Ash Wednesday marked the most I had seen people in church since the lockdown and since the beginning of our reopening efforts.
Tag: dying
Thinking about green burial
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Death: Our Birth into Eternal life Damian Lenshek |
The following article is the next installment in a series that will appear in the Catholic Herald to offer catechesis and formation concerning end of life decisions, dying, death, funerals, and burial of the dead from the Catholic perspective.
St. Anthony the Great had a problem. He was 105 years old, he lived in fourth-century Egypt, and he was famous.
He did not want to be embalmed. But the common practice at the death of eminent personages such as himself was to preserve them, pose them on couches, and to keep them in their houses.
This was intended to honor the deceased.The Order of Christian Funerals: vigil
The following article is the next installment in a series that will appear in the Catholic Herald to offer catechesis and formation concerning end of life decisions, dying, death, funerals, and burial of the dead from the Catholic perspective.
The Order of Christian Funerals: Life is changed, not ended
The following article is the next installment in a series that will appear in the Catholic Herald to offer catechesis and formation concerning end of life decisions, dying, death, funerals, and burial of the dead from the Catholic perspective.
Conference held on Dignity at the End of Life
First in a series on the recent conference on “Dignity at the End of Life, from Suffering to Hope,” held in Fitchburg.
FITCHBURG — There’s no escaping it — we are all going to die.
Although it may result from a sudden event, census trends predict that most of us will experience the end of life after an extensive period of “old age”. This period often brings us new challenges in the form of physical or cognitive disabilities.
We can’t be neutral on assisted suicide
Pope Francis has said that compassion means “suffer with.” It is a challenge to suffer with a beloved family member or friend who is dying.
The dying process has been called a “sacred time — a final season to seek closure in this life and prepare for the next in the hope of sharing in Christ’s Resurrection,” says a passage from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Respect Life Program publication on “Caring for Loved Ones at Life’s End.”
End of life: Deserves as much attention as the beginning
As we conclude the month of October — designated as Respect Life Month — it seems appropriate to reflect on end-of-life issues.
Doesn’t it seem that our society today pays much more attention to the beginning of life than the end of it? We get excited about the birth of a baby. We have baby showers, spend time getting the nursery decorated, and send out birth announcements when the baby is born. We buy cards and gifts for the new child.
Planning ahead: Bishops encourage us to talk about death and dying
We all know the quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin, “The only things certain in life are death and taxes.”
Although we will someday face death, most of us would rather not think about dying — let alone talk about it. However, the Catholic bishops of Wisconsin are encouraging us to do just that.
Loving those with disabilities
Many of us have hidden fears and hesitations when it comes to dealing with persons with severe disabilities. Their unfamiliar gestures, behaviors, and limitations can challenge us and infringe on our comfort zones.
We may be tempted to apply a different standard when we deal with them. Even very young children with disabilities may suffer discrimination through denial of care as newborns, or through abortion in utero.
Santorums’ daughter Bella
During his presidential campaign, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum and his wife Karen were often asked by people on the campaign trail about their daughter Bella, who was born with Trisomy 18, a severe genetic defect caused by an extra chromosome.
Such children tend to have shorter lifespans, with 90 percent dying during the first year of life. Nevertheless, with proper care, some can live well into their teens, and even into their 20’s or 30’s.
Bella became known to the public during her father’s candidacy in part because of several memorable moments during the TV debates where Rick powerfully described how Bella’s birth and struggles had impacted their family.
Ethical Use of Ventilators
The use of ventilators can pose particularly challenging problems during end of life situations for families.
When should we place a loved one on a ventilator? If somebody is on a ventilator, can we ever “pull the plug?”
Understanding our moral duty depends upon whether the use of a ventilator in a particular case can be considered “ordinary” or “extraordinary.”
Ordinary treatment
Ordinary interventions can be understood as those medicines, operations, and treatments that offer a reasonable hope of benefit for the patient and that can be obtained and used without excessive pain, expense, or other significant burden. Use of a ventilator will sometimes satisfy these criteria, and other times it will not, depending on the specifics of the patient’s situation.