Some Quotes to Live By
Suitable For Church Bulletins and Newsletters
The following excerpts have been compiled from key church documents that reflect the Roman Catholic Church’s position on assisted suicide, the sanctity of life, suffering and death, and the societal obligations of Catholics.| Respect for and Meaning of Life |
| Meaning of Suffering go |
| Meaning of Death go |
| Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide go |
| Obligations Regarding End-of-Life Treatment go |
| What Is Owed to Persons With Illnesses & Life Threatening Conditions go |
| Societal and Legal Perspectives go |
Respect Life for and Meaning of Life
"Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the
creative action of God and it remains for ever in a special relationship
with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from
its beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstances claim for
himself the right to destroy an innocent human being. "
Catechism of the Catholic Church (# 2258)
"Everyone is responsible for his life before God who has given it to him.
It is God who remains the sovereign Master of life. We are obliged to
accept life gratefully and preserve it for his honor and the salvation
of our souls. We are stewards, not owners, of the life God has entrusted to us.
It is not ours to dispose of."
Catechism of the Catholic Church (# 2280)
"Precisely in an age when the inviolable rights of the person are solemnly proclaimed
and the value of life is publicly affirmed, the very right to life is being denied or
trampled upon, especially at the more significant moments of existence: the moment
birth and the moment of death."
Evangelium Vitae- Gospel of Life Pope John Paul II- 1995
"While it is true that the taking of life not yet born or in it’s final stages
is sometimes marked by a mistaken sense of altruism and human compassion
it cannot be denied that such a culture of death, taken as a whole, betrays a
completely individualistic concept of freedom, which ends up by becoming
the freedom of " the strong" against the weak who have no choice but to submit".
Evangelium Vitae-Gospel of Life Pope John Paul II- 1995
"Man’s life comes from God: it is his image and imprint, as sharing in his breath of life.
God therefore is the sole Lord of this life: Man cannot do with it as he wills"
Evangelium Vitae-Gospel of Life-Pope John Paul II-1995
‘The Gospel of life must be proclaimed and human life defended in all places and
all times"
Living the Gospel of Life: A Challenge to American Catholics- National Conference of Catholic Bishops (United States) 1998
"[S]uffering, especially during the last moments of life, has a special place in God’s saving plan;
it is in fact a sharing in Christ’s passion and a union with the redeeming sacrifice
which he offered in obedience to the Father’s will."
Declaration on Euthanasia- Rome 1980
"Thus to share in the sufferings of Christ is, at the same time, to suffer
For the kingdom of God. In the eyes of the just God, before his judgement,
Those who share in the sufferings of Christ become worthy of this kingdom."
Salvifici Doloris- On the Christian Meaning of Human Suffering-Pope John Paul II-1984
"And Christ, through His own salvific suffering, is very much present in
every human suffering, and can act from within that suffering by the powers
of His Spirit of truth, His consoling spirit."
Salvifici Doloris- On the Christian Meaning of Human Suffering- Pope John Paul II-1984
"Because Christian death has been given a positive meaning through
the saving death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are able to face the
reality of death with a serenity that grace affords."
The Catholic Vision of Life and Death- Bernard Cardinal Law’s address at Catholic University Mar 4, 1999
"As Christians who trust in the promise of eternal life, we recognize that death
does not have the final word. Accordingly, we need not always prevent death
until the last possible moment; but we should never intentionally cause death or
abandon the dying person as though he or she were unworthy of respect."
Nutrition & Hydration: Moral and Pastoral Reflections- National Conference of Catholic Bishops (United States) 1992
"The certainty of future immortality and hope in the promised resurrection cast
new light on the mystery of suffering and death, and fill the believer with an
extraordinary capacity to trust fully in the plan of God."
Evangelium Vitae- Gospel of Life-Pope John Paul II –1995
"It is important to speak of suffering and death in a way that dispels fear.
Indeed, dying is a part of life."
Pope John Paul II in Austria: Message to the sick and suffering June 1998
Moral Prohibitions Against Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide
"Euthanasia must be called a false mercy, and indeed a disturbing ‘perversion’ of
mercy. True ‘compassion’ leads to sharing another’s pain; it does not kill the person
whose suffering we cannot bear."
Evangelium Vitae- Gospel of Life Pope John Paul II 1995
"[I]it is never licit to kill another: even if he should wish it, indeed if he request it,
hanging between life and death… nor is it licit even when a sick person is no longer able to live".
St. Augustine
"Intentional Euthanasia, whatever its forms or motives, is murder. It
is gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person and to the respect
due to the living God, his Creator."
