Dear Catholic Torture Defender: Here is what you are struggling to defend

BRET BAIER, FOX NEWS: Sir, did the ends justify the means? 

FORMER VICE PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY: Absolutely. 

BRET BAIER: No doubt in your mind? 

DICK CHENEY: No doubt in my mind, I’m totally comfortable with it.

Meanwhile, back in the Church:

1789 Some rules apply in every case:

– One may never do evil so that good may result from it;

– the Golden Rule: “Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them.”

– charity always proceeds by way of respect for one’s neighbor and his conscience: “Thus sinning against your brethren and wounding their conscience . . . you sin against Christ.” Therefore “it is right not to . . . do anything that makes your brother stumble.”

1761 There are concrete acts that it is always wrong to choose, because their choice entails a disorder of the will, i.e., a moral evil. One may not do evil so that good may result from it.

1759 “An evil action cannot be justified by reference to a good intention” (cf. St. Thomas Aquinas, Dec. praec. 6). The end does not justify the means.

In short, Catholic torture defenders are, just like Catholic abortion defenders, advocates of the most popular moral heresy in the world.