Brittany Maynard<\/a>, a vivacious, married 29 year old woman who had terminal brain cancer, ![\"220px-Brittany_Maynard\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/675\/2014\/12\/220px-Brittany_Maynard.jpg\")
sparked a nationwide debate re her decision to determine the manner and timing of her passing from this life. In her own words:<\/p>\n\u201cWhen my suffering becomes too great, I can say to all those I love, \u2018I love you; come be by my side, and come say goodbye as I pass into whatever\u2019s next,\u2019 \u201d she told CNN. \u201cI will die upstairs in my bedroom with my husband, mother, stepfather and best friend by my side and pass peacefully. I can\u2019t imagine trying to rob anyone else of that choice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nor can I; but some would<\/i> rob her and others of this choice . .<\/p>\n
The Catholic Church\u2019s official response to her decision was to baulk at it and to \u2018morally\u2019 discredit it.<\/p>\n
The Vatican\u2019s top ethicist, Msgr. Ignacio Carrasco de Paula, condemned Brittany Maynard\u2019s decision to end her life, saying there was no dignity in her physician-assisted\u00a0death.\u00a0 It\u2019s not that the Church judges someone in her position per se; it\u2019s more a case of their not wanting their flock to misinterpret human suffering as spiritually meaningless and without redemptive value.\u00a0 That\u2019s it in a nutshell.<\/p>\n
I happen to disagree.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s why: If a terminally ill person (of whatever faith tradition or none) perceives and experiences some depth of spiritual meaning in their suffering; and freely chooses to endure their suffering in this manner (with every medical support available) to the end, I commend and support their decision.\u00a0 But I equally commend and support the decision of the terminally ill person who \u2013 in a clear, rational, informed, and fully cognizant, manner chooses (as state or national laws permit) the manner and timing of their passing.\u00a0 If they do not perceive their suffering and quality of life (even with advanced medical and palliative care) as \u2018redemptive\u2019 or of real value to them or their loved ones, then that perspective, in my book, deserves to be honored and upheld \u2013 not scoffed or baulked at; or worse still\u00a0 \u2013 to be theologically discredited.<\/p>\n
End of rant! Go back to your coffee break and chew on that one \u2026\u00a0 Comments, as always, welcome!<\/p>\n
Peace \u2013 G<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I am the master of my fate,\u00a0 I am the captain of my soul. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Invictus, William Ernest Henley\u00a0 Fifteen years ago I completed my theology degree back in Dublin. Over the course of my studies, and as part of my Bio-Ethics class, I studied the subject of Euthanasia and \u2018Assisted Suicide\u2019 in depth \u2013 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2586,"featured_media":74,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[11,12,13,14],"class_list":["post-32","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-brittany-maynard","tag-dying-cancer","tag-physician-assisted-dying","tag-vatican"],"yoast_head":"\n
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