Since the mid-20th century, the Catholic Church has strived to give the clearest guidance possible regarding the usage of life-support systems. Much of the teaching has been delivered in the context of the teaching on the immorality of euthanasia. Pope Pius XII, who witnessed and condemned the eugenics and euthanasia programs of the Nazis, was the first to explicate clearly this moral area and provide guidance. In 1980, the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith released its Declaration on Euthanasia which further clarified this guidance, especially in light of the increasing complexity of life-support systems and the promotion...