What is the Catholic teaching on euthanasia and assisted dying?
Direct euthanasia consists in putting an end to the lives of handicapped, sick or dying persons. Whatever its motives or means, direct euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are morally unacceptable and constitute an act of murder contrary to the dignity of the human person.
However, the Church makes a vital distinction between direct killing and the legitimate cessation of burdensome medical procedures (aggressive medical over-treatment). Discontinuing medical interventions that are disproportionate, burdensome, or extraordinary is not euthanasia; it is the acceptance of the human condition in the face of imminent death.
Palliative care, which aims to alleviate physical pain and provide emotional and spiritual comfort to the dying patient, is noble and strongly encouraged, even if high doses of painkillers might indirectly shorten life, provided the primary intention is pain relief.
Sources
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 2277
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 2278
Awaiting review by the chaplaincy. Written in our own words; the Church's own texts are the authority.