Catholic religious agency during the Covid-19 emergency: the issue of vaccines.

The Catholic Church's reflection on and assessment of the Covid-19 pandemic has developed in several areas. Inspired by the tradition of its social teaching, specifically by the values of the dignity of the human person, justice, solidarity, and the common good, a strong sense of responsibility-on the part of all to prevent the spread of the pandemic and care for the affected sick-was called for. This resulted in a series of interventions and documents on the various medical and spiritual issues involved, particularly concerning the vaccines again Covid-19. In this short article, I draw out these insights from the official and universal reference point of the Catholic Church (i.e., Vatican sources in their various expressions and expertise). Interventions from other religions have also played a significant role during the Covid-19 pandemic as exemplified by the close relationship between certain religious actors and the World Health Organization. However, these alternative viewpoints, while important in and of themselves, do not find a suitable place within this work, which focuses on the Catholic Church's perspective.

Vaccine Mandates: Weighing the Common Good vs Personal Conscience and Autonomy.

COVID-19 is a serious illness with significant morbidity and mortality. Vaccines to immunize against it were developed in record time. Mandates followed. The question to be considered is when mandates are ethical. Mandates can be used to prevent spread of an infection, prevent overwhelming the healthcare system, or protect public safety, thereby protecting the vulnerable and allowing for full flourishing of the common good. At the same time, one must be careful about respecting autonomy by allowing those who consciences do not allow them to be vaccinated to refuse. Because COVID-19 knowledge is rapidly changing as more information is known and the virus mutates, the conditions under which mandates are ethical change as well. At present, since vaccines prevent severe infection and death in high-risk individuals with added benefit for those who are vaccinated and have a history of infection, mandates can be imposed on those individuals. With an estimated 95% of the US population believed to have been infected and prior history of infection shown to be as effective as vaccination, with immunity lasting at least 500 days, and ability to prevent spread unknown at present but limited at best in the past, the vaccines therefore cannot be ethically mandated for those who are low risk for the versions released September 2023 based on information as of October 2023.

A search for commonalities in defining the common good: Using folk theories to unlock shared conceptions.

Throughout the course of scholarly history, some concepts have been notoriously hard to define. The 'common good' is one such concept. While the common good has a long and contested scholarly history, social psychology research on folk theories - lay beliefs that represent an individual's informal and subjective understanding of the world - may provide a key for unlocking this nebulous concept. In the current paper, we analysed lay definitions of the common good using the linguistic inquiry and word count's meaning extraction method. From a nationally representative Australian sample of open-ended text responses (n = 14,303), we uncovered a consistent conceptual structure, with nine themes corresponding to three core aspects: (i) outcomes and objects, (ii) principles and processes and (iii) stakeholders and beneficiaries. From this, we developed a working definition of the folk concept of the common good: 'achieving the best possible outcome for the largest number of people, which is underpinned by decision-making that is ethically and morally sound and varies by the context in which the decisions are made'. A working definition benefits the academic community and society more broadly, particularly when diverse stakeholders come together to act for the common good to address shared challenges.

Ethics in infectious diseases: latent challenges. Part I.

Infectious diseases socially imply individual and community medical problems. Therefore, they require actions aimed at social processes that affect the well-being of the individuals without losing sight of social groups. Faced with this panorama, we ask ourselves: is there a direct relationship between ethics and infectious diseases? To elucidate an answer, let us remember the peak period of the COVID-19 pandemic when guidelines based on ethical principles were issued to facilitate medical decisions on allocating scarce resources in periods of maximum demand. In those moments, since there was no inclusive component of society, the decisions made produced massive criticism. The reactions demonstrated the need to analyze in detail the criteria that had been considered correct. Consequently, we affirm that bioethical principles are transcendental in medical decisions and must be examined, not only for the individual but also with a view to public health. Moreover, the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic has lived with us for decades, and it continues to show its tragic face in the form of new cases, chronic illnesses, and deaths. Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS brings us closer to a complex reality where the fight against disease and global health are interrelated with other problems, such as the need to reduce inequality, for which human rights, gender equality, social protection, and the development of research projects, where the ethics committees in research in community processes are constituents.

