The Church is unequivocally opposed to assisted suicide, euthanasia

At a recent meeting of the New Jersey Catholic Conference, the issue of the Church’s teaching on assisted suicide was brought up by one of the state’s bishops. While many are familiar with this teaching, it is worthwhile to review, especially as we wind down Respect Life Month.

The official teaching of the Catholic Church is unequivocally opposed to assisted suicide and euthanasia.  The Church’s position is based upon these principles:

1. Sanctity of Life: Human life is considered a sacred gift from God. No one has the moral right to intentionally end an innocent human life, including their own.

2. Moral Unacceptability: The Church teaches that assisted suicide and euthanasia are morally unacceptable because they involve the deliberate taking of life, which is considered a grave violation of human dignity and divine law.

3. Dignity in Suffering: While the Church acknowledges the reality of suffering, it emphasizes compassionate care, palliative treatment and spiritual support — not the hastening of death — as the appropriate response.

The Church’s teaching can be found in these key documents:

1. Catechism of the Catholic Church (2277): Direct euthanasia, regardless of motive, is morally unacceptable. It defines such acts as murder and a grave offense against the dignity of the human person.

2. Declaration on Euthanasia (1980): Issued by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, this document affirms that suicide and assisted suicide reject God’s sovereignty and loving plan for each person.

3. amaritanus Bonus (2020): Reinforces the Church’s stance by emphasizing the importance of accompanying the dying with love and care, not hastening their death.
The Church also recognizes that psychological distress or mental illness may diminish personal culpability in cases of suicide. While the act remains gravely wrong, pastoral care and compassion in light of the Church’s teaching are extended to those affected.
Catholic healthcare institutions apply the Church’s teachings on assisted suicide through a combination of ethical policies, compassionate care and spiritual support.

1. Prohibition of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia: Catholic hospitals and care facilities do not permit any form of assisted suicide or euthanasia. Staff are ethically bound to avoid participating in or referring patients for these procedures.

2. Ethical Directives: Institutions follow the “Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services,” issued by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. These directives guide clinical decisions, ensuring they align with Catholic moral theology.

3. Emphasis on Palliative and Hospice Care:
 a. Pain Management: Catholic facilities prioritize aggressive pain relief and symptom control, even if such treatment may unintentionally shorten life — this is morally acceptable under the principle of double effect.
 b. Hospice Services: Many Catholic institutions offer hospice care that focuses on comfort, dignity and emotional support for patients and families.
 c. Refusal of Extraordinary Means: Patients may decline overly burdensome or disproportionate treatments that prolong life without reasonable hope of recovery. This is considered morally permissible.

4. Spiritual and Emotional Support:
a. Chaplaincy Services: Catholic hospitals provide spiritual care through chaplains, sacraments (like Anointing of the Sick) and pastoral counseling.
 b. Family Involvement: Families are encouraged to participate in end-of-life decisions, guided by faith and ethics.

In New Jersey, the “Medical Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act” became law on Aug. 1, 2019, placing New Jersey among only 11 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia that allow medical aid in dying. Although conditions for its legal permissibility are strict, the law is, nevertheless, a glaring example of something being legal but not moral.  Medically assisted suicide undermines the physician/patient relationship and runs counter to the physician’s oath as a healer.

While the plight of the terminally ill is very difficult and emotionally taxing for those who love them, our Catholic faith requires that we respond in a way that respects the sanctity and dignity of every human life, from conception to natural death.
 
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