Richard Arthur McCormick was an American Roman Catholic priest, who was best known for his discussions on moral theology and medical ethics. He served as a Professor of Christian Ethics at various institutions and authored and edited several books.
Background
Richard Arthur McCormick was born on October 3, 1922, in Toledo, Ohio, United States. He was a son of Edward James McCormick, a physician, who served a term as president of the American Medical Association, and Josephine (Beck) McCormick. His siblings included Edward J. McCormick, Carol Jeanne (McCormick) Sala, Mary Jo (McCormick) Anderson and Michael J. McCormick.
Education
In 1945, Richard received a bachelor's degree from Loyola University Chicago. Later, in 1950, he attained a Master of Arts degree from the same educational establishment. Some time later, McCormick continued his education at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, graduating with a Doctor of Sacred Theology degree in 1957.
Besides, during his lifetime, Richard received numerous honorary degrees from different institutions, including the University of Scranton (1975), Wheeling College (present-day Wheeling University) (1976), Siena College (1985), the College of the Holy Cross (1986), Seattle University (1987), Fordham University (1988), Loyola University Chicago (1989), Catholic Theological Union (1991), among others.
Career
It was in 1940, that Richard joined the Society of Jesus, a religious order of the Catholic Church, and was ordained priest in 1953. As for his teaching career, Richard served at various institutions. From 1957 to 1973, he worked as a Professor of Christian Ethics at Chicago's Jesuit School of Theology. Between 1974 and 1986, McCormick acted as Rose F. Kennedy Professor of Christian Ethics at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. During the same period, Richard was a research associate at the Woodstock Theological Center. In 1986, he was made John A. O'Brien Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, remaining in the position until his death.
It's worth noting, that McCormick raised tough questions in lectures, public debates and his writing. While vigorously representing Catholic moral teachings in public debates, where he was viewed as a conservative on abortion and euthanasia, Father McCormick questioned some of the tradition's absolute norms - particularly in regard to contraception, sterilization and other sexual and reproductive issues - in ways, that drew opposition from some conservative Catholic theologians and Vatican officials.
As for his writing, Richard's first book, "Ambiguity in Moral Choice", was published in 1973. Then, articles on Catholic social teachings and moral theory in theology and medical journals followed, as did several other books, including his "How Brave a New World?: Dilemmas in Bioethics" (1981) and his "Corrective Vision: Explorations in Moral Theology" (1994).
In addition, together with Charles E. Curan, Richard co-edited and also contributed to a six-volume collection, entitled "Readings in Moral Theology". Moreover, for many years, from 1965 to 1984, he wrote the "Notes on Moral Theology" column in Theological Studies journal. He described and evaluated an enormous body of current thinking on issues, that included divorce and remarriage and nuclear deterrence, as well as bioethical topics, like experimentation on humans.
Besides his scholarly books and articles, Father McCormick also wrote for a general readership in Catholic journals, like America and Commonweal, on the op-ed pages of The New York Times and The Washington Post and even in Sports Illustrated.
Religion
In 1940, Richard joined the Society of Jesus and was ordained priest in 1953.
Membership
Richard was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Besides, he was past president of the Catholic Theological Society of America, member of the Board of Directors of the American Society of Christian Ethics, member of the Bioethics Committee of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, member of the Bioethics Committee of the Catholic Health Association and member of the Ethics Committees of the American Fertility Society (present-day American Society for Reproductive Medicine).
Besides, Richard acted as a member of Ethics Advisory Board of the United States Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Also, he was a member of the Catholic Commission on Intellectual and Cultural Affairs.
Personality
Quotes from others about the person
''Richard had an enormous influence on Catholic moral theology in the whole world.'' - the Reverend Charles E. Curran