Excerpts of Church and Other Documents
Related to Assisted Suicide

1.    "The dignity bestowed on each and every human being is permanent and intrinsic.  Man has been given a sublime dignity based on the intimate bond which unites him to his creator: In man there shines forth the reflection of God himself." (Evangelium vitae, 34)

2.    "Unavoidable suffering, 'almost inseparable from man's earthly existence,' is transformed by Christ's suffering and death into an instrument for growth, goodness and love." (Pope John Paul II, in The Christian Meaning of Human Suffering, 1984).

3.    "Suffering is a fact of human life and has special significance for the Christian as an opportunity to share in Christ's redemptive suffering.  Nevertheless, there is nothing wrong in trying to relieve someone's suffering; in fact, it is a positive good to do so, as long as one does not intentionally cause death or interfere with the other moral or religious duties." (Ibid.)

4.    "Life is the gift of a loving God, and each human being is made in the image and likeness of God.  We see life as a sacred trust over which we can claim stewardship, but not absolute dominion." (Catholic Bishops of Florida, Life, Death and the Treatment of Dying Patients, 1989)

5.    "Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains forever in special relationship with the creator, who is its sole end.  God alone is the lord of life from its beginning until its end: No one can under any circumstances claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2258; CDF, Donum Vitae, 5)

6.    "Whatever its motives and means direct euthanasia consists in putting an end to the lives of the handicapped, sick or dying persons.  It is morally unacceptable." (CCC, #2277)

7.    "Those whose lives are diminished or weakened deserve special respect.  Sick or handicapped persons should be helped to lead lives as normal as possible." (CCC, #2276)

8.    "Everyone is responsible for his life before God who has given it to him.  It is God who remains the sovereign master of life.  We are obliged to accept life gratefully and preserve it for His honor and the salvation of our souls.  We are stewards, not owners, of life God has entrusted to us.  It is not ours to dispose of." (CCC, #2280)

9.    "Suicide contradicts the natural inclination of the human being to preserve and perpetuate his life.  It is gravely contrary to the just love of self.  It likewise offends love of neighbor because it unjustly breaks the ties of solidarity, the family, the nation and other human societies to which we continue to have obligations.  Suicide is contrary to the love for the living God." (CCC, #2281)

10.   "Discontinuing medical procedures that are burdensome, dangerous, extraordinary or disproportionate to the expected outcome can be legitimate; it is the refusal of 'over-zealous treatment.'  Here one does not will to cause death; one's inability to impede it is merely accepted.  The decision should be made by the patient if he is competent or able or if not, by those legally entitled to act for the patient, whose reasonable will and legitimate interests must always be respected." (CCC, #2278)

11.   "The use of pain killers to alleviate the sufferings of the dying, even at the risk of shortening their days, can be morally in conformity with human dignity if death is not willed as either an end or a means, but only foreseen and tolerated as inevitable." (CCC, #2279)

12.   "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." (Vatican CDF, Declaration on Euthanasia, 1980)

13.   "We are not obliged to use every available medical procedure to keep a dying person from dying. Normally one is held to use only ordinary means. Burdens and benefits carefully determined can delineate ordinary from extraordinary, proportionate from disproportionate means of treatment. 'When needlessly imposed on someone who is inevitably and imminently dying, (aggressive but useless procedures) can cause unnecessary hardship on the patient and other burdens on whoever is responsible for his or her care.'" (NCCB, Faithful for Life, p. 13, 1995)

14.   "Means of alleviating physical and psychological pain, providing care, comfort and companionship, are appropriate and necessary Christian responses, enabling patients to live each moment within an experience of human love.   Each patient's unique journey challenges the care givers to search "for real solutions' to the patient's problems rather than to allow or convince the patient to feel 'that he or she is the problem -- a problem solved only by his or her extinction.'" (Ibid.)

15.    "A person has a moral obligation to use ordinary or proportionate means of preserving his or her life.   Proportionate means are those that in the judgement of the patient offer a reasonable hope of benefit and do not entail an excessive burden or impose excessive expense on the family or the community." (Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, NCCB, 1994, 56)

16.    "Patients should be kept as free of pain as possible so that they might die comfortably and with dignity and in the place where they wish to die.   Since a person has the right to prepare for his or her death while fully conscious, he or she should not be deprived of consciousness without a compelling reason.   Medicines capable of alleviating or suppressing pain may be given to a dying person, even if this therapy may indirectly shorten the person's life so long as the intent is not to hasten death.  Patients experiencing suffering that cannot be alleviated should be helped to appreciate the Christian understanding of redemptive suffering." (ERD,NCCB, 61)

17.    "Christ's redemption and saving grace embrace the whole person, especially in his or her illness, suffering and death." (ERD, NCCB, Intro)

18.    "What is hardest is the process of dying itself, especially the dependency, the helplessness, and the pain that so often accompany terminal illness. ...effective management obtained in all its forms is critical in the appropriate care of the dying." (Ibid.)

