Introduction
End-of-life decisions are debated in many countries, emphasizing constitutional jurisdictions and the right to life. Lack of consensus on the topic of euthanasia has triggered an inevitable debate that has attracted the attention of the Catholic Church throughout history. Euthanasia, mercy killing, or physician-assisted suicide is one of the trending moral topics that has gained traction from politicians, religious bodies, and physicians.
Throughout the globe, proponents of euthanasia have faced confrontation for supporting the topic from a religious perspective. The Catholic Church has held an absolute standpoint on euthanasia, where the focus on natural law prohibits the deliberate taking away of a person’s life. The natural law is derived from the Ten Commandments that God gave Moses. The Catholic Church has refused to compromise. It maintains that God has the final plan over a person’s life, even though it also agrees with non-faith-based arguments for euthanasia, where death is inevitable.
Euthanasia
The word “euthanasia” has attracted significant debate from politicians, religious organizations, atheists, and physicians. Before delving into the Catholic stance on the topic, one ought to understand the definition of euthanasia and how its meaning has triggered the fiery debate. Sulmasy et al. defined euthanasia as the intentional killing of a person aimed at alleviating suffering. Horn defined euthanasia as the killing of a critically ill person with or without the consent of the recipient.
The second definition from Horn implies that there are two types of euthanasia: voluntary and involuntary euthanasia. Voluntary euthanasia occurs when a person consents and asks the physician to inject lethal or any other means to terminate the life of the individual. Involuntary euthanasia occurs without the consent of the person.
Involuntary euthanasia has faced criticism from philosophers, politicians, and religious organizations. According to Keown, involuntary euthanasia was condemned in Holland, where physicians administered lethal injections to terminally ill patients without consent. Both types of euthanasia have faced criticism from Catholic teachings, where the perspective of natural law or the law of God prohibits taking away a person’s life.
Catholic Teachings and Perspectives on Euthanasia
Catholic arguments and teachings against euthanasia are based on the definition and the process of death that leads to the termination of a person’s life. The religious definition bases the argument on the fifth commandment of the natural law or the law of God. According to the Vatican, God is the sole giver of life, and He did not authorize any other person to take away a person’s life, regardless of the circumstances or justifications that can be put in place. Life is a gift from God, and no one can take it away without the creator’s permission.
Throughout the biblical teachings, God did not command or instruct any person, including physicians, to take away their own lives. Evidently, the Catholic Church condemns euthanasia because it is carried out by another person instead of the creator of life. The religious stance held by the church does not take into account the moral aspect of whether the person is suffering from a chronic illness or if the family has exhausted all the resources that could be used to treat the patient. Advocates of the Catholic faith believe that God has a plan for everyone, and no one knows the time that God will reveal the plan. In this case, one must hold onto suffering because God has a plan that has to prevail.
In supporting the position held by the Catholic Church on euthanasia and assisted suicide, advocates have maintained that intentional killing demeans the dignity of a person, even when the individual requested to undergo euthanasia. The Catechism of the Catholic Church condemns any form of murder, stating that “the murderer and those who voluntarily cooperate in murder commit a sin that cries to heaven.” In this case, the Catholic Church maintains a position that both the physician who carries out the act and the person who agrees to undergo the process sin and God cannot forgive them.
Furthermore, sections 2276-2279 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church state that people whose lives have been weakened or those who are disabled should be helped to live everyday lives instead of being killed. Physicians are encouraged to use painkillers to alleviate suffering, instead of hastening death, even when it is inevitable. Additionally, the Catechism of the Catholic Church further emphasizes the need to enhance palliative care to keep the patient alive, even when they are in a vegetative state and death is imminent. Killing a person, whether intentional or accidental, is a sin before the creator, who is holy and the giver of life.
Cultural variations and emerging doctrines have prompted the Catholic Church to issue moral directions on how clergy should respond to believers who may be carried away by the popularity of assisted suicide or mercy killings. One of the responses from the church has been cited in the “Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.” The Second Vatican Ecumenical Council issued the church’s teaching on euthanasia, the sacredness of human life, and the importance of enduring suffering from God’s perspective. The council emphasized that no one can attempt to take away a person’s life without rebelling against God’s love for whosoever is killed. An attempt to take away an individual’s life is considered rebellion and sin that the creator will punish.
