By
Amy L. Beisel
Special to The CS&T
I admit it. I read obituaries in the newspaper — not out of morbid
curiosity, but because I’m reminded that every single human life
matters.
Some of the people I read about died tragically in their youth; others
lived lengthy and apparently fulfilling lives, including a remarkable
number who lived past 100. Some people were rich and famous, others, more
simple or ordinary.
Each obituary is different, but every one affirms that no matter who we
are, life has value. They highlight the positive notes of people’s
lives.
But end-of-life issues are usually not highlighted at all. People are
afraid to talk about death and are, therefore, reluctant to talk about
the kind of care and treatment they would want if they were somehow incapacitated.
But as Catholics, we should not fear when faced with decisions about the
end of life.
In their recently released question-and-answer booklet, What You Should
Know about Advance Health Care Directives, the bishops of Pennsylvania
remind us that “death is not to be feared as the end of our existence,
rather it is the doorway to our eternal destiny.” They encourage
Catholics to plan ahead for the end of earthly life by signing a living
will and health-care power of attorney.
A living will is a written document that gives instructions about how
you want to be treated if you are terminally ill and cannot speak for
yourself. A health-care power of attorney is a written document that names
a specific person to make health-care decisions for you. Together, those
documents are considered an advance health-care directive.
For Catholics, health-care decisions should be made in the light of our
faith. A Catholic must consider the sanctity and dignity of life when
discussing and planning an advance directive. Having an advance directive
gives a Catholic a way to profess the faith, and helps to ensure that
the decisions about the care received, when he or she cannot speak or
decide, are made in accord with Catholic religious beliefs.
As Catholics, we believe that God is the Author of all life. We believe
that we have a responsibility to preserve life.
What does that mean to a person who is permanently unconscious or in a
vegetative state? The question about medically assisted nutrition and
hydration must be answered by considering the patient’s status.
For example, if a patient has terminal cancer and his or her death is
imminent, removing a feeding tube may be morally acceptable. In fact,
to continue medically assisted feeding may mean the patient will endure
greater pain.
But that situation is very different from those in which a patient is
severely or chronically incapacitated, but not dying. In such a case,
a patient should not refuse or discontinue medically assisted nutrition
and hydration that is capable of sustaining his or her life.
In the culture of death, the idea of sustaining life, even if no “recovery”
will occur, is hard for some to accept. Many people get caught up in such
thinking as, “I wouldn’t want to live like that,” or,
“I don’t want to watch my loved one suffer.” But in
the same way that we honor all the souls in death on the obituary page,
no matter their station in life, we must remember that each of us has
dignity and sanctity in life, no matter how that life is perceived. Life
is to be cherished, even if it is lived in a permanently unconscious or
in a chronic, non-terminal condition.
The new Living Will and Health Care Power of Attorney form and What You
Should Know about Advance Health Care Directives pamphlet are available,
free of charge on the Web site of the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference
(PCC) at www.pacatholic.org. Or contact the PCC to purchase the booklet
for $1, at: P.O. Box 2835, Harrisburg, PA 17105; phone: (717) 238-9613,
or fax: (717) 238-1473.
Amy L. Beisel is communications director of the Pennsylvania Catholic
Conference, the public affairs arm of Pennsylvania’s Catholic bishops
and the Catholic dioceses of Pennsylvania.