The Catholic Living will and Healthcare Surrogate: A Teaching Document for Evangelization,and a Means of Ensuring Spirituality Throughout Life

Abstract

The living will is a document that allows a patient to give instructions about the medical care they desire to receive at a future time. If consistent with Catholic teaching, it becomes a very effective tool for evangelization. A truly Catholic living will addresses five key principles: (1) the desire for pain relief, (2) assessing treatments as either ordinary or extraordinary, (3) providing nutrition and hydration, (4) prohibiting euthanasia, and (5) providing for spiritual care. The Catholic living will is not only individualized and patient-centered, it also avoids the dangers of a secular living will which deny patients proper end-of-life care.

Keywords

Living will Healthcare surrogate Artificial nutrition and hydration Euthanasia

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

American College of Physicians. 2005. Ethics manual, 5th ed., 28. Philadelphia: ACP.

BioEdge. Oregon changes name of physician assisted suicide. BioEdge.com, October 31, 2006, http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/6826.

Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. 1980. Declaration on euthanasia (May 5, 1980). Rome: The Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Cronin

2011. Ordinary and extraordinary means of conserving life, 58–9. Philadelphia: The National Catholic Bioethics Center.

Furton

E.J.

, Cataldo

P.J.

, Moraczewski

A.S.

2009. Catholic healthcare ethics a manual for practitioners, 176. Philadelphia, PA: The National Catholic Bioethics Center.

Ganzini

2006. Artificial nutrition and hydration at the end of life: Ethics and Evidence. Palliative and Supportive Care, 4: 134.

John Paul . 1995. Evangelium vitae, (March 25, 1995). Boston: Pauline Books, n. 65–6.

Marker

Advanced Directive: Protective Medical Decisions Document (PMDD). patientsrightsconucil.org. http://www.patientsrightscouncil.org/site/advance-directive-protective-medical-decisions-document/.

May

W.E.

2008. Catholic bioethics and the gift of human life, 2nd ed. Huntington, Indiana: Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division.

10.

National Catholic Bioethics Center. 2011. A Catholic guide to end-of-life decisions. Philadelphia, PA: NCBC.

11.

National Conference of Catholic Bishops. 1991. Euthanasia statement, administrative committee. Washington, DC: NCCB.

12.

Senander

1996. The living will-expansion or erosion of patients’ rights?, 11–2. St. Paul, Minnesota: The Leaflet Missal Company.

13.

Sudor

R.L.

, Fried

T.R.

2010. Redefining the “planning” in advanced care planning: preparing for end-of-life decision making. Annals of Internal Medicine, 153(4): 256.

14.

Catechism of the Catholic Church, trans. U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2nd ed, Washington, DC: USCCB, 1997.

15.

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. 2009. Ethical and religious directives for catholic healthcare services, 5th. ed., Washington, DC: USCCB.