Las enfermedades infecciosas implican problemas médicos individuales y comunitarios, por lo que requieren acciones dirigidas a procesos sociales que incidan en el bienestar de los individuos, sin perder de vista a los grupos sociales. Nos preguntamos: ¿existe relación directa entre la ética y las enfermedades infecciosas? Para dilucidar una respuesta, recordemos el periodo más álgido de la pandemia por COVID-19, cuando se emitieron guías fundamentadas en principios éticos para facilitar las decisiones médicas en la asignación de recursos escasos en periodos de máxima demanda. Al no haber un componente inclusivo con la sociedad, las decisiones que se tomaron produjeron críticas masivas, que demostraron la necesidad de analizar a detalle los criterios que se habían considerado correctos. En consecuencia, afirmamos que los principios bioéticos son trascendentales en las decisiones médicas y deben ser examinados, no solo frente al individuo, sino de cara a la salud pública (bien común e individualidad). Por otra parte, la epidemia del SIDA (síndrome de inmunodeficiencia adquirida) convive con nosotros desde hace décadas. ONUSIDA (Programa Conjunto de las Naciones Unidas sobre el VIH/SIDA) nos acerca una realidad compleja, como es que la lucha contra la enfermedad y por la salud global se interrelaciona con otros problemas como la necesidad de reducer la desigualdad, por los derechos humanos, la igualdad de género, la protección social y el desarrollo de proyectos de investigación, donde los comités de Ética en investigación en procesos comunitarios son constituyentes.

Ethics in infectious diseases: latent challenges. Part I / Ética en enfermedades infecciosas: retos latentes. Parte I

Abstract Infectious diseases socially imply individual and community medical problems. Therefore, they require actions aimed at social processes that affect the well-being of the individuals without losing sight of social groups. Faced with this panorama, we ask ourselves: is there a direct relationship between ethics and infectious diseases? To elucidate an answer, let us remember the peak period of the COVID-19 pandemic when guidelines based on ethical principles were issued to facilitate medical decisions on allocating scarce resources in periods of maximum demand. In those moments, since there was no inclusive component of society, the decisions made produced massive criticism. The reactions demonstrated the need to analyze in detail the criteria that had been considered correct. Consequently, we affirm that bioethical principles are transcendental in medical decisions and must be examined, not only for the individual but also with a view to public health. Moreover, the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic has lived with us for decades, and it continues to show its tragic face in the form of new cases, chronic illnesses, and deaths. Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS brings us closer to a complex reality where the fight against disease and global health are interrelated with other problems, such as the need to reduce inequality, for which human rights, gender equality, social protection, and the development of research projects, where the ethics committees in research in community processes are constituents.

Resumen Las enfermedades infecciosas implican problemas médicos individuales y comunitarios, por lo que requieren acciones dirigidas a procesos sociales que incidan en el bienestar de los individuos, sin perder de vista a los grupos sociales. Nos preguntamos: ¿existe relación directa entre la ética y las enfermedades infecciosas? Para dilucidar una respuesta, recordemos el periodo más álgido de la pandemia por COVID-19, cuando se emitieron guías fundamentadas en principios éticos para facilitar las decisiones médicas en la asignación de recursos escasos en periodos de máxima demanda. Al no haber un componente inclusivo con la sociedad, las decisiones que se tomaron produjeron críticas masivas, que demostraron la necesidad de analizar a detalle los criterios que se habían considerado correctos. En consecuencia, afirmamos que los principios bioéticos son trascendentales en las decisiones médicas y deben ser examinados, no solo frente al individuo, sino de cara a la salud pública (bien común e individualidad). Por otra parte, la epidemia del SIDA (síndrome de inmunodeficiencia adquirida) convive con nosotros desde hace décadas. ONUSIDA (Programa Conjunto de las Naciones Unidas sobre el VIH/SIDA) nos acerca una realidad compleja, como es que la lucha contra la enfermedad y por la salud global se interrelaciona con otros problemas como la necesidad de reducer la desigualdad, por los derechos humanos, la igualdad de género, la protección social y el desarrollo de proyectos de investigación, donde los comités de Ética en investigación en procesos comunitarios son constituyentes.

