We have been observing October as Respect Life Month, and our focus as Catholics has been on protecting life from “womb to tomb.”
But it seems as if we often put more emphasis on the beginning of life rather than on the end of it. We must be vigilant to make sure that our society respects all human life at every stage.
Increasingly, there have been efforts to promote physician-assisted suicide or what is now being called “medical aid in dying.”
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.”
Often when we speak of respecting all human life, we talk about the full spectrum of life from “womb to tomb.” However, it seems as if more of our energy and attention seem to focus on the beginning of life rather than the end of it.
That’s probably because most people don’t like to think about death and dying. Even though we will all die sometime, we usually prefer to put off any discussions about dying until we’re forced into it.
However, we should be concerned about issues involving care of the sick and dying, particularly in light of increased efforts to pass laws legalizing physician-assisted suicide.
We all know that we will eventually face illness, disabilities, and death of our family members, friends, and ourselves. Despite the inevitability, it is difficult to think about and even more difficult to talk about issues involving sickness and dying.
Yet, these are issues we must confront and deal with — and our faith can provide a great deal of guidance and support. As we conclude Respect Life Month, we should remember that respect for life must encompass respect for the disabled, the elderly, the sick, and the dying.
To the editor:
Earlier this year President Barack Obama instructed his Attorney General and the Justice Department not to defend the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which recognized marriage as between one man and one woman. This piece of legislation was overwhelmingly passed in the House and Senate and signed into law by then President Bill Clinton in 1996.
Last month the New York State legislature passed a law legalizing same-sex marriage which was immediately signed into law by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a professed Catholic. As the push for same-sex marriage escalates in the weeks, months, and years ahead with the help of the media, Hollywood movie stars and musicians, the courts, and the intellectual elites of our country, with the blessing of many so-called Catholic and other Christian politicians, I wonder as we celebrate our “independence” as a country what God thinks of this nation as it continues its moral decay.
