The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) Day 293: Legitimate Defense (2025)
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Oct 20, 2025 Is self-defense ever justifiable? This discussion dives into the Church's teaching on legitimate defense and the dignity of human life. Fr. Mike explores the double effect principle, emphasizing self-preservation over harming the aggressor. He explains how self-love supports the right to life and outlines circumstances where defending others becomes a moral obligation. The podcast also tackles the evolution of the death penalty, examining its historical acceptance and the Church's current stance against it, highlighting modern views on justice and human dignity.
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Double Effect In Self-Defense
- Legitimate defense is not an exception to the prohibition against killing the innocent but can be morally permitted.
- St. Thomas Aquinas frames self-defense as a double effect: intending preservation of life, not the aggressor's death.
Self-Love As A Moral Principle
- Loving oneself and preserving one's life remains a fundamental moral principle.
- Therefore it is legitimate to insist on respect for one's own right to life, even if harm to an aggressor results.
Shift On The Death Penalty
- The death penalty was long considered acceptable as an extreme means to protect the common good.
- Today the Church calls the death penalty inadmissible because modern conditions preserve human dignity and allow redemption.