Corporate Moral Responsibility, Distributive Justice, the Common Good, and Catholic Social Teaching: The Case of Gilead Sciences and Remdesivir.

Applying the moral principles of Catholic social teaching's (CST) on capitalism, distributive justice, private ownership, the common good, and the role of the state in the economy as the overall theoretical framework and utilizing secondary data, media reports, and scientific literature, this article explores the corporate moral responsibility of the top drug makers in the ownership and pricing of their essential medicines and COVID-19 vaccines. Specifically, it presents the case of the Gilead Sciences' business strategies and overpricing of Remdesivir drug to illustrate how predatory capitalism undermines the moral responsibility of drug makers and CST's moral principle on the common good in today's pandemic. Distributive justice requires that the publicly funded and developed medicines and vaccines should be priced and distributed fairly to promote the common good and prevent the public from "paying twice" for these essential medicines. Given the public character of these medicines and the demands of social justice, the price of Remdesivir and other essential medicines of Gilead Sciences and Big Pharma for COVID-19 could have been lower than what was officially announced. Ultimately, these medicines could have been made global public health goods in accordance with CST's doctrines on distributive justice, the common good, and the social dimension of private ownership.

Recalibrating Bioethics for the Reality of Interdependence: The Challenge of Collective-Impact Problems.

Bioethics in the twenty-first century is confronting what one might call "collective-impact problems." The ethics guidance and policies that are developed to address these kinds of problems will affect not only individuals but everyone living and future generations too. With many collective-impact problems, all parties will eventually be worse off if there is a failure to develop solutions to head off damage to the shared environment. However, the effects are not felt equally throughout and across societies; some groups are hit far worse. To address collective-impact problems, bioethics needs to recalibrate. Our field, and especially American bioethics, should find a better balance between individual rights and the best interests of the group, develop more robust tools for examining structural inequities that damage people's health and well-being, and study how to engage the public in learning about and shaping ethics guidance for these complex problems.

Human-centricity in AI governance: A systemic approach.

Human-centricity is considered a central aspect in the development and governance of artificial intelligence (AI). Various strategies and guidelines highlight the concept as a key goal. However, we argue that current uses of Human-Centered AI (HCAI) in policy documents and AI strategies risk downplaying promises of creating desirable, emancipatory technology that promotes human wellbeing and the common good. Firstly, HCAI, as it appears in policy discourses, is the result of aiming to adapt the concept of human-centered design (HCD) to the public governance context of AI but without proper reflection on how it should be reformed to suit the new task environment. Second, the concept is mainly used in reference to realizing human and fundamental rights, which are necessary, but not sufficient for technological emancipation. Third, the concept is used ambiguously in policy and strategy discourses, making it unclear how it should be operationalized in governance practices. This article explores means and approaches for using the HCAI approach for technological emancipation in the context of public AI governance. We propose that the potential for emancipatory technology development rests on expanding the traditional user-centered view of technology design to involve community- and society-centered perspectives in public governance. Developing public AI governance in this way relies on enabling inclusive governance modalities that enhance the social sustainability of AI deployment. We discuss mutual trust, transparency, communication, and civic tech as key prerequisites for socially sustainable and human-centered public AI governance. Finally, the article introduces a systemic approach to ethically and socially sustainable, human-centered AI development and deployment.

Forging a Social Movement to Dismantle Entrenched Power and Liberate Primary Care as a Common Good.

