A Culture of Life Part 3 - Euthanasia and Suicide

A CULTURE OF LIFE

Euthanasia/Suicide

"Whatever its motives and means, direct euthanasia consists in putting an end to the lives of handicapped, sick, or dying persons. It is morally unacceptable." CCC#2277 "Suicide is always as morally objectionable as murder." GL #66

Suicide and euthanasia are always, in all circumstances, wrong and a grave matter. We are often torn by the sufferings of those we love and are tempted to think that so called "mercy killing" is a loving act. Yet, as John Paul II states: "Even when not motivated by a selfish refusal to be burdened with the life of someone who is suffering, euthanasia must be called a false mercy, and indeed a disturbing 'perversion' of mercy." GL #66 Clarity is needed here in our definition of euthanasia.  It is the direct taking of a life for reasons of sickness or disability. Care of the sick is an obligation of all and must not become a matter of judging life by arbitrary standards such as "quality of life." In the case of the terminally ill, it is not necessary to use extraordinary means to prolong life.  Ordinary care, such as nourishment and hydration, must always be provided, but invasive procedures, or so called aggressive medical treatments, can be refused. Even the administration of pain killers that may possibly hasten death can be administered if the intention is not to cause death but to reduce suffering. End of life issues are complex and often distorted by emotion.  To decide, the case of the terminally ill or someone who is being kept alive by artificial means, to discontinue these aggressive measures, so long as nourishment and hydration is continued, is in keeping the dignity of human life. "To forgo extraordinary or disproportionate means is not the equivalent of suicide or euthanasia; it rather expresses acceptance of the human condition in the face of death." GL#65

"Everyone is responsible for his life before God who has given it to him. It is God who remains the sovereign Master of Life. We are obliged to accept life gratefully and preserve it for his honor and the salvation of our souls. We are stewards, not owners, of the life God has entrusted to us. It is not ours to dispose of." CCC#2280

A Culture Of Life Part Two

A CULTURE OF LIFE

Abortion

"Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured  abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law." (CCC #2271)

Before any other life issue is considered, the fundamental right to life of the unborn takes prominence. At the earliest stages of life we are the most vulnerable, depended upon the care and love of another. To consider that the value of this life at its most precious and fragile state is dependant solely on the affections of another, even his or her mother, is to deny completely the value of any life. How can we possibly talk about the value of human life at any stage if we can deny it at its earliest. If our value is dependent upon the views of others than we have no intrinsic value at all.  If, because we can, because we have the ability to decide if this life is of value, we can decide to end life, how can we decry the actions of the powerful over the weak in situations of tyranny, of government abuses, even of murder itself. As John Paul II says: "Looking at the situation from this point of view, it is possible to speak in a certain sense of a war of the powerful against the weak: a life which would require greater acceptance, love and care is considered useless, or held to be an intolerable burden, and is therefore rejected in one way or another.  A person who, because of illness, handicap or, more simply, just by existing, compromises the well-being or life-style of those who are more favored tends to be looked upon as an enemy to be resisted or eliminated." (GL #12)

So serious is the offense of abortion that the Church imparts the severest penalty for those who obtain abortions and those who cooperate in the process. "Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life." (CCC #2272).  While the Church recognizes that many factors lead to the decision to end a pregnancy in abortion, the graveness of the action nonetheless requires the most serious response.  The mercy of God allows for release from this penalty of excommunication upon repentance and the reception of Sacramental Absolution. Great sympathy must be offered to those women who choose abortion because of the moral ambiguity our society is mired in and the feeling of desperation that often occurs with unwanted pregnancies. Forgiveness and redemption are the hoped for outcome for all who sin, especially those who do so out of fear, confusion, and desperation. This sad state of affairs is further complicated by a society that not only sees crimes against life as acceptable but even an individual's "right." "It is not only that in generalized opinion these attacks tend no longer to be considered as 'crimes'; paradoxically they assume the nature of 'rights', to the point that the State is called to give them legal recognition and to make them available through the free services of health-care personnel." (GL #11) The right to life is the preeminent right which supersedes all other rights.

A CULTURE OF LIFE

A CULTURE OF LIFE

I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse.  Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live. Deuteronomy 30:19

Over the next few blogs I will be discussing Church Teaching concerning creating a culture of life, the teachings about life issues from the very beginning of life to the very end and the various concerns in-between. My main references for this discussion will be The Catechism of the Catholic Church, abbreviated as CCC, and Blessed John Paul II's encyclical EVANGELIUM VITAE, THE GOSPEL OF LIFE, abbreviated as GL.

John Paul begins his encyclical by saying: "The Gospel of life is at the heart of Jesus' message. Lovingly received day after day by the Church, it is to be preached with dauntless fidelity as 'good news' to the people of every culture." GL #1 This is a call to make known the message of the Gospel that all life is sacred and must be protected and respected. This message of life is the foundation of all communities and governments. Without this fundamental recognition of the sacredness of all life communities are undermined and governments loose legitimacy. The sacredness of all life must be protected and respected from its very beginning at conception to it natural end. This fundamental teaching encompasses a myriad issues that give it its full  expression. Recalling the Second Vatican Council's condemnation of crimes against the sacredness of life the Pope echoes its teaching: "Whatever is opposed to life itself, such as any type of murder, genocide, abortion, euthanasia, or willful self-destruction, whatever violates the integrity of the human person, such as mutilation, torments inflicted on body or mind, attempts to coerce the will itself, whatever insults human dignity, such as subhuman living conditions, arbitrary imprisonment, deportation, slavery, prostitution, the selling of women and children; as well as disgraceful working conditions, where people are treated as mere instruments of gain rather than as free and responsible persons; all these things and others like them are infamies indeed. They poison human society, and they do more harm to those who practice them that to those who suffer from injury. Moreover, they are a supreme dishonor to the Creator." GL #3. Not only are these things still increasing throughout the world, but in our culture crimes against life are being justified as "rights".

Referring to the story of Cain and Able, John Paul quotes the scripture: "Your brother's blood cries out to me from the soil." Genesis 4:10 Recognizing then that we are all our brothers' and sisters' keepers, we are called to "preach with dauntless fidelity" the Gospel of life and be about the work of creating a culture of life out of the present culture of death.