John Paul II

In the following viewpoint, John Paul II, the pope of the Roman Catholic Church, contends that assisted suicide and euthanasia are immoral acts because only God has the right to end a life. Every human being has a sacred and inviolable right to life, he maintains. True compassion for an ill person’s suffering should be shown through companionship and support, he argues, not by helping the sufferer to die.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. How does euthanasia differ from forgoing aggressive medical treatment, according to John Paul II?
2. In the pope’s view, why is palliative care that shortens a life permissible?
3. What is St. Augustine’s opinion concerning assisted suicide, as cited by the author"

“It is I who bring both death and life.” (Deuteronomy 32:39)

At the end...