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9. On Withdrawing Artificial Nutrition and Hydration
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109 9 OnWithdrawingArtificialNutrition andHydration TexasBishopsandtheTexasConferenceof CatholicHealthFacilities HumanlifeisGod’spreciousgifttoeachperson.Wepossessandtreasureitas asacredtrust.Allpersonsthereforehaveamoralresponsibility,inaccordwith theirowncapacities,rolesandpersonalvocation,tomakethosedecisionsand takethosenecessarystepstopreserveandpromotetheirownlifeandhealth andthatofothers.Wefirmlyreiteratethechurch’scontinuedcondemnationof euthanasiaasdefinedintheVatican’s1980DeclarationonEuthanasia.1 Thisresponsibilityforconservinglifeandhealthfallsespeciallyuponthose persons and institutions directly involved in the healing ministry. Catholic healthfacilitieshaveaspecialdutytoreflectRomanCatholicteachingwhile carryingoutthecompassionatehealingministryofJesusChrist. Inparticular,thiscommitmenttorelevantchurchteachingisexemplifiedin thetreatmentofallpatients,includingthosewhorequirelife-sustainingprocedures .Specifically,thehighlycontroversialissueoftheprovisionofartificial nutritionandhydrationisofparticularconcerntodaybecauseofthecurrent anti-lifeambianceintheUnitedStates. TheTexasConferenceofCatholicHealthFacilities,toensureconsonance withtheteachingsoftheCatholicChurchinallofitsactivities,consultedthe bishopsofTexasonthesubjectofforgoingandwithdrawingofartificialnutrition andhydration.Thisconsultationcontributedtothisstatement,which addressesthemoralaspectsofthisissue. MoralValuestoBePromotedandProtected 1.Humanpersonhood:Eachhumanpersonisofincalculableworthbecauseall humansaremadeintheimageofGod,redeemedbyChristandarecalledto sharethelifeofthetriuneGod. 2.Aholisticintegration:Thisvalueincludesthespiritual,mental,emotionaland physicalhealthintheunityofthepersonandcommunionofpersons.Thelife andhealthofthetotalpersonandcommunionofpersonsareimportantinorder foreachpersontohearandrespondeffectivelyundertheinfluenceofgrace toGod’scall. 3.Theinherentsacrednessanddignityofthehumanperson:Thelifeofeachperson hasaninherentdignity,whichistoberespectedbyallotherhumans.Soeach person,regardlessofageorcondition,hasexactlythesamebasicrighttolife, whichdeservesequalprotectionbysocietyanditslaws. BasicMoralPrinciples 1.Althoughlifealwaysisagood,thereareconditionswhich,ifpresent,lessenorremoveone’s obligationtosustainlife.Whileeveryreasonableeffortshouldbemadetomaintain lifeandrestorehealth,PopePiusXIInotedthattherecomesatimewhenthese effortsmaybecomeexcessivelyburdensomeforthepatientorothers(seeAddress toInternationalCongressofAnesthesiologists,Nov.24,1957).2 2.Ifthereasonableforeseenbenefitstothepatientintheuseofanymeansoutweightheburdens tothepatientorothers,thenthosemeansaremorallyobligatory.Examplesofbenefits includecure,painreduction,restorationofconsciousness,restorationoffunction ,andmaintenanceoflifewithreasonablehopeofrecovery.Evenwithout anyhopeofrecoveryitisanexpressionofloveandrespectforthepersonto keepthepatientclean,warm,andcomfortable.Thereisnomoraldistinctionto bemadebetweentheforgoingandwithdrawingoflife-sustainingprocedures. 3.Ifthemeansusedtoprolonglifearedisproportionatelyburdensomecomparedwiththe benefitstothepatient,thenthosemeansneednotbeused,theyaremorallyoptional. Thisprinciple,taughtintheVaticanDeclarationonEuthanasia(1980),was builtontheteachingofPopePiusXIIandthechurch’smoraltradition.3 Burdens arethoseundesirableaspectsandconsequencesoftheuseofthemeans themselveswhichfalluponthepatientorothers—family,careproviderorcommunity .Examplesofdisproportionateburdensincludeexcessivesufferingfor thepatient;excessiveexpenseforthefamilyorthecommunity;investmentin 110 [35.170.66.78] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 10:59 GMT) medicaltechnologyandpersonneldisproportionatetotheexpectedresults;inequitable resourceallocation.4 TheNationalConferenceofCatholicBishops’CommitteeforPro-LifeActivities cametothesameconclusionregardingthesituationwhentheburdenis disproportionatetothebenefitsintheirstatementontheproposedUniform RightsoftheTerminallyIllAct.Thestatement(July2,1986)allowedthat “lawsdealingwithmedicaltreatmentsmay...