Posted on 11/19/2014 1:36:25 PM PST by NYer
Shortly after Brittany Maynard took her own life, a leading Catholic Church official said assisted suicide was “reprehensible” because it violated the dignity of human life.
Monsignor Ignacio Carrasco de Paula, the head of the Pontifical Academy for Life, said “dignity is something other than putting an end to one’s own life,” when asked about Maynard’s decision to kill herself. Carrasco de Paula said “Brittany Maynard’s act is in itself reprehensible, but what happened in the consciousness we do not know.”
brittanymaynardHe cautioned that he was not judging individuals “but the gesture in and of itself should be condemned.”
Now, weeks later, Maynard’s mother, Debbie Ziegler, has issued a statement blasting the Catholic Church — calling the comments “a slap in the face.” As was the case when Maynard took her own life, she worked with the pro-assisted suicide group “Compassion & Choices” the release her statement — feuling further speculation that Maynard’s death was either pushed by or used by the organization to promote legalizing assisted suicide.
From an AP report:
Maynard’s mother, Debbie Ziegler, issued a sharp written response Tuesday. She said the comments from Monsignor Ignacio Carrasco de Paula, head of the Pontifical Academy for Life, came as the family was grieving and were “more than a slap in the face.”
Her response was made through Compassion & Choices, an advocacy group that Maynard worked with in her last days.
Pope Francis denounced the right-to-die movement Saturday, saying euthanasia is a sin against God and creation. Thinking of euthanasia as an act of dignity provides a “false sense of compassion,” Francis said. He didn’t refer specifically to Maynard’s case.
In the letter, Ziegler called her terminally ill daughter’s decision to die a human rights issue. Maynard’s family has since moved back to California.
“My twenty-nine-year-old daughter’s choice to die gently rather than suffer physical and mental degradation and intense pain does not deserve to be labelled as reprehensible by strangers a continent away who do not know her or the particulars of her situation,” Ziegler wrote.
Ziegler encouraged people to consider all the options when faced with an incurable, debilitating, painful disease.
“The ‘culture of cure’ has led to a fairy tale belief that doctors can always fix our problems,” she wrote.
Tomorrow, when Maynard would have been 30, the pro-euthanasia group will release a video intended to use Maynard’s case to push for legalizing assisted suicide further. The New Jersey legislature has already approved a bill to legalize assisted suicide and a Colorado legislator has proposed one.
That is one cold mother.
—>>The ‘culture of cure’ has led to a fairy tale belief that doctors can always fix our problems,” she wrote.
Not so...culture of not giving up, seeking other options— many oppose the death panels of the Affordable Careless act also.
Like every other militant, it isn’t enough for them do do something that has always been considered wrong, they demand that everyone accept, tolerate even approve of their sin.
YUP, every human has the right to face Damnation before God.
I am not promoting suicide; just sick and tired of the euthanasia crowd who try to project their guilt onto those who oppose a “suicide industry”/assisted suicide. If you want to die that badly then do the deed yourself and keep society, especially government away from that slippery slope.
I have had a relative commit suicide and the emotional consequences were huge for all of the family. I have also participated in an intervention with a different family member to prevent a potential suicide.
As, such I feel that I have certain insights as to what suicide may mean to those that remain as well as the value of life. I happen to agree with Monsignor Ignacio Carrasco de Paula, the head of the Pontifical Academy for Life, when he said “dignity is something other than putting an end to one’s own life...” He cautioned that he was not judging individuals “but the gesture in and of itself should be condemned.”
So Debbie, pray for your daughter's soul and rejoice in her memory.
All history conspired to reach this point.
This is her mother??
Hole-y buckets. She must have ice running through her veins.
what the hell did she expect any Christian church to say...you cannot deny Christ and Christian doctrine and expect them to give you a pat on the back. The Catholic spokesman did not condemn the girl, he condemned the act which can never be justified.
As is everyone else.
I understand your good intent.
I am not sure that the circumstances went down exactly as you describe. I watched her video and got a different take. I think she was very close to the point of intense suffering and maybe the final moments of her life, too.
I have never suffered or watched someone suffer with terminal brain cancer. I understand that it is excruciatingly inhumane for anyone involved. I did hear about a distant cousin once who died of it and he turned from a mild mannered man to a violent child and wife beater in his last days. That was terrible for him and for his loved ones who are trying to remember him as he was before he got sick.
I do not condone suicide. It is a personal decision that affects everyone around the individual and results in irreversible damage and deep scars that last for generations. However, this young woman was facing intense suffering. She was dying and very soon. She didn’t so much kill herself as she did skip over the last and most painful days of her body’s intention to kill itself. It was a personal decision that I choose not to judge her for. I can’t see myself making the same decision because what if she missed saying or doing something in those last days of her life that could have touched and inspired someone else and she blew the opportunity. Maybe facing something so ominous bravely would have given hope to others who are living with tragedy. We really don’t know all those that we touch with our short lifetimes.
Regardless, I think it is wrong to publicize it. That is where I understand the Pope’s stance. He has to take the side he does, not just for religious reasons, but for practical ones. Many people are suffering and no one wants to see any of those people follow her because she set so comforting an example. It almost seemed as though she wanted company. I understand her stated intentions, but there are unintended consequences. She should have remained quiet about it and so should her family now. This cause is far too dark to take up a crusade for and the very idea of it is in poor taste to say the least.
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