19.    "Persons in danger of death should be provided with whatever information is necessary to help them understand their condition and have the opportunity to discuss their condition with their family members and care providers.  They should also be offered the appropriate medical information that would make it possible to address the morally legitimate choices available to them." (ERD, NCCB, 55)

20.    "A person may forgo extraordinary or disproportionate means of preserving life.  Disproportionate means are those that in the patient's judgment do not offer a reasonable hope of benefit or entail an excessive burden or impose excessive expense on the family or the community." (ERD, NCCB, 57)

21.    "Dying patients who request euthanasia should receive loving care, psychological and spiritual support and appropriate remedies for pain and other symptoms so that they can live with dignity until the time of natural death." (ERD,NCCB, 60)

22.    "The patient's autonomy does not supersede the conscience of the physician." (Bioethical Principles of Medical Practice -- National Catholic Medical Association)

23.    "All persons are entitled to a dignified death in God's own time, but directly killing patients assisting in their suicide is abhorrent regardless of poor quality of life or survival expectancy." (Ibid.)

24.    "... Euthanasia is an attack on life which no one has a right to make or request, and which no government or other human authority can legitimately recommend or permit." (Nutrition and Hydration: Moral and Pastoral Reflections, 1992 NCCB Resource Paper)

25.    "In Florida, prohibitive statutes are already in place.   One denotes assisted suicide (self-murder) as manslaughter, a felony of the second degree (Florida Statute, Section 782.08).  The second distinguishes such action 'from acts or omissions' permitting the natural process of dying." (Florida Statute, Section 765.309(1)

26.    "Since food and water are necessary for sustaining life, and since its provision by artificial means is normally not burdensome, there should always be a strong presumption in favor of their use.  In some instances, when artificial nutrition and hydration causes harm to the patient, is useless or death imminent, or clearly excessively burdensome, withholding food and water can be morally permissible." (Recommendations from Florida Bishop's Task Force Against Assisted Self-Murder)

27.    "This wondrous God who is our Father is the Lord of all of creation, that is, he is in control!  Especially does He long to comfort each one of us, His precious children, in the palm of His hand.  No hair of our head is uncounted, no pain that we feel goes unnoticed ('O Lord, all my desire is before you; from you my groaning is not hid'  - Psalm 38,10.)   Our acceptance and trusting of Him within our heart is all He asks of us". (Ibid.)

28.    "Rejection of God's life and love is a very grave choice to make.  Sin becomes deadly with eternal consequences when it involves a serious matter, when our heart knows that it is serious, but even knowing, it consents to the rejection.  By accepting the situation in which we find ourselves, we accept God's love and we trust Him to care for us in spite of our circumstance." (Ibid.)

29.    "Although as Christians we understand that suffering has spiritual value, we are free to alleviate suffering through any legitimate means.  The marvelous skills of technology are also the wonders of God and He delights in making them available." (Ibid.)

30.    "The conclusion may need to include a call for either all Catholics or 'people of good will' to be mindful of each other and to reach out in solidarity and compassion in order to ease the pains of loneliness, fear and depression.  In our culture we may all live and die separated from each other by the invisible wall of individual autonomy which is ingrained in our attitudes!" (Ibid.)

31.    "Assisted suicide proposals are driven by fear: fear of pain -- with rare exceptions, modern medicine can eliminate pain or bring it within tolerable limits.  Health-care professionals need to address pain in all its dimensions -- physical, psychological and spiritual." (Driven by Fear, by Page Comstock-Cunningham, AUL Forum, 1994)

32.    "Fear of isolation -- many terminally ill and disabled people fear institutionalization and impersonal treatment." (Ibid.)

33.    "Fear of technology -- the fear of being hooked up to machines can be reduced through the knowledge that all medical treatment may be refused." (Ibid.)

34.    "Fear of dependence and loss of control -- no one is required to endure hopeless efforts to save his life; a person can die a dignified, natural death. In addition, patients can legally execute advance directives, such as durable powers of attorney for health care and living wills, to determine what kind of treatment they want in the event they become incompetent." (Ibid.)

35.    "Fear of poverty - the expense of hospitalization can be controlled for many patients through hospice and home care." (Ibid.)

36.    "The duty to preserve life does not involve an obligation to prolong the dying process by technological measures." (Ibid.)