Death with Dignity: A Roman Catholic Perspective

Fuchs Josef , “Christian Faith and the Disposing of Human Life,” in Theological Studies 46 (1985) 664–84.

Natural Conference of Catholic Bishops, The Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services (Washington, D.C.: The United States Catholic Conference, 1994), Preamble.

Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Declaration on Euthanasia (Washington, D.C: The United States Catholic Conference, 1980). See also Pope John II, Encyclical Letter, The Gospel of Life (Washington, D.C.: The United States Catholic Conference, 1995) 65; Ethical and Religious Directives, Introduction to Part Five, 60.

Pope Pius X.I.I. , “Address to Doctors and Surgeons,” in Acts Apostolica Sedis 49 (1957) 1027–33.

Cathechism of the Catholic Church (Washington, D.C.: The United States Catholic Conference, 1994) 2278; NCCB, Ethical and Religious Directives, 56 and 57.

Cronin Daniel , The Moral Law in Regard to the Ordinary and Extraordinary Means of Conserving Life (Rome: Political Gregorian University, 1958).

Pope John Paul II , Apostolic Letter on the Christian Meaning of Human Suffering, Salvifici Doloris (Washington, D.C.: The United States Catholic Conference, 1984).

Declaration on Euthanasia.

See for instance, Quill Timothy , “Death and Dignity: A Case of Individualized Decision Making,” in The New England Journal of Medicine 324 (1991) 691–94.

Declaration on Euthanasia.

Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 2258, 2270; The Gospel of Life, 57, 62, and 65.

This is consistent throughout Church teaching; see for instance Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 2279; Ethical and Religious Directives, 61.

This case is presented by Fuchs, “Christian Faith and the Disposing of Human Life,” p. 678.

Pope Pius X.I.I. , “Address to the Ninth Congress of the Italian Anaethesiological Society,” in Acta Apostolica Sedis 49 (1957) 129–47; also his “Address to the International College of Neuro-Psycho Pharmacology,” in Acta Apostolica Sedis 50 (1958) 687–96; Ethical and Religious Directives, 61.

Ethical and Religious Directives, 27.

Ethical and Religious Directives, 25.

The most complete survey is given by James F. Keenan , and Sheehan Myles , “Life Supports: Sorting Bishops’ Views,” Church 8 (Winter, 1992) 10–17.

Ethical and Religious Directives, 58.

See for instance the works in Andrew Ortony, Metaphor and Thought (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1979).

This metaphor is more emotional than factual. It ignores important medical information concerning the persistent vegetative state. When the blood supply is cut off from the brain (ischemia), the brain is deprived of oxygen (hypoxia). When the blood flow is cut off for four to six minutes the cerebral cortex is severely and irreversibly damaged; after being deprived of oxygen for fifteen minutes, the functional capacity of the brain is completely destroyed. Even though the cerebral cortex may die, the brainstem will continue to function normally; when this is the case, the patient is in a persistent vegetative state. A persistent vegetative state is medically different than complete brain death, a coma, or dementia. In the most acute cases of a persistent vegetative state, the neocortical tissues liquefy. An EEG will not detect any brain activity. Nevertheless, because the brainstem continues to function, patients are able to breath without the aid of a respirator, their eyes remain open, and they go through what appear to be sleep/wake cycles. Yet, these patients have no awareness of their surroundings; they make no attempt to commuicate or interact with others; they do not experience pain or suffering; they do not experience hunger or thirst. Unable to eat, they must be fed through a nasogastric or a gastrostomy tube. If nutrition and hydration are withheld and the patient continues to receive proper nursing care, the individual will not manifest the signs of starvation (dried out mouth, parched and cracked lips, dry heaves, convulsions, etc.).

McHugh Bishop James , “Principles in Regard to Withholding and Withdrawing Artificially Assisted Nutrition and Hydration,” in Origins 19 (1989) 314–16; William E. May et alii, “Feeding and Hydrating the Permanently Unconscious and other Vulnerable Persons,” in Issues in Law and Medicine 3 (1987) 203–11.

This is the position of the Pennsylvania Bishops’ Conference, Nutrition and Hydration: Moral Considerations (Harrisburg: Pennsylvania Catholic Conference, 1991).

McCormick Richard , “Nutrition and Hydration: The New Euthanasia?” in The Critical Calling: Reflections on Moral Dilemmas Since Vatican II (Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 1989) 369–88; Kevin O'Rourke, “Prolonging Life: A Traditional Interpretation,” Linacre Quarterly 58 (no. 2, 1991) 12–26.