§ I. On the Killing of the Innocent in General

400. Principles. - I. It is never lawful directly to kill an innocent person, whether by private or public authority, even for procuring the public good; for it is an intrinsically evil action and expressly prohibited by divine law. Exod. 23. 7: Thou shalt not kill the innocent and just. - St. Alphonsus, n. 393.

II. It is lawful on account of a grave cause to place an action good in itself from which, besides the intention, the death of an innocent person follows, according to the principle of St. Thomas set forth above.

III. He is not guilty of homicide who, even without cause, but with diligence applied, places an action which does not bring death per se, from which nevertheless by accident homicide follows; because that homicide is altogether fortuitous and involuntary. But otherwise if he places an action which brings death per se, or is very dangerous, and from which death often follows, even if diligence is applied for forestalling damage. - St. Alphonsus, n. 398.

401. Resolves. - 1. It is not lawful to kill those lethally wounded, nor any other dying persons, lest they suffer longer; nor mad persons, lest they harm others, provided they can be restrained from harming otherwise. The reason is that, according to the well-known saying, evils are not to be done in order that good may be obtained.

2. It is not lawful to kill an innocent person for satisfying a tyrant demanding his death, even under penalty of the city to be overthrown, and even if he consented to his own death; the reason is that he does not have dominion over his own life. Yet more probably he could be compelled to hand himself over to the tyrant for the public good, and probably, if he were unwilling, even be handed over. - St. Alphonsus, n. 393, with others.

3. In war it is lawful to direct cannons against enemy positions, although from this some innocents also are going to suffer death; because their death follows besides the intention. - St. Alphonsus, ibid.

4. It is not lawful to kill legates or hostages, even if the enemies who sent them have not kept the given faith and have unjustly killed the hostages or legates sent to them; because they are innocent. - Busembaum and others commonly with St. Alphonsus, ibid.

5. Physicians, midwives, and guardians of infants and the infirm sin gravely if from grave negligence they either do not impede their death, or cause it, or hasten it. Likewise if from gravely culpable ignorance they furnish harmful things to the sick.