#1 The Life and Dignity of the Human Person 

“The Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society.  Each of us images and reflects God, and as God’s children, each human being has basic dignity.”

 An article in Catholic Digest reinforced that “The Church teaches that suicide is wrong; it is contrary to the Fifth Commandment. It is an action that runs counter to the proper love of self, as well as love for God, the giver of life. We are stewards of our lives, not owners. The person who takes his or her own life also wrongs others — those who remain experience loss, bewilderment, and grief. You won’t find anything in that teaching about going to hell.” The author of the Catholic Digest article, Father Byron, also wrote that when someone dies tragically by suicide then “Pity, not condemnation, is the response of the Church. Prayers are offered for the deceased. Mass is celebrated. Burial with dignity, in consecrated ground, is provided for one who dies this way.” 

#7 Care for God’s Creation

It is important for Catholics to remember that our lives are not our own, we belong to God. With that in mind, we cannot destroy our bodies by killing ourselves, because the Holy Spirit lives within us and we are made in the image of Christ. Suicide is against Catholic Social Teaching and Scripture. The first book of the Corinthians says: “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).