The Arguments for Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide: Catholic Response

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, in its Declaration on Euthanasia, of May 5, 1980. defines euthanasia as “an action or omission that by its own nature or in its intention, causes death, in order that all suffering may in this way be eliminated.”

Emanuel E.J. “A Phase 1 Trial on the Ethics of Phase 1 Trials,” Journal of Clinical Oncology, 13 (1995): 1049–1051. President's Commission for the Study of Ethical Problems in Medicine and Biomedical and Behavioral Research, Deciding to Forego Life-Sustaining Treatment. Washington. DC. US Government Printing Office (1983).

McKhann C.F. “Is There a Role for Physician-Assisted Suicide in Cancer? Yes.” Important Advances in Oncology, De Vita V.T. , Hellman S.H. , and Rosenberg S.A. (eds.), Lippincott-Raven Publishers, Philadelphia (1996), p. 271.

McKhann C.F. “Is There a Role for Physician-Assisted Suicide in Cancer? Yes.” Important Advances in Oncology, De Vita V.T. , Hellman S.H. , and Rosenberg S.A. (eds.), Lippincott-Raven Publishers, Philadelphia (1996), p. 272.

Brock D.W. “Voluntary Active Euthanasia,” Hastings Center Report 22 (1992): 10–22.

McKhann C.F. “Is There a Role for Physician-Assisted Suicide in Cancer? Yes,” Important Advances in Oncology, De Vita V.T. , Hellman S.H. , and Rosenberg S.A. (eds.), Lippincott-Raven Publishers, Philadelphia (1996), p. 268.

“Human life is the basis of all goods, a gift of God's love, which we are called upon to preserve and make fruitful,” Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Declaration on Euthanasia. May 5, 1980.

Gunderson M. “A Right to Suicide Does Not Entail a Right to Assisted Death,” Journal of Medical Ethics 23 (1997): 51–54, p. 51.

Batin M.P. The Least Worst Death: Essays in Bioethics on the End of Life, New York: Oxford University Press (1994), pp. 280–282.

Callahan D “When Self-Determination Runs Amok,” Hastings Center Report 22 (1992): 52–55. H. Jochemsen, “Euthanasia in Holland: An Ethical Critique of the New Law.” Journal of Medical Ethics 20 (1994): 212-227.

Gunderson M. “A Right to Suicide Does Not Entail a Right to Assisted Death,” Journal of Medical Ethics 23 (1997): 51–54.

Quill T.E. , Cassel C.K. , Meier D.E. “Care of the Hopelessly III: Potential Clinical Criteria for Physician-Assisted Suicide.” New England Journal of Medicine 327 (1992): 1380–1384.

“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” ( Paul John II Evangelium Vitae III. 66).

Lowry F. , Sawyer D.M. , and Williams J.R. “Canadian Physicians and Euthanasia: 4 Lessons from Experience,” Canadian Association Journal 148 (1993): 1895–1899.

Quill T.E. , Cassel C.K. “Nonabandonment: A Central Obligation for Physicians,” Annals Internal Medicine 122 (1995): 368–374.

McKhann C.F. “Is There a Role for Physician-Assisted Suicide in Cancer? Yes” Important Advances in Oncology. De Vita V.T. , Hellman S.H. , and Rosenberg S.A. (eds.). Lippincott-Raven Publishers, Philadelphia. 1996, p. 271.

“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” ( Paul John II Evangelium Vitae III, 66).

See Euthanasia in the Netherlands. 4th edition, Royal Dutch Medical Association, Utrecht. 1995. And Netherlands. Remmelink Comission. Medical Practice with Regard to Euthanasia and Related Medical decisions in the Netherlands: Results of an Inquiry and the Government's View. Netherlands: Ministry of Welfare. Health, and Cultural Affairs (1991).

“The choice of euthanasia becomes more serious when it takes the form of a murder committed by others on a person who has in no way requested it and who has never consented to it. The height of arbitrariness and injustice is reached when certain people, such as physicians or legislators, arrogate to themselves the power to decide who ought to live and who ought to die” ( Paul John II Evangelium Vitae III, 66).

McKhann C.F. “Is There a Role for Physician-Assisted Suicide in Cancer? Yes” Important Advances in Oncology, De Vita V.T. , Hellman S.H. , and Rosenberg S.A. (eds.). Lippincott-Raven Publishers, Philadelphia, 1996. p. 269.

