The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1920-09-18
IS MACSWINEY A SUICIDE?

The case Of Mayor MacSwiney
Of Cork, who has been on a hun
ger strike for the past few weeks.
has aroused worldwide interest in
many respects. One phase of this
case is in regard to the morality
OF hunger strike. Canon Waters,
a priest Of Dublin, takes the stand
that this abstinence from food con-
stitutes true case of suicide.
With respect to the Right Rev.
erend Canon, and several others
who entertain his political views,
it must be said that Catholic the
ology does not brand as a suicide
a man like Mayor MacSwiney.
Theologians Of the Catholic
Church, in speaking Of human
acts, lay down certain fixed prin-
clples as a guide to human con-
duct. One principle is that an
act which is good or at least in
different in itself, and from which
opposite effects may flow, may
sometimes be placed by a human
being provided certain conditions
are verified. These conditions are
as follows:
First. The reason for placing
such an act must be at least equal
ly as grave as the effect itself. In
the case Of MacSwiney the reason
for voluntary abstinence is to
make public and forceful pro
test against the injustice and bru-
tally exercised by the tyrannical
government which is depressing
the Irish. In this case, also, it
must be remembered that the suf-
ferer himself is not a mere citizen,
he is high official of his country,
and as such represents the public
welfare.
Second. The intention in such an
act must be good. That this is the
case with MacSwiney is apparent
from the fact that he does not
wish death directly-which might
be a tendency to suicide-but a
recognition Of the rights Of his
.countrymen who are being op-
pressed without mercy.
Third. The act must be in itself
good or at least Indifferent. In
this case the act spoken Of is the
taking or the refusal Of food. To
take or to refuse food is in itself
perfectly Indifferent matter.
Were it otherwise Catholic
might be accused Of wrong-doing
when he refuses food on fast
day; he might be guilty Of wrong
doing in refusing to eat meat on
Friday; many Of the Saints who
lived On bread and water for long
periods, or who went without any
food at all for weeks at a time,
would be guilty Of wrong-doing
Nor will it do to say that in this
case food is necessary to ward off
death and to avoid suicide, for this
is merely begging the question.
Fourth. 1t is necessary that in
such an act the good effect fol
low at least equally with the evil
effect. Now, in the case of Mac
Swiney there is no direct wish fo1
death; true he is risking his life
by constantly refusing food, but
in this he is answering a higher
call than life itself, a call to duty
and patriotism in order that
through his suffering, and possible
death which may follow, the wei
fare Of his country will be greatly
benefited, the suffering of his peo.
pie will be alleviated, and the
tyranny Of his country's oppres
sors, through the wide publicity
given the event, will at least les
sen. Such an act, in which the
good effect is directly intended
and the evil result follows as a sec
ondary matter, is at the very
foundation of human duty. A
courier is ordered by his com
handing officer to deliver an i'm
portant dispatch even though his
path lie through a reign Of bull
lets. The direct intention of the
courier is to perform an act Of
duty, even at the almost certain
risk Of death. Shall we style sucf
a man suicide? The same is true
of a priest who goes out to attenC
lepers, knowing in his heart tina
that act condemns him to leper' ;!
death. Thtis, many instances
could be given in which an ac
good or Indifferent in itself may
/ hn n1acnd hv q <h11rnan hainD act