The state of family medicine and primary care in the United States is precarious, afflicted by chronic underinvestment. Family physicians and their allies should not expect different policy outcomes without adopting a different theory of change and tactical approach to reform. I argue: (1) high-quality primary care is a common good, as asserted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; (2) a market-based health system captured by extractive capitalism is inimical to primary care as a common good; (3) professionalism has both aided and constrained family physicians as agents of change for primary care as a common good; and, (4) to actualize primary care as a common good, family physicians must embrace "counterculture professionalism" to join with patients, primary care workers, and other allies in a social movement demanding fundamental restructuring of the health system and democratization of health that takes power back from interests profiting from the status quo and reorients the system to one grounded in healing relationships in primary care. This restructuring should take the form of a publicly financed system of universal coverage for direct primary care, with a minimum of 10% of total US health spending allocated to Primary Care for All.

Public leadership for gender equality: A framework and capacity development approach for gender transformative policy change.

Public leadership is essential in social change, and pivotal in transforming social and institutional norms related to gender inequality, going well beyond equal representation. It must embrace the potential for all public health leaders, of all genders, to become agents of change who challenge gender injustices and institutionalise gender transformative policies and programmes in public health. To support officials, initially in Ethiopia, and catalyse transformative change, we created a new framework and capacity development approach - Public Leadership for Gender Equality (PL4GE) - which can be customised to respond to each country's context. Drawing from three areas of leadership thought - public, transformative, and feminist leadership - PL4GE takes a public values approach in positioning gender equality as a human right, a common good, and a means to improve health outcomes. PL4GE promotes six key leadership practices - defining purpose and articulating vision, co-creating public value, empowering people, fostering strategic partnerships, navigating power, and embodying personal commitment - and guides public leaders through a capacity development journey of change, facilitating them to identify and activate opportunities for gender transformative change in their work and in turn, more broadly within the public whom they serve. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation INV-002664 to Stanford University.

Restriction and Protection of Personal Freedom of Medical Staff in Emergency Response to Public Health Emergencies / 中国医学伦理学

In the emergency response to public health emergencies, a series of ethical issues will be faced. One of the core issues is that the ethical conflict between personal freedom of medical staff and common good has not been effectively resolved, and the moral responsibility boundaries of medical staff have not been clearly defined. The personal freedom rights of medical staff are constrained in the emergency response to public health emergencies due to the prior moral requirements and regulations for them that emphasizes the priority of safeguarding public interests. Therefore, it is important to consider elements such as voluntariness, proportionality, priority, and fairness when balancing the tension between personal freedom of medical staff and common good. It is recommended to establish a rating system that endangers the life safety of medical staff, list the ethical list of "legitimate reasons" by the health administrative department, and improve the reward system of "moral and welfare consistency" to solve the ethical conflict between personal freedom of medical staff and common good, so as to better achieve common good.

Faure's new social contract fifty years later: Promises and evolutions.

The International Commission on the Development of Education set up by UNESCO in 1971 was chaired by Edgar Faure. The conceptualisation of a new social contract in his work between the 1960s and 1970s had a strong influence on the final report prepared by this commission. Published in 1972, Learning to be: The world of education today and tomorrow is commonly known as the Faure report. Although not explicitly mentioned in the report, the idea of a new social contract provided a political framework for re-establishing the particular relationship between education and society, based on a strong belief in an educational democracy which considered citizens as real agents of change. Fifty years after the publication of the Faure report, another report commissioned by UNESCO, on the Futures of Education, has taken up the idea of the social contract, conceiving it as a means to transform education to harness greater cooperation towards more sustainable futures. However, while the understanding of the social contract elaborated by Faure translated into a clear vision of the emancipatory function of education for the fulfilment of individuals within democratic societies, the political discussion on the relationship among the institutions that should govern the new social contract for education presented in the Futures of Education report appears less explicit. This article discusses the extent to which the principles underpinning the new social contract for education, especially the notion of education as a common good, provide the political framing of a new social contract for education. It examines the relevance of the political discussion of the relationship between education and society elaborated in the Faure report fifty years ago with regard to the formulation of a new social contract for education.