Catechism of the Catholic Church (# 2324)
"Whatever its motives and means, direct euthanasia consists in putting
an end to the lives of the handicapped, sick, or dying persons. It is morally
unacceptable:
Thus an act or omission which, of itself or by intention, causes death
in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder gravely contrary to
the dignity of the human person and to the respect due to the living God,
his creator. The error of judgement into which one can fall in good faith
does not change the nature of this murderous act, which must always be
forbidden and excluded."
Catechism of the Catholic Church (#2277)
"Euthanasia is an action or omission that of itself or by intention causes death in order
to alleviate suffering. Catholic health care institutions may never condone or participate in
euthanasia or assisted suicide in any way. Dying patients who request euthanasia should
receive loving care, psychological and spiritual support, and appropriate remedies for pain
and other symptoms so that they can live with dignity until the time of natural death"Ethical & Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services-National Conference of Catholic Bishops (United States) 1994
"Catholic opposition to euthanasia and assisted suicide is as old as
Christianity. In fact, moral teaching against assisting a suicide is older
than Christianity, for it is found in Jewish tradition and in the Hippocratic
Oath which laid the groundwork for modern medicine as a healing profession"
Testimony before the Massachusetts state legislature-Bernard Cardinal Law-1997
"Abortion and euthanasia are crimes and betrayals which repeatedly and consistently
over the ages, the church has condemned as contrary to Catholic faith."
Faithful for Life- National Conference of Catholic Bishops (United States) 1995
"Phrases such as mercy killing, rational suicide, physician-assisted suicide
and the like should not be allowed to obscure the fact that euthanasia is killing
an innocent human being and, a such, is morally wrong and should not be condoned by
any civilized society."
Living & Dying Well Oregon & Washington Catholic Bishops 1991
"No one can make an attempt on the life of an innocent person without opposing God’s
love for that person, without violating a fundamental right, and therefore without
committing a crime of the utmost gravity."
Declaration on Euthanasia- Rome 1980
"It is necessary to state firmly once more that nothing and no one can in any way
permit the killing of an innocent human being, whether a fetus or an embryo,
an infant or an adult, an old person, or one suffering from an incurable disease,
or a person who is dying. Furthermore, no one is permitted to ask for this killing,
either for himself or herself, or for another entrusted to his or her care, nor can
he or she consents to it either explicitly or inexplicitly. Nor can any authority
legitimately recommend or permit such an action."
Declaration on Euthanasia-Rome 1980
"The fear of dying lonely, in pain, without dignity leads many people to
tolerate the notion of physician-assisted suicide, even euthanasia. As is well
known, the Church firmly opposes both intentional self-destruction
and intentionally killing others, not only on the basis of moral principle-
"Thou shall not kill" but also as a matter of social ethics."
The Manner of Our Dying - National Conference of Catholic Bishops (United States), Committee on Science and Human Values-1998
"I confirm that euthanasia is a grave violation of the law of God, since it is the deliberate and
morally unacceptable killing of a human person. This doctrine is based upon the natural law and
upon the written word of God, is transmitted by the church’s tradition and taught by the ordinary
and universal magesterium."
Evangelium Vitae- Gospel of Life- Pope John Paul II – 1995
"To concur with the intention of another person to commit suicide and to help in carrying
it out through so-called "assisted suicide" means to cooperate in and at times to be the
actual perpetrator of an injustice which can never be excused even if it is requested."
Evangelium Vitae- Gospel of Life Pope John Paul II –1995
"The commandment you shall not kill even in its more positive aspects of
respecting, loving, and promoting human life, is binding on every individual
human being."
Evangelium Vitae-Gospel of Life Pope John Paul II-1995
"Similarly, euthanasia and assisted suicide are never acceptable acts of mercy.
They always gravely exploit the suffering and desperate, extinguishing life in the name
of the "quality of life" itself."
Living the Gospel of Life: A Challenge to American Catholics-National Conference of Catholic Bishops(Unitee States)-1998
Obligations Regarding End-of-Life Treatment
"Those who advocate euthanasia have capitalized on people’s confusion,ambivalence and even fear about the use of modern life-prolonging technologies.
.. Being able to choose the time and manner of one’s death, without regard to what is chosen
is presented as the ultimate freedom."
Statement on Euthanasia- National Conference of Catholic Bishops (United States) 1991
"Both the artificial extension of human life and the hastening of death,
although they stem from different principles, conceal the same assumption:
the conviction that life and death are realities entrusted to human beings to
be disposed of at will.
