We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
from PART IV - BIOETHICS
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 May 2015
By Christ's Passion man knows thereby how much God loves him, and is thereby stirred to love God in return, and herein lies the completion of human salvation.
St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae IIIa q. 46 a. 3The word “euthanasia” means “mercy killing.” In the latter part of the twentieth century advocates of the practice sought vigorously to get it accepted as a legal medical procedure, which normally involved injecting a patient with lethal chemicals meant to induce painless death. There are two kinds of euthanasia: voluntary and involuntary. The former means that the patient has given formal consent either through an advanced directive or, if they are conscious and lucid, directly to the doctor. Involuntary euthanasia generally involves patients in comas or severely impaired states who are not physically capable of giving consent. The movement to legalize euthanasia in the United States had mixed results. Its most vocal advocate and practitioner, Jack Kevorkian, was imprisoned but also is seen as a martyr by euthanasia advocates. The two-fold purpose of this final chapter is both to make clear why Catholic teaching condemns this practice and to respond to the significant problems euthanasia raises in a unique way regarding human suffering.
THE CATHOLIC RESPONSE TO EUTHANASIA
To begin with, let us clarify the Catholic teaching. This is more complicated than some suppose. It is true that euthanasia clearly violates the Catholic moral tradition: “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” (no. 60). Seems clear enough, right? But what is this “omission” business about? Well, suppose that a patient needs some kind of artificial life support like a ventilator, hydration, or a feeding tube. To intentionally omit these things in order to cause death is still a form of euthanasia.
To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.
Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.
Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.