Le nouveau contrat social de Faure cinquante ans après : promesses et évolutions ­ La Commission internationale sur le développement de l'éducation créée en 1971 par l'UNESCO était présidée par Edgar Faure. La conceptualisation d'un nouveau contrat social dans le cadre de son travail entre les années 60 et 70 a exercé une forte influence sur le rapport final préparé par cette commission. Publié en 1972 sous le titre Apprendre à être, il est mieux connu sous le nom de rapport Faure. Bien qu'il n'y soit pas explicitement fait état, l'idée d'un nouveau contrat social apportait un cadre politique permettant de renouer le lien particulier entre l'éducation et la société reposant sur la foi profonde dans une démocratie de l'enseignement dans laquelle les citoyens étaient considérés comme de véritables agents du changement. Cinquante ans après la publication du rapport Faure, un autre rapport commandé par l'UNESCO sur les futurs de l'éducation a repris l'idée du contrat social, voyant en lui un moyen de transformer l'éducation afin d'exploiter une coopération plus vaste en vue d'un avenir plus durable. Néanmoins, tandis que la notion de contrat social élaborée par Faure s'était traduite par une vision claire de la fonction émancipatrice de l'éducation pour l'épanouissement de l'individu au sein des sociétés démocratiques, dans le rapport sur les futurs de l'éducation, le débat politique sur le lien entre les institutions auxquelles devrait échoir la direction du nouveau contrat social pour l'éducation apparaît moins explicite. Cet article examine dans quelle mesure les principes sur lesquels reposent le nouveau contrat social pour l'éducation, en particulier la notion d'éducation en tant que bien commun, fournissent le cadre politique d'un nouveau contrat social pour l'éducation. Il étudie la pertinence du débat politique sur la relation entre l'éducation et la société, définie il y a cinquante ans dans le rapport Faure, pour la formulation d'un nouveau contrat social pour l'éducation.

From public health to public good: Toward universal wellbeing.

We aim to consolidate recent trends in public health into a reconceptualization of the field as public good. We build on several strands of theory, research and action to formulate a more impactful future for the field. Our argument comprises three main parts. In the first part, we describe the central components of the proposed public good: conditions of justice, experiences of mattering, and outcomes of subjective and objective wellbeing. In the second section, we identify continua of practices that paint a trajectory from traditional public health to ecological and participatory public health, to universal wellbeing framed as a public good. The continua are defined in terms of assumptions, practices and roles. Among others, these continua pertain to capabilities, scope of the field, ecological focus, timing of intervention, role of citizen, role of professional, role of settings and role of government. Finally, the third section introduces a series of strategies and recommendations to make the narrative of universal wellbeing as public good a reality.

Modelo de negocios en la salud e investigación clínica: la cuestión de las patentes en la ciencia

Propósito/Contexto. En este artículo se exponen las tendencias y las características de un modelo de negocio que la industria farmacéutica ha venido imponiendo con la ayuda del desarrollo de nuevos medicamentos a los que se les cuestiona su "altura inventiva" y que, a pesar de ello, les son otorgadas las patentes de segunda generación, considerándose esta una práctica abusiva y que favorece el incremento de los precios de estas innovaciones en el mercado. Metodología/Enfoque. Mediante la presentación de un caso: "la declaración de interés público del medicamento imatinib en Colombia" se identifican las estrategias y las maniobras anticompetitivas que dejan pocas oportunidades a los Estados para distribuir de manera equitativa los beneficios de las invenciones de medicamentos. En el análisis bioético del caso se caracteriza el dilema como tipo práctico, esto es, aquel en el que persisten requerimientos morales en tensión con un interés privado, en esta ocasión, entre la salud pública, por un lado, y la propiedad intelectual como política internacional, por el otro. Resultados/Hallazgos. La tesis es que este es un problema transfronterizo sintomático de la falta de justicia global en razón a la suplantación del sentido de "bien común" que ha acallado los vínculos sociales, solidarios y colaborativos. Discusión/Conclusiones/Contribuciones. Se insta a un consenso sobre las bases sociales y el respeto de la dignidad de las personas, un mandato de solidaridad superior en beneficio del bien común y el "florecimiento de la humanidad".

