I am a diocesan priest in the parish of Cyrill and Method in the Archdiocese of Vienna, and a teacher at the The International Theological Commission recently published a document on the natural law as the foundation for universal ethics. The document is available on the Vatican website in French and Italian. I've made a translation into English (the body of the text is complete, notes will be coming) and posted it here on this website. The document is fairly long, but worth reading, especially for those interested in Thomistic ethics, interreligious dialog, politics, or similar fields where the concept of natural law is particularly important.
The Search for Universal Ethics: A New Look at the Natural Law
Why is it that ethical norms and precepts vary all around the globe? Some allow abortion, others do not. Some allow prostitution, others do not.
Where can we get standard so that we can avoid relativity of our ethical norms?