Dutch Priest Refuses Funeral for Man Who Chose Euthanasia

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I don’t see how he could say a funeral Mass for a man who so blatantly disregarded one of the core messages of the Church.
 
Because euthanasia is legal in the Netherlands, this civil legality is much like contraception, abortion, same sex attraction disorder and divorce in the US-- we must support our Fathers who honor the teaching of the Church, despite popular opinion or civil legalese. Its ridiculous that anyone who would disregard Church teaching might then ask the very same teacher to officiate. God bless and protect our priests!!
 
I think we shouldn’t deny the man a funeral as we don’t know the state this man was going through. Depending on what he was suffering from, the pain may have been unbearable and may have left him psychologically state where he would seek any way out. While I don’t advocate euthanasia, I think it is more a sin on the doctors part than the person who is in terrible suffering and unable to make a proper decision in this situation.
However, I do think it is good for the priest to hold to his oath of obedience to the Bishop unless it is something blatantly against Catholic Doctrine. As this doesn’t seem to be, we should commend the priest for standing for the truth and taking all this.
 
The funeral should be denied for the good of those still living. Euthanasia is very grave matter sin. The public denial of a funeral (which could be taken as approval for how he died) is a powerful witness to the dangers of dying this unnatural way.
 
Housewife5 said:
The funeral should be denied for the good of those still living. Euthanasia is very grave matter sin. The public denial of a funeral (which could be taken as approval for how he died) is a powerful witness to the dangers of dying this unnatural way.
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Welcome! and well stated. 👍

It would be a scandal if another parish complies with the families request. This man should not be burried from the Church.
 
My grandpa passed an unimaginably horrible way with his bone cancer. I was too pained to see him in that state that I could only be in the room for a minute or two before having to leave. He had had bone cancer and as anyone unfortunate to have it or know someone who has had it, it never ends well. Between him with his bone cancer, and my grandma whose cancer spread to her brain, neither one of them complained to us once about what they were going through. While, of course, when they were alone I’m sure they went through a number of things, but their faith in God and His Church was so incredibly strong, my grandpa fought to his very last breath, and my grandma on her deathbed was able to have a smile on her face. I know this sounds really sad and horrible but please understand that is not my intent. It is actually to my grandparents who were delivered and are now walking with the Lord, that I am joining the RCIA shortly! We all experience that doubt with God when we’re losing a loved one. Why is he doing this to me? Why is he doing this to them? What did I do? But the transforming moment for me, who always had a belief in God and accepted Christ as my savior but never knew anything about the Church, what finally called me home to the Catholic Church was the look on my grandmas face the day before she passed when we went to say goodbye. I was expecting a repeat of what I experienced with my grandpa only a few short years before. And while there was much pain and plenty of crying, I was amazed at the few moments she was conscious, she just looked around and there was an unexplainable peace about her. She clutched her rosary so tightly and just smiled broadly. We would try talking to her and she would be looking all around us. Looking into her eyes you could tell she was looking at things, just not things we could see. The peace she felt rubbed off on me and it helped me SO MUCH with her passing. I finally started to see death as the greatest aspect of life (not that any of us should rush to it by any means). God Bless my grandparents for their strength in their faith. They have faced unspeakable horrors like most cancer patients face and through God they found peace and Love. I will never forget what our Lord did for them, and believe me, my heart and soul are devoted to Christ and His Church from that day to the day I draw my last breath and beyond.

While this isn’t the thread for it, I would like to ask if any of you during the next time you prayer for CAF intentions to add my other grandmother who is slowly drawing near the end with her battle with cancer, to find the same strength my other grandparents had on their final days. She is not Catholic and doesn’t have much knowledge on matters of religion though she believes in God and Christ as her savior. Please pray that God take care of her and take all pain from her as she passes and that when her moment comes, that she may be at complete and utter peace. God Bless you all!
 
BigFellaMick said:
While this isn’t the thread for it, I would like to ask if any of you during the next time you prayer for CAF intentions to add my other grandmother who is slowly drawing near the end with her battle with cancer, to find the same strength my other grandparents had on their final days. She is not Catholic and doesn’t have much knowledge on matters of religion though she believes in God and Christ as her savior. Please pray that God take care of her and take all pain from her as she passes and that when her moment comes, that she may be at complete and utter peace. God Bless you all!
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Thank you for sharing such an inspiring story. I will pray for your grandmother. Why don’t you make the same request in the prayer section of the forum?
 
