Being grounded in and attempting to be faithful to a Catholic world view is a necessary starting point for ministry leaders' moral decision making. It yields norms that indicate the general direction one should take. But it does not suggest precisely what specific action one must take. Befriending the world view does not short circuit the due diligence required in the consideration, for instance, of a merger with another healthcare organization. It does not answer whether, all things considered, the merger best serves the community and is in keeping with ministry values.
Moral discernment is required for prudent decision making in such a matter.
Being steeped in a Catholic world view doesn't guarantee sound moral decision making because other competencies are needed. In addition to such thorough analysis of the situation, leaders in the ministry look to other sources of moral wisdom. Especially important at this level is to appeal to scripture, Jesus, human experience, and the moral wisdom communicated by the teaching of the Church and through the witness of the lives of moral virtuosos. 4 Most significant moral decisions involve competing goods and values. Thoughtful discernment, undertaken from within the world view by one who is shaped and formed by it, is required to hear God's precise call in each particular instance.