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Assisted Death

by Oct 3, 2021Respect Life

Known by many names – Physician-Assisted Death/Suicide, Euthanasia, Dignity with Death – by whatever name, it is the planned termination of a life with the assistance (direct or indirect) of a doctor. It is not a question of end-of-life-care, decisions to stop medical treatment, or decisions to let nature take its course. It is question of state-legalized suicide and the moral assessment of such actions.

A campaign to legalize assisted suicide moves forward in most state legislatures. The former Hemlock Society – now under the more appealing name “Compassion & Choices” – has garnered success in 7 states since 2015 – bringing the total to 10. Their recent success is, like many things “pro-death”, has come with a change in the public relations of the issue. The breakthrough likely came via an attractive 29-year-old cancer patient named Brittany Maynard. Ms. Maynard, a California resident, announced in 2014 that she was unwilling to face the expected suffering of her illness, and would move to Oregon so she could take her life on November 1 using its assisted suicide law. She appeared on the cover of People magazine and became a spokesperson for C&C, her interviews and video appearances carefully vetted by its media relations staff, provided an appealing human face for C&C’s agenda.The voices of others – including patients with similar conditions, who urged her to see meaning in her life and promote hope rather than despair – were drowned out.

Why it’s important. “At the heart of liberty is the right to define one’s own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life,” wrote three justices of the Supreme Court in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the 1992 case that dramatically reaffirmed Roe v. Wade. This basic theme was repeated by the 1996 US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in the case of Compassion in Dying v. State of Washington.

As Catholics we do not concur. These things are not part of human liberty, but are part of the mystery of God’s creation and our search for God in our lifetimes. Life is precious. And as we all too sadly know, death is inevitable – but is not ours to control.

“To concur with the intention of another person to commit suicide and to help in carrying it out through so-called “assisted suicide” means to cooperate in, and at times to be the actual perpetrator of, an injustice which can never be excused, even if it is requested. In a remarkably relevant passage Saint Augustine writes that “it is never licit to kill another: even if he should wish it, indeed if he request it because, hanging between life and death, he begs for help in freeing the soul struggling against the bonds of the body and longing to be released; nor is it licit even when a sick person is no longer able to live.”… Moreover, the act of euthanasia appears all the more perverse if it is carried out by those, like relatives, who are supposed to treat a family member with patience and love, or by those, such as doctors, who by virtue of their specific profession are supposed to care for the sick person even in the most painful terminal stages.”

Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, (The Gospel of Life), no. 66

Go Deeper. This is an aspect of being Pro-Life that has as many facets as all the other issues under the Catholic understanding of being truly Pro-Life in all things from conception to natural death – too many to discuss here. But like many things in this arena, those that are “pro death” have always exhibited much more “marketing savvy” and shown an ability to define the conversation: witness “Compassion and Care” as the replacement for an organization whose previous name was synonymous with poison.

Live long enough and each one of us will know someone who will face terminal illnesses. No one wants them to die. We want healing and restoration, but we all know that death is inevitable for each of us. We are just not in a rush to face that inevitability. But when the immediacy of ending a life before its natural death is the only discussion, we fail to recognize the effect such laws and social acceptance have on Palliative Care, research into pain relieving medications, and many other things, including insurance coverage.

Barbara Wagner, a retired school bus driver, learned this lesson first hand. Barbara had been in remission from her lung cancer. When it recurred, her oncologist wanted her to be given a drug that (statistically) would increase the chance of her being alive in one year by 45%. The State of Oregon denied this treatment stating that her prognosis wasn’t good enough to warrant expensive medication to treat her cancer. Yet in the same letter denying coverage for her medication, the State offered full coverage (100%) for her assisted suicide.

What implications does this attitude portend for national health care reform? How many older individuals with serious illnesses or disabilities could be determined “no longer worth treatment” under federal cost-saving measures? What is the status of related laws here in the Commonwealth of Virginia?

Did you know that Virginia’s “Futile Care Law” gives health care providers the right to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatment without consent or even against the wishes of the patient or the patient’s designated decision maker. A bill to legalize assisted suicide, called “Medical Aid in Dying” (HB 1649), was introduced in Virginia in January 2020 which is similar to Oregon’s laws – it remains in committee for the moment. The current state of the law in Virginia is that aiding someone in assisted suicide open them to civil damages. There are no criminal charges involved.

What are we Catholics called to do on this topic? In a later article we will address the topic of End-of-Life Care. But at all times, be compassionate and caring with those facing the looming threshold of death. Life holds meaning and Hope. Respect Life.