity. Scripture Genesis 4:8-15; Leviticus 25:23-43; Micah 6:6-8; John 15:12-17; 1 John 4:19-21

Preferential Option for the Poor and Vulnerable: While the common good embraces all people, those most in need deserve preferential concern. A basic test for society is how it treats its most vulnerable members. The poor and vulnerable should be highest priority for all in society. All public policy decisions should be examined for how they affect the poor. The option for the poor means that one of the first questions asked when decisions are being made is 'How will this affect the poor'? The option for the poor is an essential part of society's effort to achieve the common good and the common good can only be achieved if the needs of the poor and those on the margins of society are considered. God's love is universal, so this principle does not intend that we should focus on the poor to the exclusion of others, but rather that we are called to prioritize those who are in most need of our solidarity. The option for the poor includes all who are marginalised: people with disabilities, the elderly, the terminally ill, victims of injustice and oppression. The needs of the poor take priority over the desires of the rich; the rights of workers over the maximization of profits; the preservation of the environment over uncontrolled industrial expansion; the production to meet social needs over production for military purposes' (Economic Justice for All, #94). Scripture: Exodus 22:20-26; Leviticus 19:9-10; Isaiah 58:5-7; Luke 6: 20-23; I John 3:17-18

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE: Catholic perspectives in the study of biological science calls us to always reflect on our humanness and the respect for each individual, created in the image and likeness of God. There are many complex issues surrounding the ethical considerations of biological scientific studies. Fostering [students'] capacities and skills of discerning, interpreting, thinking critically, seeking truth and making meaning” is a significant aim of Religious Education in Australian Catholic schools. In his most recent Apostolic Exhortation (Gaudete et Exsultate, March 2018), Pope Francis refutes a closed theology that does not honour questioning, doubting and inquiring. “When somebody has an answer for every question, it is a sign that they are not on the right road” (n.41). Catholic perspectives call us to remain faithful to the truth entrusted to Catholic education, honouring the reality of people's lives: their questions, suffering, dreams, struggles and worries? This apparent opposition needs to be held as paradox; needing the ability to hold this tension in life-giving ways, allowing it to open our minds and hearts to new ways of seeing and being. (Framing Paper: Religious Education in Catholic Schools, NCEC, 2017). Bioethics is a branch of ethical inquiry that examines the nature of biological and technological discoveries and the responsible use of biomedical advances, with particular emphasis upon their moral implications for our individual and common humanity. The Centre for Bioethics and Human Dignity Ethical considerations in this area of study are not limited to religious values and teachings. The Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) released revised Ethical guidelines on the use of assisted reproductive technology in clinical practice and research (ART guidelines).? The ART guidelines are used by professional organisations to set standards for the practice of ART. The ART guidelines are primarily intended for ART clinicians, clinic nurses, embryologists, counsellors and administrators, researchers, Human Research Ethics Committees, and governments. Guiding Principle 7: Processes and policies for determining an individual's or a couple's eligibility to access ART services must be just, equitable, transparent and respectful of human dignity and the natural human rights of all persons, including the right to not be unlawfully or unreasonably discriminated against. Catholic perspectives provide a clear lens for understanding Catholic social teachings about human dignity. Social action is closely linked to the Catholic Social Teaching principles. Social action is a call to live out the Gospel through focusing on human dignity  and caring for God's creation through opportunities for public advocacy and action. Steps to moral decision making Be very clear about the moral question you are asking. The more you deal with moral issues, the more you will realise how often the issues at stake come down to careful use of words, and clearly understanding what different terms mean when used by various parties.

Reproductive Technologies: Considering the use of genetic testing for personal use or by organisations calls for a Catholic Christian response to freedom and choice grounded in Catholic Social Teaching, responding to questions about human freedom around choice and conscience when making ethically difficult human decisions for humanity that is truly good. With freedom comes responsibility. We are responsible for our moral behaviour because we are made in God's image as rational beings, capable of knowing what the morally right and good thing is to do, and as free beings, capable of choosing to do the morally right and good thing. These two capacities, to know and to choose, together form what is called conscience. The Pope made remarks on November 15 in a meeting with members of the Association of Italian Catholic Medical Doctors. Pope Francis: 'Fidelity to the Gospel of life and respect for life as a gift from God sometimes require choices that are courageous and go against the current, which in particular circumstances, may become points of conscientious objection,' Pope Francis said. The Pope said the Church opposes abortion and euthanasia not only as a matter of faith or philosophical principle but as a question of science. 'It is a scientific problem, because there is a human life there, and it is not lawful to do away with a human life to solve a problem,' he said. 'In ancient and modern thought, the word 'kill' means the same thing.' The Pope urged doctors to practice true compassion as 'good Samaritans, caring in a special way for the elderly, the infirm and the disabled.' 'There is no human life that is more sacred than another,' he said, 'just as there is no human life qualitatively more significant than another just by virtue of having greater resources, rights and economic and social opportunities.' Ethical considerations in this area of study are not limited to religious values and teachings. The Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) released revised Ethical guidelines on the use of assisted reproductive technology in clinical practice and research (ART guidelines)  The ART guidelines are used by professional organisations to set standards for the practice of ART. The ART guidelines are primarily intended for ART clinicians, clinic nurses, embryologists, counsellors and administrators, researchers, Human Research Ethics Committees, and governments. Assisted reproduction raises significant issues for individuals, families and communities. It can be a controversial topic, with opinions influenced by a wide range of political, cultural, religious, ethical, scientific, professional and legal factors. Some may regard assisted reproduction as standard medical practice that should be available with minimal constraints, in the interest of scientific progress and out of respect for an individual's or a couple's reproductive choices. Others, in contrast, may regard it as ethically problematic, raising a number of issues and dilemmas that challenge humanity's core values, putting the needs and wants of the intended parent(s) above those of the potential child. Some may regard ART to be a direct contradiction of their religious faith. For some, ART may raise questions about the extent to which medicine should ‘interfere with nature' or the manner in which medical technology may empower or disempower individuals and the control they have over their own lives, bodies and reproductive futures. Ethical guidelines on the use of assisted reproductive technology in clinical practice and research, p.19 Be very clear about the moral question you are asking. The more you deal with moral issues, the more you will realise how often the issues at stake come down to careful use of words, and clearly understanding what different terms mean when used by various parties. Steps to moral decision making There are a number of methods which can be used to analyse issues related to justice. These methods help us to reflect on what is happening in society, what issues need to be addressed and what action might be taken as a result of our analysis. According to Pope John XXIII (Mater et Magistra, 1961), “There are three stages which should normally be followed in the reduction of social principles into practice. First, one reviews the concrete situation; secondly, one forms a judgment on it in the light of these same principles; thirdly, one decides what in the circumstances can and should be done to implement these principles.” This process is referred to as See, Judge, Act. The Pastoral Spiral or Pastoral Circle was developed by Fr Peter Henriot sj and Joe Holland as a framework for responding to issues and situations of social injustice. The method consists of four ‘moments': experience, analysis, theological reflection, and response. The four moments provide spaces in which to draw on each of the sources of Catholic social ethics: Scripture, Tradition, reason and experience. The moments also enable us to engage feelings and imagination, to dialogue and to contemplate. The pastoral spiral provides a tool for drawing on Catholic Social Teaching. and prevents us from rushing into action without paying attention to the experience of those most affected and giving adequate time and attention to analysis of and reflection on the issue or situation. The name ‘pastoral spiral' emphasizes the circle is not closed. Our response leads to a new reality; we are changed by our action. We do not return to the same experience allowing the process of analysis, reflection and action to continue