For the past decade, our culture has seen a rise in relativism which chooses personal opinions and desires over objective reality. One of the most controversial issues at this time is euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. There is an alarming increase in medical suicide, especially in Canada, which has reached one of the highest percentages of medically assisted deaths of any other country in the world. As a Catholic, I firmly believe that we are not permitted to decide how to die; this is Godโs decision. The concept of โchoosing our own deathโ is not in alignment with the acceptance of Godโs will and His commandment of not killing anyone (Ex. 20:13).
The recent spike in physician-assisted deaths hits close to home for me; many of my own family members have already stated that they are in favor of assisted death. What is particularly interesting about these baptized Catholics who are in favor of euthanasia, as well as abortion, is that they are atheists. They have stopped believing in the faith of their childhood and have embraced the secular mindset of popular culture. They see no point in suffering and want to avoid it at all costs.
My in-laws, and many other people, let their fear of suffering override their hope in Godโs providence. Since they do not even believe in God, trusting in Divine Providence is an alien concept for them. They would rather trust in their own judgement, the medical establishment, politics, and science. They do not think about their soul and the hereafter. Eternal life has no meaning for them. They truly believe that this life is all there is. Therefore, it is logical for them to choose suicide over suffering since they do not accept the teachings on redemptive suffering.ย Intellectually speaking, I can understand their point of view. As a Christian, I pray that they come back to their childhood faith in God and abandon the atheistic world view.
Donโt get me wrong: many believers also suffer from depression and overwhelming circumstances, and some do commit suicide. But it seems that overall, non-believers are more prone to end their lives for various reasons. According to the American Journal of Psychiatry, those who are religiously affiliated are less likely to tend towards suicide. Another joint study in Europe, published in the Journal of Religion and Health, found a positive correlation between praying the rosary and a reduction in depression. It all comes down to faith and hope in God.
In the past week, I received very sad news from one of my colleagues, a devout, practicing Catholic: her younger brother has turned away from the Faith and has opted to undergo medical assistance in dying in the next few days. He has been battling cancer for the past year and has decided to end his battle by ending his life on his own terms. While he is aware of palliative care, in his sisterโs words, he doesnโt want to have anything to do with it. Her brotherโs wife has advised everyone that there will be no religious service whatsoever, hence no funeral Mass. A โcelebration of lifeโ and the spreading of the ashes over a park of some kind will be the order of the day. My colleague is very sad about this entire situation. To console herself, she says that she cannot believe that the God she prays to would refuse to accept her brother into heaven.
This is where knowledge of Catholic teaching comes into play. Here is what I told her: God does not force anyone into heaven. God granted us free will when He created us. We have our entire life to choose God or to reject Him. It is not God who refuses us; it is us that have refused God.
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ appeared to St. Faustina a few years before the Second World War. These apparitions became the foundation for the Divine Mercy Chaplet and the feast of Divine Mercy Sunday. I strongly hope in what Faustina says Jesus told her. In very simple words, He would call our name three times at the exact moment of our death. Just like He asked Peter three times if this apostle loved Him, to expiate for his three denials, He will give us three chances to heed His call one last time. If I hear the voice of my God call me by name, I will run to Him with all my heart and soul. This is part of Godโs extraordinary love and mercy towards His creatures. I told my colleague that there is still hope, even at the last moment.
This beautiful promise that Jesus gave St. Faustina is part of private revelation; Catholics are not obliged to believe it. This is true of every private revelation throughout history, including Marian apparitions. However, given the painstaking research and investigations by the Church, the apparitions that have been approved as worthy of belief and conforming to Catholic doctrine can be accepted by the faithful.
This being said, these revelations are not necessary for faith: the Gospels are the final revelations of the direct teachings of Jesus. That is all we need to put our faith and hope entirely in Him. When Jesus was put to death, the thief who was crucified alongside Him repented at his final moment, asking Our Lord to make a place for him in heaven. Jesus told him, โTruly I tell you, today you are with me in Paradiseโ (Lk. 23:39-43). This gives hope to all sinners that if we sincerely repent and approach God, He will accept us.
Converting at the moment of death is a common feature in the teachings of Jesus. The parable of the prodigal son (Lk. 15:11-32) and the workers arriving at the vineyard at the last hour yet receiving the same wages (Mt. 20:1-16) both represent the great mercy of God towards His children. God is the only one who can read our souls. We must be sincere in our repentance. Lip service is not enough, as Jesus told us Himself (Mt. 7:21-23; Lk. 13:25-27).
In closing, Christians must continue to speak up in defense of life and inform others of the Churchโs teaching on palliative care and the mercy of God. Choosing assisted suicide can be countered by fostering a culture of faith and hope. Every human life counts. Euthanasia is not a remedy for suffering and loss of hope; God is the ultimate solution for the suffering of humanity.
Authorโs Note: This article was previously posted on Catholic365, an open publishing platform for Catholic writers.
