Natural death

[ElizaE]

What does natural death mean?

I need to evalutate an ethical medical dilemma. As always the case say that Catholics will prolong life no matter the “quality of life”.

I tried to look in the Cathechism to show the other students what the Catholic Church believes. Do we have to do everything to prolong life? Is refusing treatment that will most likely fail a sin? Is signing a DNR not compatible with Catholic beliefs? Is a person entering hospice wrong?

I think I know the answers to most of these questions. But I would love it if you could point me to some Catholic literature (official Catholic doctrine) about natural death? Thank you all.

 

[1ke]

I need to evalutate an ethical medical dilemma. As always the case say that Catholics will prolong life no matter the “quality of life”.

This is not true.

I tried to look in the Cathechism to show the other students what the Catholic Church believes.

The CCC 2276-2279 as well as numerous Vatican documents cover this topic.

Do we have to do everything to prolong life?

No. See CCC 2278

Is refusing treatment that will most likely fail a sin?

No. See CCC 2278

Is signing a DNR not compatible with Catholic beliefs? Is a person entering hospice wrong?

Not necessarily. HOWEVER, the current guidelines many medical facilities follow regarding “DNR” and Hospice care exceed what the Church would allow so one cannot make any blanket statements in this area. Withholding nutrition and hydration, for example, is always wrong. Many hospitals also use tests for “brain death” that are incompatible with church teaching, harvesting organs from still-living individuals.

But I would love it if you could point me to some Catholic literature (official Catholic doctrine) about natural death?

In addition to the CCC, you can go to EWTN and search their Document Library on the term “euthanasia” and you will get many, many documents relevant to your questions.

 

[ElizaE]

I need to evalutate an ethical medical dilemma. As always the case say that Catholics will prolong life no matter the “quality of life”.

What I ment by this statement is that whenever there is a Catholic patient, the case always turns fanatical… meaning people misunderstand Catholic doctrine.