The Dignity of Older People and Their Mission in the Church and in the World Pontifical Council for the Laity 1998
"A person has a moral obligation to use ordinary or proportionate
means of preserving his or her life. Proportionate means are those
that in the judgement of the patient offer a reasonable hope of benefit
and do not entail an excessive burden or impose excessive expense on the
family or community."
Ethical & Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services National Conference of Catholic Bishops (United States) 1994
"A person may forgo extraordinary or disproportionate means of
preserving life. Disproportionate means are those that in the patient’s
judgement do not offer a reasonable hope of benefit or entail an
excessive burden, or impose excessive expense on the family or the
community."
Ethical & Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services- National Conference of Catholic Bishops (United States) 1994
"There should be a presumption in favor of providing nutrition and
hydration to all patients, including patients who require medically
assisted nutrition and hydration, as long as this is of sufficient
benefit to outweigh the burdens involved to the patient."
Ethical & Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services-National Conference of Catholic Bishops (United States) 1994
What Is Owed To Persons With Illnesses and Life Threatening Conditions
"The dying should be given attention and care to help them live their last
moments in dignity and peace. They will be helped by the prayer of the
of their relatives, who must see to it that the sick receive at the proper
time the sacraments that prepare them to meet the living God."
Catechism of the Catholic Church (# 2299)
"By and large, seriously ill patients do not want assisted suicide.
They want decent health care, control of their pain, and the same kind of love
and support that everyone needs when vulnerable and dependent on others."
Cardinal Law’s Supreme Court Testimony 1997
"Compassion, such a rich concept, is set on its head when it is invoked
in support of causing death….In showing compassion for the sick and the dying
we suffer with Christ in our midst."
The Catholic Vision of Life and Death- Cardinal Law’s address at Catholic University Mar 4, 1999
"We cannot draw back from the dying, as though their state in life
made them different. We must embrace them; we are they, but
for the passage of time."
-The Manner of Our Dying -National Conference of Catholic Bishops (United States) Committee on Science and Human Values 1998
"The sickness of a family member, friend or neighbor is a call to Christians
to demonstrate true compassion, that gentle and persevering sharing in
another’s pain."
Ad Limina Apostolorum to Bishops of the United States-John Paul II -1998
"As believers, how can we fail to see that abortion, euthanasia and assisted suicide
are a terrible rejection of God’s gift of life and love? And as believers, how can we fail
to feel the duty to surround the sick and those in distress with the warmth of our
affection and the support that will help always to embrace life?
John Paul II Papal Mass in St. Louis- Jan 1999
"Just as the knowledge of being loved lessens the fear of suffering, so
respect for the sick person ‘s dignity helps him in this critical and difficult phase
of life to discover something that fosters his human and Christian maturation"
Pope John Paul II in Austria: Message to the sick and suffering June 1998
"The old and the sick can be persuaded that their lives have become burdensome
both to themselves and their caregivers-that they have lives not worth living.
But those who would remove through killing, the disability, pain, or depression
of the young or the elderly often act with a conflict of interest they do not see-
that it is not the lives of those they care for that are unbearably burdensome but
their own lives. "
Faithful for Life- National Conference of Catholic Bishops (United States) 1995
"Too easily, persons can be led to believe that the value or the quality of of an elderly
person’s life is less than that of a young person, that the mentally or the physically disabled
have less right to life than others. We cannot judge the value of a human person by his or
her usefulness or by whether he or she is " wanted."
Living & Dying Well Oregon & Washington Catholic Bishops-1991
"America faces a similar time of trial today. Today, the conflict is between a
culture that affirms, cherishes and celebrates the gift of life, and a culture that
seeks to declare entire groups of human beings- the unborn, the terminally ill,
the handicapped, and others considered "unuseful"- to be outside the boundaries
of legal protection."
Arrival Speech in St. Louis Pope John Paul II Jan 1999
Societal and Legal Perspectives
". . there can be no such thing as a " right to assisted suicide"
because there can be no legal and moral order which tolerates
the killing of innocent human life, even if the agent of death is self-administered"
Cardinal Joseph Bernardin in his letter to the US Supreme Court, 1997
"Physician-assisted suicide, like abortion, is the unjustifiable taking
of a human life. No slippery semantics should be allowed to obscure
the moral decay of a society that licenses death with impunity."
Bernard Cardinal Law 1996
"To claim the right to abortion, infanticide, and euthanasia, and to recognize that right
in the law, means to attribute to human freedom a perverse and evil significance:
that of an absolute power over others and against others. This is the true death of freedom."
Evangelium Vitae- The Gospel of Life Pope John Paul II 1995