Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide
You may recall during the national elections in November 2024 that, among the several state ballot initiatives, the State of West Virginia established a constitutional ban on assisted suicide. Amendment 1 made clear that “no person, physician, or health care provider in the State of West Virginia shall participate in the practice of medically assisted…
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“Always be inspired in your decisions by the conviction that life should be nurtured and protected from its conception until its natural end. You will be recognized as Catholic doctors by your defense of the inviolable dignity of every human person.” ― Pope St. John Paul II, Letter to the Italian Catholic Physicians’ Association Despite…
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Euthanasia is an action or omission that of itself or by intention causes death in order to alleviate suffering. Catholic health care institutions may never condone or participate in euthanasia or assisted suicide in any way. Dying patients who request euthanasia should receive loving care, psychological and spiritual support, and appropriate remedies for pain and…
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“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. True ‘compassion’ leads to sharing another’s pain; it does not kill the person whose suffering we cannot bear.” -Pope St. John Paul…
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“From the very beginning, the Church has known how to accompany the dying. How many priests and religious men and women have spent hours with persons who were at the end of life? At the end of their earthly journey, men do not need a cold, death-dealing syringe. They need a compassionate, loving hand.” Cardinal…
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The Slovenian government recently defeated a bill that would have legalized euthanasia. This bill had been proposed by an organization called Silver Thread, which collected signatures and demanded “dignity” for the dying. Though the defeat of the bill is a victory for pro-lifers, the government intends to hold a referendum on the subject of euthanasia…
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You are a member of the first generation of doctors in the history of medicine to turn their backs on the oath of Hippocrates and kill millions of old useless people, unborn children, born malformed children, for the good of mankind ― and to do so without a single murmur from the august New England…
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A judicial determination should be made when it is necessary to hasten the death of an individual, whether it be a demented parent, a suffering, severely disabled spouse or a child. ~ Former Hemlock Society Executive Director Faye Girsh.1 British journalist Derek Humphry had a bit of a problem on his hands in early…
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The term “euthanasia” means any action committed or omitted for the purpose of causing or hastening the death of a human being after birth. It is usually done for the alleged purpose of ending the person’s suffering. The word is derived from two Greek words: “Eu,” meaning “easy,” and “thanos,” which means “death.” The Vatican’s Declaration…
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Two Decades Later: The Fight of Terri Schiavo
Twenty years ago, a large crowd gathered outside a hospice in Florida where they held a 24-hour round-the-clock prayer vigil. Inside the hospice lay Terri Schiavo, a 41-year-old woman who some years before had suffered a severe heart attack, leaving her severely disabled. Among those present in the crowd, were Schiavo’s parents and her brother…
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