The eyes of faith help us respect life at the end of life

At some point, each of us confronts decisions that seem to demand knowledge and wisdom that exceed human capability.   Given modern medical advances, one such situation is the difficult task of making good decisions at the end of life.

It’s understandable that people feel overwhelmed and inadequate when faced with life-and-death decisions, and that is why Catholic teaching, built on the foundation of sacred Scripture and tradition, is such a great gift to those who are able to see with the eyes of faith.

Voters in Washington State will be called upon this fall to decide whether physician-assisted suicide should be legalized in Washington State, but learning to respect life at the end of life was a challenge for individuals and society long before proponents of assisted suicide began collecting signatures, and it will remain a challenge long after this initiative campaign. 

All of us are going to die and making good decisions at the end of life requires faith as well as knowledge, but the moral dimension of end-of-life decisions will play no part in the campaign strategy of those who support assisted suicide.  Proponents of the measure that will appear on the ballot in November, Initiative 1000, maintain that individuals should have the choice to end their lives on their own terms. 

Life’s inherent dignity
This assertion contradicts our faith that God maintains sovereignty over all life.  Those who hold this position are similar to the scribes and Pharisees described in Matthew’s Gospel.  By the world’s standard’s, they were “wise and learned,” but because of their arrogance, they remained blind to God’s revelation and were not given the eyes of faith needed to recognize Jesus as the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Jesus himself reveals this mystery to us when he praises God and says that faith is granted to the childlike but hidden from the “wise and learned.”  (Mt 11:25)   The “childlike” were able to accept God’s revelation because they were open to it, and the arrogant, despite their knowledge, remained in the dark even though the truth had been revealed before their eyes. 

The contention that our life is our own and that we should be granted the autonomy to do with it what we choose is a similar failure of human knowledge.  Without reference to God, we lack not only the authority, but also the wisdom to make life-and-death decisions. The Bishops of Washington state prepared a pastoral letter entitled “Respecting Life at the End of Life” to help Catholics reflect on church teaching regarding end-of-life decisions and to express our opposition to Initiative 1000.

The Catholic Church teaches that all life is a gift from the Creator.  No one has the authority to create life except God, and God alone gives life its value and dignity.  From this understanding we recognize the dignity of life as inherent to all persons, and we are called to be grateful stewards of life from its beginning to its natural end.

The eyes of faith
With reference only to human knowledge and wisdom on the other hand, our earthly existence is simply numbered in days and measured according to our usefulness.  Confronted with this perception, people of faith are called to protect the vulnerable because assisted suicide poses a very real danger for the elderly, those without adequate health care, people with disabilities and those with no family support system – all those who are always at risk of marginalization by an individualistic and utilitarian perspective of life.

As people of faith and stewards of life, we have a responsibility to protect life and to alleviate the fear and pain of people who are suffering from terminal illnesses.  This is a position that can be justified on the basis of reason, but we do not arrive at our understanding solely on the basis of human knowledge and wisdom.  We also rely on the eyes of faith that give us the ability to see the truth that is hidden from the “wise and learned.”

The bishops of Washington State oppose Initiative 1000.  We ask all Catholics to inform their consciences about the church’s teaching on end-of-life decisions before voting on this measure.
This process will include both study and prayer as we assume our responsibility as faithful citizens in making this life-and-death decision.

For more information to assist you in better understanding this important
issue, visit the Washington State Catholic Conference website or call (206) 301-0556.