A Cry for Help

A CRY FOR HELP ?

by Fr. Jim Whalen

2002, Issue 4

    Suicide and assisted suicide, both take away life. It is usually an act committed compulsively by an emotionally disturbed person. Often the attempt at suicide is really a cry for help. When people suffer from terminal illnesses, they sometimes resort to ending life by these means, and promote a pro-death, anti-life culture. For some, the progress made in providing a life of human comfort has made pain and suffering less tolerable, and a quick death more attractive and acceptable.

   

    Suicide usually is an act by which one brings about one’s death. It is an act in which death is chosen as a means to an end that a person sets out to accomplish. It is contrary to the human instinct for self-preservation.

    For Catholics, Jews and Moslems, suicide is morally unacceptable as human life is considered to be a gift from God. Suicide in many religions is viewed as self-destruction as it violates stewardship of bodily life, is opposed to human personhood, and is irreversibly evil. It contradicts the natural inclination to preserve and perpetuate life. It is contrary to moral law. It is contrary to love for the living God. “It is contrary to the love of self and offends love of neighbour because it unjustly breaks the ties of solidarity with family, nation, and other human societies to which we continue to have obligations” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2281, p. 467). The responsibility for committing suicide is diminished by extreme fear of hardship, severe psychological disturbances, suffering, and torture. This does not mean it is sometimes a licit act due to excusing circumstances. Catholics pray for those who have committed suicide, for God can provide opportunity for a change of heart, for sorrow, repentance and forgiveness.

The Catholic position on suicide is clear and unequivocal: “Intentionally causing one’s own death, or suicide, is therefore equally as wrong as murder: such an action on the part of a person is to be considered as a rejection of God’s sovereignty and loving plan. Furthermore, suicide is also often a refusal of love for self, the denial of the natural instinct to live, a flight from the duties of justice and charity owed to one’s neighbour, to various communities, or to the whole of society. Although, it is generally recognized, at times there are psychological factors present that can diminish responsibility or even completely remove it” (Declaration on Euthanasia, Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, 1980, June 26).

    Assisted suicide is the act of assisting someone to bring about his or her death. It is sometimes called mercy killing or euthanasia. The correct terminology is murder, doctors killing patients, or people killing people.  In the case of mercy killing with animals, they are “put to sleep” when further treatment would be useless or too costly. There is a great difference between animals and humans evident in human dignity and human caring. Euthanasia is an infringement upon the sovereign rights of God(i.e.: to date, Oregon has legally permitted 92 assisted suicides).

God alone has dominion over our lives.  “I confirm that euthanasia is a grave violation of the law of God, since it is the deliberate and morally unacceptable killing of a human person. This doctrine is based upon the natural law and upon the written word of God, is transmitted by the Church’s tradition and taught by the ordinary and universal magisterium. Depending on the circumstances, this practice involves the malice proper to suicide or murder” (Evangelium Vitae, #65).

Catholic teaching in regard to prolonging or terminating life can be helpful:

    Suffering in human existence can be an opportunity to share in Christ’s redemptive suffering. It is permissible to use medication to relieve pain in the case of terminal illness, despite the risk of shortening life, providing the intent is to alleviate pain rather than cause death.

    Obtaining necessary medical care is a duty we all have, but one is not obliged to use extraordinary means. Ordinary means refers to nutrition and hydration, except where they are an unreasonable burden to the patient (e.g.: as in the case of an unconscious imminently dying patient). Such ordinary care should be provided even if it requires medical technology unless the benefits are outweighed by a definite danger or burden, or are clearly useless in sustaining life.

    Let us be among those who hear and recognize the cries for help and respond with God’s loving plan for life. ¤