Ordinary and Extraordinary Means: Fiftieth Anniversary Issue

Originally published as a doctoral dissertation, Daniel A. Cronin’s survey of moral theology on the topic of ordinary and extraordinary means remains the standard reference work on this critically important distinction for end-of-life decision-making. Cronin examines the major authors from the Catholic historical tradition on this important distinction, showing how the difference between “ordinary” and “extraordinary” has developed with the progress of medical science. Continuously cited since its first publication, this revised edition brings the classic text back into print.

Daniel A. Cronin was ordained a Catholic priest in 1952 and received his doctorate of sacred theology from the Gregorian University in Rome in 1956. He served the Church in parochial ministry and positions at the Vatican. In 1970, he was named fifth bishop of Fall River (MA) Diocese, and in 1991, third archbishop of Hartford (CT) Archdiocese. He retired from active ministry in 2003.