Heuchler said:
I think we shouldn’t deny the man a funeral as we don’t know the state this man was going through. Depending on what he was suffering from, the pain may have been unbearable and may have left him psychologically state where he would seek any way out. While I don’t advocate euthanasia, I think it is more a sin on the doctors part than the person who is in terrible suffering and unable to make a proper decision in this situation.
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I concur.
However, I do think it is good for the priest to hold to his oath of obedience to the Bishop unless it is something blatantly against Catholic Doctrine. As this doesn’t seem to be, we should commend the priest for standing for the truth and taking all this.
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Obviously, the priest can’t disobey his bishop. But the way I view this situation is that by it’s actions the Church has definitively stated that the person was of sound mind and completely aware, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that he committed a grave sin.
 
Housewife5 said:
The funeral should be denied for the good of those still living. Euthanasia is very grave matter sin. The public denial of a funeral (which could be taken as approval for how he died) is a powerful witness to the dangers of dying this unnatural way.
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Exactly! A requiem Mass should still be said for his soul, but a public funeral would carry the wrong message.
 
…what the “elderly gentleman” did was against the teachings of the core of what
God has tried to get us to understand ! Euthanasia is just one example, of the many that currently exist, concerning the erosion of this world’s moral / spiritual values. Why not hand the person a gun and tell HIM to commit suicide.
This is all great for discussion, however, now he gets judged by God…don’t think a funeral Mass would have helped at that point anyway.

michesmi :amen: :angel1:
 
Holly3278 said:
christianpost.com/news/dutch-priest-refuses-funeral-for-man-who-chose-euthanasia-54512/

I support this priest for what he did. Kudos to him. Euthanasia is evil.
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Euthanasia is also a form of suicide. Suicide is also supposed to be evil, but even the Catholic Catechism cites mitigating factors. How much in his right mind was the man who nade the decision to die by euthanasia? I would applaud any Priest who gave the man a full Catholic funeral, in the belief that there might have been a moment of repentence as he died.

OK, this opinion has not been endorsed nor opposed by my three cats. Still, if you regard euthanasia as a form of suicide, then the following quote from the catechism would apply, correct?

2283 We should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own lives. By ways known to him alone, God can provide the opportunity for salutary repentance. The Church prays for persons who have taken their own lives.
 
BVM_1221 said:
Euthanasia is also a form of suicide. Suicide is also supposed to be evil, but even the Catholic Catechism cites mitigating factors. How much in his right mind was the man who nade the decision to die by euthanasia?
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Enough so that it stands up legally in a court of law, in this case. We can’t compare Euthanasia to a kid getting a gun out of a drawer and pointing it at himself in a moment of self-hatred, or someone spontaneously jumping off a bridge in despair - in those cases, we can have a reasonable doubt that they fully understood their actions. But in the case of Euthanasia, there is already legal proof that the person is in his right mind, and actually wishes to be killed. There is, after all, a waiting period, and lots of psychological evaluation, to make absolutely certain that the person is in his right mind, and really does want to die.
I would applaud any Priest who gave the man a full Catholic funeral, in the belief that there might have been a moment of repentence as he died.
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If at any moment during the procedure he had repented, he could have stopped the procedure - so the chances that this occurred are very slim, indeed.
 
I absolutely agree with what Fr. Norbert van der Sluis and the bishops of the Netherlands did. Whether Fr. Norbert wanted to or not, he was simply showing his obedience to the bishops in following their directives. There is no way he could have performed it. Is there someway we could show our support to this priest? It talks about a lot of uproar against him. But hey, if you’re not being persecuted, you’re not doing enough for the Gospel.

