I believe this to be euthanasia or at least very close to it. This just happened here.
An elderly woman in a nursing home, who is 101 years old, gets an upper respiratory illness. One of the sons chooses not to give her care and just let her pass. They didn’t give her an I.V. and soon she couldn’t eat. Then later she couldn’t talk, but remained restless in her bed moving around.
They didn’t take her to the hospital. They didn’t attempt to help her. Just make her “comfortable.”
The two daughters witnessed her death and said they just witnessed a beautiful thing.
I don’t get it. They have nurses all around. They could have helped her. You can’t just let someone die like that because “you feel” it’s her time. We don’t have any right to determine that.
Am I correct on this? They should have done what they could to help her some this simple respiratory illness and if it was her time, she would have passed anyway.
The moral law of the Church states that one must always opt for life and make every reasonable attempt to preserve life.
The Church defines certain things as reasonable; therefore, they are morally mandatory.
Oxygen
Food
Water
Medications normally used in such cases (ie. antibiotics)
There are two forms of euthanasia: passive and active.
Passive euthanasia is when something can be done to preserve life or to extend life and it is not done, when there is no obstacle.
A legitimate obstacle would be if the treatment is going to aggravate the situation, if the person is going to experience more discomfort, if it is financially impossible, if the treatment is not available where one is, even though it’s available someplace else.
Active euthanasia is when one takes actions that deliberately accelerate death.
Such actions are, removing feeding tubes when there is no need to do so, removing medication, when there is no need to do so, removing water, oxygen or both, when there is no need to do so.
A means becomes extraordinary when there is certain death within a few hours or a day. The policy of certain death cannot be applied when one has a terminal illness, but there is no guarantee that one is facing imminent death. If I have incurable cancer, death is certain; but it may not be imminent. Therefore, taking away all medical care is gravely sinful and can be considered active euthanasia. The person making the decision knows the consequences of such an action.
The patient need not consent for an action to be euthanasia. The case of Terri Schiavo is a clear example. The patient did not consent. It was euthanasia, nonetheless. There was no medical reason to take away her feeding tube.
In fact, no Catholic may consent to having his life terminated in case of serious disability where he or she cannot communicate. No one has the right to terminate his life or to ask another to do so. The policy of the Church is that it is better to err on the side of life. Even if a person stops breathing or his heart stops, the moral thing to do is to try to resuscitate the patient.
Care to persons in “vegetative” state
**
By euthanasia is understood an action or an omission which of itself or by intention causes death, in order that all suffering may in this way be eliminated. Euthanasia’s terms of reference, therefore, are to be found in the intention of the will and in the methods used.**
Catholic Church’s Statement on Euthanasia
We must remember that the Church never errs on matters of morals.
For more information you may contact one of the following:
Religious communities that specialize in this area:
- Franciscan Brothers of Life
- Franciscan Friars of the Renewal
- Franciscan Brothers of Peace
- Sisters of Life
Organizations that specialize in this area:
Your diocesan pro-life office.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, FFV