Emanuel E.J. “Pain and Symptom Control. Patient Rights and Physician Responsibilities.” Pain and Palliative Care 10 (1996): 41–55.

“Suicide is often a refusal of love for self, the denial of the natural instinct to live, a flight from the duties of justice and charity owed to one's neighbor, to various communities, or to the whole of society,” Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Declaration on Euthanasia, 1980.

McKhann C.F. “Is There a Role for Physician-Assisted Suicide in Cancer? Yes” Important Advances in Oncology. De Vita V.T. , Hellman S.H. , and Rosenberg S.A. (eds.). Lippincott-Raven Publishers, Philadelphia. 1996. p. 271.

Rachels J “Active and Passive Euthanasia,” New England Journal of Medicine 292 (1975): 78.

Lowe S.L. “The Right to Refuse Treatment is not a Right to Be Killed.” Journal of Medical Ethics 23 (1997): 154–158.

Hopkins P.D. “Why Does Removing Machines Count as ‘Passive’ Euthanasia?” Hastings Center Report 27 (1997): 29–37.

Kennedy I “Commentary 3: A response to Lowe. Journal of Medical Ethics 23 (1997): 161–163.

The Magisterium considers ordinary care hydration, feeding, personal hygiene, medication and cleaning of wounds. These should be considered a right of the patient, as well as not to increase the suffering of the patient in the terminal phase of the disease, even for patients in persistent vegetative state, since they are still persons. See Declaration of Prolife Committee of the United States Bishops, “Nutrition and Hydration: Moral and Pastoral Considerations” (1998).

“To forego extraordinary or disproportionate means is not the equivalent of suicide or euthanasia, it rather expresses acceptance of the human condition in the face of death.” ( Paul John II Evangelium Vitae III. 65).

Thomasma D.C. , and Glenn C.G. Euthanasia: Toward an Ethical Social Policy, New York, Continuum. 1990, p. 197.

Jones A.R. “Clinical Decisions to Limit Treatment.” Annals Internal Medicine 93 (1980): 764–768.

Schneiderman L.J. , Jecker N.S. , Jonsen A.R. “Medical Futility: Its Meaning and Ethical Implications,” Annals Internal Medicine 112 (1990): 949–954.

McKhann C.F. “Is There a Role for Physician-Assisted Suicide in Cancer? Yes” Important Advances in Oncology, De Vita V.T. , Hellman S.H. , and Rosenberg S.A. (eds.). Lippincott-Raven Publishers, Philadelphia, 1996, p. 272.

Patterson W.B. , Emanuel E.J. “Ethics Rounds: Euthanasia and the Care of Cancer Patients.” Journal of Clinical Oncology 7 (1994): 1516–1521.

Paul John II Evangelium Vitae. 65; E.J. Emanuel. “A Phase 1 Trial on the Ethics of Phase 1 Trials.” Journal of Clinical Oncology 13 (1995): 1049-1051: and President's Commission for the Study of Ethical Problems in Medicine and Biomedical and Behavioral Research: Deciding to Forego Life-Sustaining Treatment. Washington, DC, US Government Printing Office (1983).

Hardwig J. “Is There a Duty to Die?” Hastings Center Report 27 (1997): 34–42.

Thomasma D.C. “Assisted Death and Martyrdom,” Christian Bioethics (1998) 4: 122–142.

“One must clearly distinguish suicide from that sacrifice of one's life whereby for a higher cause, such as God's glory, the salvation of souls or the service of one's brethren, a person offers his or her own life or puts it in danger.” Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Declaration on Euthanasia, 1980.

Engelhardt H.T. Jr. “Physician-Assisted Death: Doctrinal Death: Doctrinal Development vs. Christian Tradition.” Christian Bioethics (1998) 4: 115–121.

Ethics to Nicomacus, V. 11: 1138a 12-15.

The Magisterium has evaluated euthanasia as “a grave violation of the Law of God. since a deliberate killing is morally unacceptable for the human person.” Evangelium Vitae, n. 65.

“Suffering is a call to manifest the moral grandiosity of the human being, his spiritual maturity,” Paul John II Apostolic Letter Salvifici Doloris VI, 28.