In Christ,
Joshua
 
Perhaps someone knows, for sure, the reasons for his actions, perhaps not.
I do know that many Americans are facing the tragedy of a lack of funds to pay for the increasing costs of medicine and the profits of the “Medical Industry” are growing faster than the economy of the nation is sinking.
Some, no doubt, are cutting back on their medical prescription and, soon, Congress will mandate a cut on MediCare with the definite impact on the medication of many. Is that the same as a “technical” Mass Euthanasia?
Is there a way to limit the profits of the “Medical Industry” before the nation goes broke, regardless who wins the next election? I think not.
Should we focus on one person, who may or may not be of “sound mind”, while we ignore the Holocaust to come with millions quietly dying due to medication, or over-medication, costs? Remember, the Medical “Industry” makes profits whether the medication is needed or not.
They deserve some attention and oversight, more than this diseased one.
We all believe God and Peter have rendered their final judgement and nothing will alter their decision but, we will decide in the next election our preference.
Is it true that Catholics live longer? I trust our own personal choice is one that will be acceptable at the “Pearly Gates”. :confused:
 
Heuchler said:
I think we shouldn’t deny the man a funeral
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Nobody is denying him a funeral. He was only denied a Catholic funeral. Yes the Church teaches that we cannot know for sure that suicides committed the sin of final despair and so we may hope that they attain salvation. But that is a different thing to having a Catholic funeral.
Nobody has the “right” to a Catholic funeral. A priest is perfectly entitled to refuse a Catholic funeral if he does not think it would be pastorally appropriate for the good of his flock.
 
I had meant a Catholic Funeral. And I think it is terrible that when this family is already hurt by the death of a loved one, they are told they can’t have a Catholic Funeral. This would in my mind make me feel that the Church thinks that this man will go to Hell. That is wrong. If someone is dying and is in unbearable pain, a doctor will probably suggest euthanasia. If they are in such terrible shape as a lot of people are in, they will take anything to get out of this pain. It is more of a sin on the doctors part. They are not in a position to make this decision. The family should not be punished because that dying man was convinced by a doctor to do this. I dont think this will scare anyone away from euthenasia just because the church doesnt provide funerals. When you are in that type of pain and are offered a way out, you don’t ask yourself “wait, but i might not have a catholic funeral, guess I need to just bear it” No, they are usually looking for any way out. You can include any little speach you want in the funeral where they’re praying for this mans soul as he did pass through euthanasia which is not natural nor is it the way of God, we ask that God may have mercy on his soul etc… But to deny a funeral, is implying that he is not worthy of it nor salvation.
 
Heuchler said:
I had meant a Catholic Funeral. And I think it is terrible that when this family is already hurt by the death of a loved one, they are told they can’t have a Catholic Funeral. This would in my mind make me feel that the Church thinks that this man will go to Hell. That is wrong.
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Yes it is wrong of you to conclude that, because that is not what it means at all, as I just said. The Church does not presume to know or say that any particular person is in Hell and she certainly does not say that anyone “is not worthy of salvation”.
If someone is dying and is in unbearable pain, a doctor will probably suggest euthanasia. If they are in such terrible shape as a lot of people are in, they will take anything to get out of this pain.
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I’m afraid you have swallowed unquestioningly the propaganda of teh pro-assisted-suicide lobby. Nobody is lying in bed writhing about in pain which no amount of drugs or treatments can relieve.
The family should not be punished because that dying man was convinced by a doctor to do this.
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It is not a “punishment” to the family or anyone. A Catholic funeral is a liturgy for praying for the soul of a dead person. It is not done to provide some sort of pleasure or privelege for thee relatives.
I dont think this will scare anyone away from euthenasia just because the church doesnt provide funerals.
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That is not the reason it is done either.
 
May God bless Fr. Norbert van der Sluis and the bishops of the Netherlands,
and have mercy on the soul of the man who chose euthanasia.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women and
blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners
now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

…
 
Heuchler said:
I think we shouldn’t deny the man a funeral as we don’t know the state this man was going through. Depending on what he was suffering from, the pain may have been unbearable and may have left him psychologically state where he would seek any way out. While I don’t advocate euthanasia, I think it is more a sin on the doctors part than the person who is in terrible suffering and unable to make a proper decision in this situation.
However, I do think it is good for the priest to hold to his oath of obedience to the Bishop unless it is something blatantly against Catholic Doctrine. As this doesn’t seem to be, we should commend the priest for standing for the truth and taking all this.
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This insight is important. When there is doubt, must we punish —just in case?
Or forgive our trespasses, like we forgive their trespasses?
How does his action promote Catholic Doctrine? By fear?
 
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