The controversies surrounding the reception of Amoris Laetitia include accusations from critics that the exhortation undermines Veritatis Splendor’s teaching on “intrinsically evil” actions. This article reexamines the debates surrounding this concept, focusing on Peter Knauer’s critique of intrinsically evil acts and Veritatis Splendor's teaching. Using the case of homicide, it argues that the encyclical’s reasoning relies on its ability to distinguish between the intended and unintended effects of an act. The article suggests that this position is difficult to reconcile with the Catholic tradition on just war. As a result, unresolved questions persist about the role of intrinsically evil acts in moral theology, requiring further clarification of the place of moral absolutes. Drawing on Eberhard Schockenhoff’s work, and prescinding from other issues the concept might raise, the article proposes that maintaining the foundational role of intrinsically evil actions can coexist with recognizing ambiguities in defining the concept’s boundaries. It concludes that the tensions between the two magisterial documents should be understood as part of an ongoing process of refining the foundations of Catholic moral theology.
Perrin; id_orcid 0000-0003-4205-9839 Lefebvre (Mon,) studied this question.