Objetivo/Contexto. Este artigo expõe as tendências e características de um modelo de negócio que a indústria farmacêutica tem vindo a impor com a ajuda do desenvolvimento de novos medicamentos cujo nível de inventividade é questionado. Como resultado, é-lhes concedidas patentes de segunda geração, o que é considerado uma prática abusiva e favorece o aumento dos preços destes inovações no mercado. Metodologia/Abordagem. Através da apresentação de um caso "A Declaração de Interesse Público da droga Imatinib na Colômbia", são identificadas estratégias e manobras anticompetitivas, que deixam poucas oportunidades para os Estados distribuírem os benefícios das invenções de drogas de forma equitativa. Na análise bioética do caso, o dilema é especificado como sendo prático, ou seja, um dilema em que os requisitos morais persistem em tensão com um interesse privado, neste caso, entre a saúde pública, por um lado, e a propriedade intelectual como uma política internacional, por outro. Resultados/Descobertas. A tese é que se trata de um problema transfronteiriço sintomático de falta de justiça global devido à suplência de um senso o bem comum que silenciou os laços sociais de solidariedade e colaboração. Discussão/Conclusões/Contribuições. Apela a um consenso sobre os fundamentos sociais e o respeito pela dignidade das pessoas, um mandato de maior solidariedade em benefício do bem comum, o florescimento da humanidade.

Purpose/Background. This article exposes the tendencies and characteristics of a business model that the pharmaceutical industry has been imposing with the help of the development of new drugs whose degree of inventiveness is questioned. As a result, they are granted second generation patents, which is considered an abusive practice that favors the increase of the prices of these innovations in the market. Methodology/Approach. Through the presentation of a case "The Declaration of Public Interest of the Drug Imatinib in Colombia", anti-competitive stra-tegies and maneuvers are identified, which leave few opportunities for the States to distribute the benefits of drug inventions in an equitable manner. In the bioethical analysis of the case, the dilemma is specified as a practical one, that is, one in which moral requirements persist in tension with a private interest, in this case, between public health on the one hand, and intellectual property as an international policy, on the other. Results/Findings. The thesis is that this is a cross-border problem symptomatic of a lack of global justice due to the supplanting of the sense of the common good that has silenced social bonds of solidarity and collaboration. Discussion/Conclusions/Contributions. It calls for a consensus on social foundations and respect for the dignity of persons, a higher mandate of solidarity for the benefit of the common good, and the flourishing of humanity.

"Food Village": An Innovative Alternative Food Network Based on Human Scale Development Economic Model.

Although the different alternative food networks (AFNs) have experienced increases worldwide for the last thirty years, they are still unable to provide an alternative capable of spreading on a large scale. They in fact remain niche experiments due to some limitations on their structure and governance. Thus, this study proposes and applies a design method to build a new sustainable food supply chain model capable of realizing a "jumping scale". Based on the theoretical and value framework of the Civil Economy (CE), the Economy for the Common Good (ECG), and the Development on a Human Scale (H-SD), the proposed design model aims to satisfy the needs of all stakeholders in the supply chain. Max-Neef's Needs Matrix and Design Thinking (DT) tools were used to develop the design model. Applying the design method to the food chain has allowed us to develop the concept of the "Food Village", an innovative food supply network far from the current economic mechanisms and based on the community and eco-sustainability.

Public Works Programmes and Cooperation for the Common Good: Evidence from Malawi.