According to the Vatican, euthanasia is condemned because it is an act of violation of the divine or natural law, an offense against humanity, and a crime against life. Even though the church justifies death for a noble cause, such as martyrdom, where one decides to die for others, the church condemns mercy killing and offers an alternative approach that can ease the suffering of the patient. For instance, the church advises that critically ill patients need love from physicians, family members, and other loved ones. Instead of hastening the death of such people through mercy killing, the people around ought to show love, affection, and support to the individual until the point when God takes away the last breath. It is a service to God when physicians avail their skills and resources to an individual during the hour of death, instead of hastening death through lethal injections or any other means that takes away a person’s life.
The Catholic faith has also condemned euthanasia based on the intent of the act. The word “intent” has been used to describe the purpose or goal of euthanasia. Most literature defines the intent of euthanasia as “taking away suffering” or alleviating suffering.
According to Denys, Christians are called to share Christ’s suffering and not escape from suffering before experiencing God’s will. Jesus set an example when He endured the suffering, even to the point of death on the cross. He could have chosen a more straightforward method of dying, but He wanted to teach the followers that they can endure and become victors.
Faith helps people to find meaning in suffering. Allowing euthanasia denies patients the chance to experience God’s purpose in suffering and also to share in Jesus’ suffering. Physicians should avoid being accomplices to murder, but instead act in the best interest of the patient by explaining and teaching patients the pleasure that lies on the other side of the world. Catholic physicians ought to instill hope in people suffering and help them experience suffering in a new dimension. Facilitating euthanasia is an evil and selfish process, as it denies the sick person an opportunity to experience the plan of God in suffering.
In the era of advanced technology and medical knowledge, the Catholic Church has emphasized that people can be kept alive in hospitals as doctors seek alternative interventions to heal the patient. Biblical teachings describe God as a loving father. The best way to express love to a person is not to kill them, but to do everything possible while waiting for God’s miraculous intervention.
God is the one who has availed technological interventions and modern medical interventions that can be used to heal or alleviate physical suffering without necessarily opting for mercy killing. Furthermore, any attempt to justify or allow mercy killing will create room for other forms of euthanasia, such as involuntary euthanasia or non-voluntary euthanasia. The Catholic Health Association of the United States raised concerns about how doctors have administered lethal injections to patients without consent as a justification for relieving suffering.
In some cases, such actions have been carried out as a form of discrimination, where the intent is not to alleviate suffering, but to kill people whom the doctors believe are not worthy to be alive. It is not morally right for physicians to determine who should die and who should live. Vulnerable and marginalized groups could soon become victims of involuntary euthanasia.
Despite the critical stance against euthanasia, some of the teachings in the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith indicate that the church has relaxed its position on the issue of euthanasia. The declaration states that when imminent death is inevitable, physicians are permitted to refuse treatments that will lead to burdensome prolongation of life.
However, the church further notes that this should not be considered suicide. Instead, the church bases its moral stance on the belief that the decision will safeguard the family from additional expenses while preventing them from incurring avoidable expenses. The doctor is permitted to help the person in danger. Even though this statement is not clear on whether the church condones euthanasia or not, it is evident that the statement resonates with philosophical arguments for euthanasia. The church agrees with non-religious teachings that there is no need to prolong life where death is inevitable or where keeping the patient alive is burdensome and expensive to the patient and the family.
Non-Religious Arguments Against Catholic Teachings
The Catholic stance against euthanasia has often faced criticism from philosophers and non-believers who are opposed to the divine teachings. Most teachings opposing the Catholic doctrine have focused on the principle of autonomy. Callahan defined autonomy as the right to have people act independently without restricting their limits.
Autonomy deals with people’s freedom to choose and determine what to do with their lives. In medical ethics, autonomy grants a competent person the right to make informed decisions about the type of care they would receive. Everyone has the right to choose and determine what they intend to do with their lives. Respect for autonomy entails granting patients the right to their decisions without coercing them to take an alternative action.
