Catholic Theological Ethics in Asia: From Conflict to Conversation.

The Catholic Church is one of the leading healthcare providers in Asia. Yet, the Church finds itself in conflict with public health policies that are incompatible with Catholic teachings. This paper, taking the response of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Taiwan to the Patient Right to Autonomy Act as an example, argues that moral theological discussions in Asia need to take place in the context of the presence of vibrant ancient cultures, philosophies and religions, instead of from a dogmatic standpoint. This paper further suggests that the Catholic Church in Asia needs to open itself to the challenges posed by the wider society and be willing to dialogue and discern on ethical issues within the Church as well as with other religions, and society at large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]