Catholic Church Reiterates Its Position on End of Life Issues

The following is from Pope reaffirms Church’s stance against euthanasia, catholicnewsagency.com, Feb. 25, 2008:

Pope Benedict received participants in an international congress entitled: “Close by the Incurable Sick Person and the Dying: Scientific and Ethical Aspects” today and reiterated that the Church is against all forms of euthanasia.***

“In more concrete terms”, he added, “this means ensuring that every person in need finds the necessary support through appropriate treatments and medical procedures – identified and administered using criteria of therapeutic proportionality – while bearing in mind the moral duty to administer (on the part of doctors) and to accept (on the part of patients) those means for preserving life which, in a particular situation, may be considered as ‘ordinary'”.***

After raising the issue of how it is becoming more common for elderly people in large cities to be alone “even in moments of serious illness and when approaching death”, the Holy Father noted that such situations increase pressures towards euthanasia, “especially when a utilitarian view of people has become established”. ***

Special thanks to Neil E. Hendershot, Esq. (Attorney at law, Goldberg Katzman, P.C., Adjunct Professor, Widener University School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention. You can read more on Neil’s blog at PA Elder, Estate & Fiduciary Law Blog.