Some opponents believe that God is the giver of life, but He does not dictate how one ought to spend life on earth. In this case, the argument holds that God gave people the gift of life, but He does not restrict them from spending it how they wish. The principle of autonomy allows people to make moral choices, and any attempt to stop an individual from carrying out plans is unethical and should not be condoned. Physicians are, therefore, encouraged to heed the requests of patients who would want euthanasia and provide it in respect to patients’ requests.
Apart from the argument based on autonomy, some critics have called out the Catholic Church for condoning and teaching a doctrine that increases the suffering of the patient and loved ones. Chronic diseases are often expensive and emotionally draining for patients and loved ones. Mercy killing comes in to take away the emotional suffering and prevent the patient from dying in regret.
Consider a scenario where the family has sold everything to treat the loved one who is already in a vegetative state, only for the person to die in the end. The person leaves the family impoverished, with no resources to start a new life. Inbadas et al. explained that euthanasia allows an individual to die an easy death without having to suffer. It increases the dignity of death compared to a situation where a person with a chronic condition lives in a vegetative state with feeding tubes and without the ability to move.
Situation ethics has also been used as a counterargument against the Catholic doctrines on euthanasia. In this case, proponents argue that an action is considered morally acceptable if it serves the best course of action. Euthanasia is considered ethical when it is used to serve the best interests of the patient and the family. People who undergo euthanasia are relieved from terminal and painful suffering in the flesh.
Chronic conditions cause families to exhaust available resources with the hope that the patient will recover, only for the person to die. The best course of action is to relieve the family of the additional costs and to set the patient free from potential suffering, knowing that death is inevitable. Additionally, keeping the terminally ill in a vegetative state is not an expression of love. If the church loves people, it would encourage the members to be freed from suffering, rather than waiting for them to suffer until their last breath.
Conclusion
The prevalence of chronic conditions and an increase in concerns about end-of-life decisions have compelled the Catholic Church to issue statements and teachings on the sanctity of life. The teachings are derived from God’s natural or divine law based on the Ten Commandments. Life is sacred, and only God determines when to take it away. Christians should embrace suffering as a way of sharing in Jesus’ suffering. Despite the morality of the Catholic teachings, critics have criticized the church for condoning sentiments that increase suffering when there is an option for painless death.
Philosophical arguments justify the need to allow euthanasia because of autonomy, where people have a right to determine what to do with their life without coercion from religious or political organizations. Keeping a loved one in a vegetative state and on life support machines is emotional and morally unacceptable, considering that it increases suffering both for the patient and the family. Despite criticism, the church remains uncompromised and is determined to continue its doctrine on morality. The Catholic Church condemns euthanasia, but it also permits physicians to withhold treatment or opt for another justifiable method to prevent the patient and the family from additional burden when death is imminent and inevitable.
Works Cited
Callahan, Daniel. Euthanasia examined: ethical, clinical and legal perspectives. Cambridge University Press, 1997.
Catechism of the Catholic Church. “Article 5: The Fifth Commandment.”
Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHAUSA).”Care of the Dying: A Catholic Perspective.” Journal of Catholic Health Association of the United States, 1997.
Denys, Damiaan. “Is euthanasia psychiatric treatment? The struggle with death on request in the Netherlands.”American Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 175, no. 2, 2018, pp. 822-823.
Horn, Trent. “The Best Argument for Outlawing Assisted Suicide.” Catholic Answers.
Inbadas, Hamilton, et al. “Representations of Palliative Care, Euthanasia and Assisted Dying Within Advocacy Declarations.” Mortality, vol. 25, no. 2, 2020, pp. 138-150.
Keown, John. Euthanasia, ethics and public policy: an argument against legalization. Cambridge University Press, 2018.
Sulmasy, Daniel P., et al. “Non-faith-based arguments Against Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia.” The Linacre Quarterly, vol. 83, no. 3, 2016, pp. 246-257.
Tierney, Thomas F. “10 Euthanasia, Biopolitics, and Care of the Self.” Regulating the End of Life: Death Rights, 2021.
Vatican. “Sacred Congregation or The Doctrine of The Faith: Declaration on Euthanasia.“