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51. Ibid., 49. 52. Ibid., 71. 53. Ibid., 72–73. 54. Ford, Letter to Guindon (1970). 55. Guindon, Letter to Ford (1970). 56. Ford, Letter to Guindon (1970). 57. Ford and Kelly, Contemporary Moral Theology, Vol. I (1958), 245n36. 58. Ford, Alcoholism: Education for Sobriety (1950); Ford, “Alcoholism: Society’s Taint” (1951); Ford, “Depth Psychology” (1951); Ford, Man Takes a Drink (1954). 59. Ford, “Alcohol, Alcoholism” (1950), 125. 60. Morgan, “‘Chemical Comforting’” (1999), 34–35. 61. Ibid., 35. 62. Ibid. 63. Ford, Letter to George L. (1978). 64. Ford, “Pastoral Dealing with Compulsives” (1970), 4. 65. Ford, “Refusal of Blood Transfusions” (1964), 215. 66. Ibid., 216. 67. Ibid., 216–17. 68. Ibid., 219. 69. Ibid., 224. 70. Ibid. 71. Ibid. 72. Ford and Drew, “Advising Radical Surgery” (1953), 711. 73. Ibid. 74. Ibid., 712. 75. Ibid. 76. Ibid, 713. 77. Ibid. 78. Ibid., 715. 79. Ibid., 713. 80. Ibid., 715. 192 Morality and Law chapter nine John Ford and His Legacy John Ford’s legacy includes both the advance of an approach to moral theology that was falling out of favor even as he refined it, and profound human and pastoral insights that have borne fruit in the theological world and in actual human lives. Lights and Shadows Ford was an extraordinary manualist. His moral method was animated by dynamic tensions, and his commitment to defend objective moral norms was complemented by a pastoral stance that accommodated circumstances diminishing subjective culpability. His respect for ecclesiastical and civil authority allowed for critical challenges, especially when vulnerable persons were affected. He could shift between the role of interpreter of papal pronouncements and that of self-appointed guardian of orthodoxy. Adept at using the rich resources of the whole Catholic moral tradition , Ford was able to use both principle-based manualist casuistry and case-based high casuistry in resolving hard moral cases. His skill in interpreting the nuances of ecclesiastical pronouncements when the magisterium spoke was matched by his ability to evaluate and propose probable opinions when the magisterium was silent. Ford actively sought new solutions to old moral problems. His pastoral solutions to the problems of alcoholism, addiction, and compulsions involved sensitive innovation. He even proposed norms and guidelines in anticipation of new moral problems. His article on obliteration bombing, for example, anticipated the future use of weapons of mass destruction. Increasing use of chemical comforters led him to propose a new virtue to regulate drug use. Advances in medical research h฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀฀f 193 ...

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