What does the Church say about euthanasia and assisted suicide?

Intentional euthanasia, sometimes called mercy killing, is murder.  Regardless of the motives or means, euthanasia consists of putting to death those who are sick, are disabled, or are dying.  It is morally unacceptable.  The emergence of physician-assisted suicide, popularized by the right-to-die movement, seeks to legalize what is an immoral act…. Suicide is gravely sinful whether committed alone or aided by a doctor.

The United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, p. 394

Questions and Answers

Q: What is the difference between killing and allowing to die?
A: Killing is an intentional act that causes death, while allowing to die is withholding futile or burdensome treatments.
 
Q: What is the difference between assisted suicide and withholding treatment?
A: Assisted suicide is the intentional taking of life and is never permissible. Withholding extraordinary means of medical treatment is morally permissible, allowing nature to take its course and death to occur naturally.
 
Q: Does the Church require Catholics to pursue all efforts to preserve life?
A: No. Human life is a gift from God and we have a duty to preserve it. But the Church teaches that treatments or procedures may be refused if they offer little or no benefit and cause undue burden.
 
Q: What if healing is no longer possible?
A: Terminally ill patients should be provided good palliative (comfort) care.  We should strive, as compassionate people, to seek life-giving ways to care for dying persons among us.

WA State Catholic Conference, Respecting Life at the End of Life

Making Good Decisions at the End of Life

The Church urges Catholics to prayerfully reflect on death and to prepare for it responsibly. The bishops of Washington State encourage Catholics to make known their wishes regarding life-sustaining procedures to their family, friends and doctor. Catholics are also encouraged to give power of attorney for health care to someone they trust who can make health care decisions for them if they are unable to do so.

Reflection

The passage of life itself suggests a constantly recurring pattern of movement from order to chaos, from chaos to order, again and again.

Birth, adolescence, and old age are all passages that are filled with anguish. Finally there is the ultimate corruption and disorder that death brings.  Change of one sort or another is the essence of life, so there will always be the loneliness and insecurity that comes with change. When we refuse to accept that loneliness and insecurity are part of life, when we refuse to accept that they are the price of change, we close the door on many possibilities for ourselves; our lives become lessened, we are less than fully human. Life evolves; change is constant. When we try to prevent the forward movement of life, we may succeed for a while but, inevitably, there is an explosion; the groundswell of life’s constant movement, constant change, is too great to resist.

Jean Vanier, Becoming Human

Prayer for the Grace to Age Well

When the signs of age begin to mark my body
(and still more when they touch my mind);
when the illness that is to diminish me or carry me off
strikes from without or is born within me;
when the painful moment comes in which I suddenly awaken to the fact
that I am growing ill or growing old; and above all at that last moment
when I feel I am losing hold of myself
and am absolutely passive within the hands
of the great unknown forces that have formed me;
in all these dark moments, O God,
grant that I may understand that it is you
(provided only my faith is strong enough)
who are painfully parting the fibers of my being
in order to penetrate
to the very marrow of my substance
and bear me away within yourself.

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin SJ