The culture of death is gaining ground in America, as New York is hoping to become the eleventh US jurisdiction to legalize assisted suicide.
The New York State Assembly recently passed Bill A136, an act that would “amend the public health law, in relation to a terminally ill patient’s request for and use of medication for medical aid in dying.”
Its purpose? “To provide that a mentally competent, terminally ill adult with a prognosis of six months or less to live may request medication from their treating physician that they can decide to self-administer to hasten the patient’s death provided the requirements set forth in the act are met, and to provide certain protection and immunities to health care providers and other persons.”
To take effect, the state senate must pass this bill and then the governor must sign it.
In an article for First Things, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, condemned this bill saying it’s “a disaster waiting to happen.” He continued, “For people of faith who believe in the sanctity of life from conception to natural death, the very idea of having a doctor give you a prescription to end your life prematurely is contrary to everything we cherish. When life ends is in God’s hands, not man’s.”
Bills like this paint the wrong picture of impending death, as they intimate that people are burdens and that there are instances when life is not worth living. They imply to the sick and their families that the precious months or days they have left do not matter, that they should “hurry up and get death over with,” and that nothing good can come from suffering.
But we know that these lies come only from the father of lies and are perpetuated by those who don’t understand the beauty of every moment and the good that can come from suffering, if we allow it.
As Catholics, we believe we can unite our suffering to Christ’s on the cross and that we can offer up that suffering for someone else, for sinners, for the Church, or for someone in purgatory.
Many saints have done just that. St. Carlo Acutis, for example, offered up his suffering for the redemption of sinners. Blessed Chiara Badano united her suffering to Christ’s. And millions of Catholics around the world offer up minor sufferings every day.
Walk with those who suffer
St. Thomas Aquinas taught that love seeks or wills only good for the other person. In the case of a terminally ill person, that good means walking with them in their suffering, making them as comfortable as possible, and serving them in whatever capacity is feasible. Yet many confuse what is truly good with a misguided desire to end the suffering by a premature death. Purposely killing someone or encouraging them to do so themselves is never a good.
While watching a family member suffer can be incredibly difficult and painful—both physically and mentally—we must remember that all life is sacred and should be cherished.
Regardless of whether the sick person has two months, two weeks, two days, or two hours left, his life means something. Our culture of death wants us to believe that it’s okay to end suffering by prematurely ending a life, but God and the Church teach the truth—that we must walk with those who are suffering and serve them joyfully.
It is our job as human beings and as members of families to take care of those around us, to serve those in need, and to see the sick and dying through God’s eyes. That is what St. Teresa of Calcutta did with all those she ministered to. Her life should serve as an inspiration to us as we look into our own lives and care for those around us. If St. Teresa had such compassion for strangers, how can we not have compassion for our parents, grandparents, siblings, and children?
For these loved ones, we can be the hands and feet of Christ. And while their pain pierces our hearts, we must do our best to give of ourselves and to give our time to make their lives a little better and a little easier.
Compassion leads to peace
A friend’s family understands the pain of suffering all too well, as they recently experienced this with a beloved niece, who died last month at the young age of 30. Jessica’s body was riddled with cancer, and she suffered greatly. Over the course of her diagnoses and treatment, she kept her faith and held a special devotion to St. Bernadette, spent time with family, and even won money on a game show. She bravely fought the cancer, and for a brief time, she was blessed with a remission that allowed her to travel to Lourdes twice, once with her mother and sister and once with her husband.
As she lay dying, her husband, parents, and siblings gathered around her to comfort her and show their love. Though she was in and out of consciousness, she was able to grasp her brother’s hand at one point and recite a cheer that they made up when they were children.
What a gift! This and the other special moments would not have been possible if she had done what so many in our culture advocate for and what New York is now proposing. Laws like these close the door to the peace a person and their family can feel when they allow God to work through them.
My friend’s niece was blessed to have such a loving and devoted family who understood the value of her life. They and all the saints in heaven serve as examples of how we should treat the members of our earthly family who are suffering.
Assisted suicide is an evil, but it’s an evil we can conquer if we stand up and proclaim the value of life from creation until death. This takes courage, love, and a sincere will for the good of one another.
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