Living Wills...Church ok with them?

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BenRosa

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Specifically, a clause in a living will that directs the suspension of basic life support after x amount of days and if doctors have diagnosed a persistant vegitative state.

Would this be directing loved ones to murder?

Recent events have me confused about this as I have such a clause in my living will.

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.

May His peace be with you.
 
Depends upon what is meant by basic life support. Withholding hydration and nutrition would be murder/suicide, but withholding other forms of “life support” could be okay.
 
**From Lifesite: **http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/mar/05031408.html

Recovered “Vegetative State” Patient Kate Adamson Speaks Before Schiavo Rally
Withdrawal of food and water was “one of the most painful experiences you can imagine”

http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/images/2005/05031405.jpgCLEARWATER, FL., March 14, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - On Saturday a rally of over three-hundred of Terri Schiavo’s most die-hard supporters heard the first-hand account of the sufferings and remarkable recovery of Kate Adamson. Struck down in 1995 at the age of thirty-three by a rare double brainstem stroke, Kate, then a mother of two young girls, was completely paralyzed; she was unable even to blink her eyes. Like Terri Schiavo, the medical staff treating her questioned the merit of continuing granting Kate the most basic human right of food and water.

Terri Schiavo, although not nearly as severely disabled as Adamson once appeared to be, is slotted to have her feeding tube removed at 1:00 pm this Friday. Similarly, Kate Adamson’s feeding tube was at one point removed for a full eight days before being reinserted due to the intervention of her husband (also a competent lawyer).

Frequently described by medical authorities as a humane way to die, Kate - now as vibrant and beautiful as before her stroke - testified before the crowd of Terri’s family and supporters that this form of legalized execution was “one of the most painful experiences you can imagine." Unable to respond or to indicate awareness, Kate Adamson asserts, “I was just like Terri…but I was alive! I could hear every word. They were saying ‘shall we just not treat her?’…I suffered excruciating misery in silence.”

This personal testimony confirms what Terri supporters have long suspected—that the execution sought by her husband Michael Schiavo is anything but painless and humane. Furthermore, Kate’s remarkable recovery to nearly full mental and physical health—-she still suffers partial paralysis of her left side—-gives Terri supporters hope that Terri too may still experience a similar recovery, if granted proper care and treatment.

During her early-afternoon speech Kate declared that “If they want to kill Terri they should have the guts to put a gun to her head” rather than condemn her to such a slow and painful death. She finished off by summing up the full import of the Schiavo case, saying, “The measure of a society is how they treat the least of us. Life is sacred or meaningless, there is nothing in between.”

Contact Kate Adamson by visiting [katesjourney.com](http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/mar/<a%20href=http://www.katesjourney.com/>http://www.katesjourney.com/)
 
I think a Durable Power of Attorney is the preferred document. In a Living Will you try to spell out actions for innumerable possible, and unforeseeable, scenarios. In a Durable Power you authorize someone to act for you within certain guidelines to suit the circumstances of the time.

Make sure it is someone you really trust. If you do name a spouse, also name an alternate. There is a significant chance of spouses being simultaneously disabled in an accident.

Do include such general guidelines - as continued nutrition and hydration - that seem appropriate. Then discuss the document with the ones you named so they know what you mean.
 
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Benedictus:
Depends upon what is meant by basic life support. Withholding hydration and nutrition would be murder/suicide, but withholding other forms of “life support” could be okay.
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Hello Benedictus,

Can you give us the Church source for your statement? Preferably a hypre link.

Peace in Christ,
Steven Merten
www.ILOVEYOUGOD.com
 
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BenRosa:
Specifically, a clause in a living will that directs the suspension of basic life support after x amount of days and if doctors have diagnosed a persistant vegitative state.

Would this be directing loved ones to murder?

Recent events have me confused about this as I have such a clause in my living will.

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.

May His peace be with you.
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The church requires us to exercise all ordinary means to sustain life; we are not forced to take extraordinary means. Food and hydration are normally considered ordinary means.
 
