The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin
Mary in Heaven |
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Caring for The Whole Person
(L.A. Archdiocese);
Catechism-Life
[USCCB]
;
ERDs [pdf ]
;
Christ the Good Samaritan
[Vatican
CDF]
THE Catechism of the Catholic Church and all recent magisterial documents concerning health care have reaffirmed Pius XII's declarations concerning the necessity of free, informed consent for medical procedures.
THE THE priest-chaplain can play an essential role by insuring that informed consent has actually taken place, since patients and decision-makers frequently hear what they want to hear, rather than what their physician has told them
ADVANCE DIRECTIVES are essential for everyone - not only those who are hospitalized or seriously ill.
ADVANCE
HEALTHCARE
DIRECTIVE
(English):
https://lacatholics.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Advanced-Healthcare-Directive.pdf
ADVANCE
HEALTHCARE
DIRECTIVE
(Spanish):
https://lacatholics.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Advance-Health-Care-Directive-Spanish.pdf
POLST: Intention in Law and Catholic controversy (bishops - nav.)
PALLIATIVE CARE describes the treatment of symptoms, usually pain and psychological distress associated with illness, rather than an attempt to cure the underlying illness. At the end of life palliative care is sometimes called “hospice”; however palliative medicine will play an increasingly-important role in the practice of medicine in all stages of life as advances are made in methods of controlling pain and alleviating symptoms of chronic and incurable diseases.
THE Catholic Church encourages and recommends palliative care as an important and unselfish kind of love, “a special form of disinterested charity” (Catechism §2279: formam constituunt excellentem caritatis gratuitae). The Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith encourages palliative care (Samaritanus Bonus V.4) and has clarified that is morally acceptable for persons facing the end of life to obtain treatment that renders them unconscious (deep palliative sedation in the terminal stage): Samaritanus Bonus V.7.
FOR many centuries the Catholic Church has taught what is now clearly stated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church with regard to withdrawing or withholding medical treatment and how to apply the traditional categories of horror vehemens and moral impossibility.
§2278. Discontinuing medical procedures that are [:] |
2278 Cessatio a mediis medicinalibus, |
burdensome, dangerous, extraordinary, or disproportionate to the expected outcome |
onerosis, periculosis, extraordinariis vel talibus quae cum effectibus obtentis proportionata non sunt, |
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 decisions should be made by the patient if he is competent and able or, if not, by those legally entitled to act for the patient, whose reasonable will and legitimate interests must always be respected. |
legitima esse potest. Haec est recusatio « saevitiae therapeuticae ». Hoc modo, non intenditur mortem inferre; accipitur non posse eam impedire. Decisiones suscipiendae sunt ab aegroto, si ad id competentiam habeat et capacitatem, secus autem ab illis qui ad id, secundum legem, habent iura, rationabilem aegroti voluntatem et legitimum commodum semper observantes. |
THESE issues are also discussed in the the USCCB-ERDs (Part Five - Issues in Care for the Dying); and in Christ the Good Samaritan V.2.
SOME confusion arose in 2004 through misinterpretation of an Address on the Persistent Vegetative State by Pope Saint John Paul II (March 20, 2004); however, this was clarified in his Address on Palliative Care (November 12, 2004).
Richness of the Catholic Bioethics Heritage (timeline); Alphonsus Ligouri nav.
a. Magisterial Texts: Catechism; USCCB-ERDs; Christ the Good Samaritan V.2.
Catholic understanding of Horror Vehemens
b. Nutrition and Hydration in Catholic Tradition (timeline); Alphonsus Ligouri nav.
Distinction between imminent death and the Persistent Vegetative State
Benedict XVI and the CDF on nutr./hydr. care for PVS patients
Recent Research that vindicates Pope Benedict's approach
POLST: Intention in Law and Catholic controversy (bishops - nav.)
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THE issue of pastoral care for those facing terminal or debilitating illness has been rendered much more complex by recent legislation that permits physician-assisted suicide in the State of California. It has always been the case that legalization of practices that were formerly forbidden both reflects changing cultural norms and is invariably accompanied by social pressure to normalize the now-legal practice.
THE issue of pastoral care for those who intend to take their own lives has been specifically addressed by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in the September, 2020, document. The Good Samaritan.
Saints Cosmas and Damian perform
a Limb-Transplant |
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INTRODUCTION
THERE exists a widespread misconception that the Catholic Church expects the bodies of deceased persons to remain in tact whenever possible, and that organ-donation is thus opposed to Catholic tradition. This is completely false. Pope Saint John Paul II proclaimed that organ donation is a heroic action and a particularly praiseworthy example of the gift of self. Evangelium Vitae, 86. This teaching is reiterated in The Catechism of the Catholic Church §2296, and the USCCB Ethical and Religious Directives §63-64.
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INTRODUCTION
ONLINE RESOURCES
Bioethics:
L.A. Archdiocese: Caring for The Whole Person https://lacatholics.org/caring-for-the-whole-person/
L.A. Archdiocese: Natural Family Planning: https://lacatholics.org/natural-family-planning/
Catechism of the Catholic Church (Life Issues) §2258-2301: https://www.usccb.org/sites/default/files/flipbooks/catechism/ .
USCCB Ethical and Religious Directives,6th ed., 2016: https://www.usccb.org/about/doctrine/ethical-and-religious-directives/upload/ethical-religious-directives-catholic-health-service-sixth-edition-2016-06.pdf
Pope St. John Paul II, Encyclical Evangelium Vitae, 1995 https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_25031995_evangelium-vitae.html
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith Iura et Bona (Declaration on Euthanasia), 1980: https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19800505_euthanasia_en.html
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Donum Vitζ, on Respect for Human Life in its Origin, 1987: https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19870222_respect-for-human-life_en.html
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Dignitatis Personae, On Certain Bioethical Questions, 2008: https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20081208_dignitas-personae_en.html
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Christ the Good Samaritan, 2020: https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20200714_samaritanus-bonus_en.html
1. INFORMED CONSENT / ADVANCE DIRECTIVES
Necessity for Informed Consent
Importance of Everyone having Advance Directive
Purpose and Types of Advance Directive
2. PALLIATIVE CARE
Definition; Church's Support and Encouragement
3. WITHDRAWAL of TREATMENT; NUTRITION and HYDRATION
Concept of Burden
Proportionality (and Ordinary/Extraordinary distinction)
4. PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE
Palliative Care as the Correct Catholic Response
Appropriate Pastoral Accompaniment
Required Disposition to Receive Sacraments
5. ORGAN DONATION
This Webpage was created for a workshop held at Saint Andrew's Abbey, Valyermo, California in 2003