Many Catholics use the phrase “not intrinsically evil” as if, in practice, it automatically means something is good or morally acceptable. But that’s not what the Church actually teaches.
In this video, Pedro Gabriel unpacks one of the most misunderstood concepts in Catholic moral theology nowadays: intrinsically evil acts.
Here, he explores what the term really means, and also clear up three common misconceptions:
– That just saying “it’s not intrinsically evil” constitutes sufficient justification to advocate for a certain policy;
– That all intrinsically evil acts are always mortal sin or always the gravest kinds of sins
– That there are always iterations when a non-intrinsically evil act can be justified.
Pedro also shows how this distinction helps us understand controversial topics like the death penalty, war, and Catholic social teaching — and why, rather than ignoring the Church’s guidance, these are the moments we need it the most.
Pedro Gabriel, MD, is a Catholic layman and physician, born and residing in Portugal. He is a medical oncologist, currently employed in a Portuguese public hospital. A published writer of Catholic novels with a Tolkienite flavor, he is also a parish reader and a former catechist. He seeks to better understand the relationship of God and Man by putting the lens on the frailty of the human condition, be it physical and spiritual. He also wishes to provide a fresh perspective of current Church and World affairs from the point of view of a small western European country, highly secularized but also highly Catholic by tradition.
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