This paper investigates the relationship between Malawi's largest and oldest public works programme (PWP) and social cohesion, specifically within-community cooperation for the common good. Using both primary and secondary data, we show that public works are associated with higher coordination activities and higher voluntary (unpaid) contributions to public goods, along both vertical ties (between community members and local leaders) and horizontal ties (among community members). Especially for school-building activities, voluntary inputs in the form of labour and other in-kind contributions are higher in the presence of the PWP. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the link between social protection programmes with community-driven features and social cohesion.

Cet article étudie la relation entre le plus grand et le plus ancien programme de travaux publics du Malawi, d'une part, et la cohésion sociale, d'autre part, et plus particulièrement la coopération au sein des communautés pour le bien commun. Grâce à des données à la fois primaires et secondaires, nous montrons que les travaux publics sont associés à des activités de coordination plus nombreuses et à une aide bénévole (non rémunérée) plus importante au niveau des biens publics, à la fois pour les liens verticaux (entre les membres de la communauté et les dirigeants à l'échelle locale) et les liens horizontaux (entre les membres de la communauté). L'aide bénévole sous forme de main-d'œuvre et d'autres contributions en nature est plus importante en présence du programme de travaux publics, en particulier pour les activités de construction d'écoles. Nos résultats contribuent à une meilleure compréhension du lien entre les programmes de protection sociale à caractère communautaire et la cohésion sociale.

Reviewing the Benefits of Aging Populations: Care Activities Provided by the Older People as a Commons.

This research reviews the commons paradigm as a framework for understanding the positive contribution of older cohorts to society. The commons, thought as instituting praxis that provide social goods based on autonomy and reciprocity, can help in understanding the role of this age group in providing care to the rest of society. This approach overturns the way economic literature approaches the aging phenomenon. What is understood as a "common evil"-or a problem that needs to be solved-can be analyzed as a "common good." From this perspective, older people (population aged 65 and over) are essential to European society and the economy to carry out informal care activities that enable and facilitate the "productive" activities of working people.

Analyzing the Morality of Owning and Suspending Patent Rights for COVID-19 Vaccines in the Light of Catholic Social Teaching.

Using the Roman Catholic Church's set of moral principles on social concerns called Catholic social teaching (CST) and utilizing some secondary data and scientific research literature, this article examines the morality of India and South Africa's request to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to temporarily suspend the property rights and patents of top pharmaceutical companies to their vaccines to allow low-income countries to locally manufacture them to save the lives of the poor during this COVID-19 pandemic. Applying the theological method of "See-Judge-and-Act," this article argues that the suspension of patents for COVID vaccines is morally justifiable in the light of CST's principles on the universal destination of earth's goods, the common good, and preferential option for the poor. The top pharmaceutical companies cannot claim absolute ownership to their vaccines as they do not totally own and fund the entire development and production process. Furthermore, the right to private ownership and patents has a social dimension and must serve the common good and welfare of the poor, especially in times of global emergency such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Patent holders have a moral obligation to promote the common good and save the lives of the poor which must prevail over their capitalist quest for profit. This article recommends that Catholics and Christians must join this crusade for the suspension of patents as part of their spirituality of social transformation. Summary: Applying the Roman Catholic Church's set of moral principles on social concerns called CST and utilizing some secondary data and scientific research literature, this article examines the morality of India and South Africa's request to the World Trade Organization to temporarily suspend the property rights and patents of top pharmaceutical companies to their vaccines to allow low-income countries to locally manufacture them to save the lives of the poor during the current pandemic. Applying the theological method of "See-Judge-and-Act," this article argues that the suspension of patents for COVID vaccines is morally justifiable in the light of CST's principles on the universal destination of earth goods, the common good, and preferential option for the poor. It recommends that Catholics and Christians must join this crusade for the suspension of patents as part of their spirituality of social transformation. Short Summary: This article argues that patents of the top pharmaceutical companies to their COVID-19 vaccines must be suspended as requested by India and South Africa in the WTO in the light of CST's moral principles on the universal destination of earth's goods, the common good, and preferential option for the poor.