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Benedictus:
Withholding hydration and nutrition would be murder/suicide, but withholding other forms of “life support” could be okay.
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Benedictus…I agree with your definition of BLS. However, you are saying then, not even I can decide in advance to not receive BLS in the situation I described?

That this would be directing a loved one to commit murder on my behalf? I’m not sure many Catholics are clear on this important point. This is a point JP2 gave clarification on last year, isn’t it? As you can read from the below link, there’s a big rush now, to get a Living Will, but even then, there will limitations in what the individual can direct loved ones to do should the Will need to be executed.

If this is so, then I will need to update my living will. The idea of a special power of attorney is something to consider also as every situation is bound to be different.

story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=534&e=1&u=/ap/20050321/ap_on_re_us/brain_damaged_woman_living_wills
 
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HagiaSophia:
The church requires us to exercise all ordinary means to sustain life; we are not forced to take extraordinary means. Food and hydration are normally considered ordinary means.
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Hello HagiaSophia,

Tens of millions of Americans put refusal of feeding tubes in their living wills. Can you please quote Church doctrine binding these people to mortal sin suicide and their families to mortal sin murder.

Thank you,

Steven Merten
www.ILOVEYOUGOD.com
 
Steven Merten:
Can you please quote Church doctrine binding these people to mortal sin suicide and their families to mortal sin murder.
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I am afraid I do not understand your question. I also think you may wish to reread what I said. We are not forced to take extraordinary means, feeding tubes are not considered extraordinary unless other situations are involved. We are also not prohibited from seeking extraordinary means if we wish to.

Having said that, there was a two week period of major news stories last year between bio ethics professionals and statements from the Pope regarding food and hydration scenarios as I recall. Basically if I am remembering correctly, their current protocols and his statements seemed to be in disagreement. There were scads of news stories so you can do a search for it --some of it must still be somewhere on the net. If I come across any of them I’l be happy to provide a link.
 
**ADDRESS OF JOHN PAUL II
TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS
ON "LIFE-SUSTAINING TREATMENTS AND VEGETATIVE STATE:
***SCIENTIFIC ADVANCES AND ETHICAL DILEMMAS" *****
The evaluation of probabilities, founded on waning hopes for recovery when the vegetative state is prolonged beyond a year, cannot ethically justify the cessation or interruption of minimal care for the patient, including nutrition and hydration. Death by starvation or dehydration is, in fact, the only possible outcome as a result of their withdrawal. In this sense it ends up becoming, if done knowingly and willingly, true and proper euthanasia by omission.
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Steven Merten:
Hello HagiaSophia,

Tens of millions of Americans put refusal of feeding tubes in their living wills. Can you please quote Church doctrine binding these people to mortal sin suicide and their families to mortal sin murder.
Click to expand...
The pope’s address was made on March 20, 2004 and started a major debate upon existing protocols and many disagreements with it from a medical view.

ncbcenter.org/home.html

The following paragraph appears in the analysis of the statement:

“…This statement has implications not only for comatose patients but for all patients who receive or may receive food and water. *Many advance directives, which Catholics formerly signed in good faith, and which require the removal of food and water in cases of coma, may have to be reconsidered…”
 
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tuopaolo:
Please do if you do 🙂
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I have - see post #11-- not only do they provide the entire papal statement but they provide a point by point explanation of what it means for medical non-professionals.
 
If you read the Encyclical Letter “The Gospel of Life” (Evangelium Vitae), you shuld get all the guidance you need. It covers abortion, euthanasia, healthcare issues, embryo and stem cell experiments, and the death penalty, among other issues. The relevant starting section is #64.

There also was a recent program on EWTN on morality in healthcare which covered this. I was concerned about whether or not I would be committing suicide if I didn’t pursue certain types of medical care, treatments, or interventions. I got all my questions answered from these 2 sources.

If you’re interested in what was covered in the TV program, contact me.

:blessyou:
 
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