Gulf Pine Catholic

Gulf Pine Catholic • October 25, 2024 13 In 2020, the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith released the letter Samaritanus bonus, “on the care of persons in the critical and terminal phases of life.” The letter reaffirms the Church’s teaching on care for those who are critically ill or dying and offers additional pastoral guidance for increasingly complex situations at the end of life. The following offers a brief overview of key points from this important document with a specific focus on what it says about palliative care and hospice. The ultimate foundation of human dignity lies in the reality that God became man to save us and call us into communion with Him. The Good Samaritan, who goes out of his way to aid an injured man, sym- bolizes Jesus, who encounters humanity in need of salvation and cares for our wounds and sufferings. Despite our best efforts, it can sometimes be difficult to recognize the profound value of human life when we see its full weakness and fragility. Yet, the faith- ful care of human life until its natural end is entrust- ed to every person. In the face of challenges that affect the very way we think about medicine, the significance of the care of the sick, and our social responsibility toward the most vulnerable, the Church reminds us of our obli- gation to readily accompany those in the critical and terminal stages of life, for all are called to give wit- ness at the side of the sick person. Sadly, the request for death through euthanasia or assisted suicide is often a symptom of disease, aggravated by isolation and discomfort. Care for life is therefore the first responsibility in our encounter with those who are sick. This responsibility exists not only when health may be restored, but even when a cure is impossible. Only human warmth and evangelical fraternity can reveal a positive horizon of support to the sick per- son in hope and confident trust. The need for medical care comes from our vul- nerability as human persons. As a unity of body and soul, each person is materially and temporally finite, with a longing for the infinite and a destiny that is eternal. As such, we depend on the mutual support of others, as well as our connection with God. In view of our earthly finitude, medicine must therefore accept that death is part of the human condition. However, even when a cure is not possible, adequate care must still be provided until the very end: “to cure if possible, always to care.” Adequate care -- which upholds the dignity and integrity of the per- son—includes necessary physical, psychological, social, familial, and spiritual support to those who are sick. Palliative care and hospice embody this comprehensive and integrated approach. Death is a decisive moment in the human per- son’s encounter with God the Savior. Helping the Christian to experience this moment with spiritual assistance is a supreme act of charity. It encompass- es the patient with the solid support of human rela- tionships to accompany them and open them to hope. Palliative care and hospice are precious and cru- cial instruments in the care of patients with serious and complex chronic or terminal illnesses, and they help provide comfort to both the patients and their families. While palliative care cannot entirely eradicate suffering from people’s lives, it provides an authen- tic expression of human and Christian care -- allow- ing us to “remain” at the side of a suffering person, as the Blessed Mother and the beloved disciple remained at the foot of the Cross. When we follow their example, we participate in the mystery of Redemption. The path of accompaniment until the moment of death must remain open, with appropri- ate care for body and soul customized to the person- al needs of the patient. The role of the family is central to the care of chronically and terminally ill patients. In the family, a person is valued in himself or herself, rather than because of efficiency or utility. It is essential that those who are sick and being cared for do not per- ceive themselves as burdensome. In times of suffer- ing, a person should be able to experience from others a solidarity and a love that takes on the suffer- ing, offering a sense of life that extends beyond death. All of this has a great social importance: “A society unable to accept the suffering of its members and incapable of helping to share their suffering, and to bear it inwardly through ‘compassion’ is a cruel and inhuman society”. 1 Hospice can provide a valu- able service by serving those who are terminally sick and ensuring their care until the last moment of life. By doing so, hospice can provide a sanctuary where suffering takes on profound meaning. It is morally permissible to decide against dispro- portionate treatments that would provide only a precarious or painful extension of life. The refusal of extraordinary means of care expresses acceptance of the human condition, but it does not seek to hasten death. The suspension of disproportionate therapies must not entail the withdrawal of basic care -- including pain relief, hydration, nutrition, thermo- regulation, and so forth. In addition, when necessary to relieve pain at the end of life, the Church affirms the moral permissibility of using pain medications that cause the loss of consciousness, and may even hasten the moment of death, as long as this hastening of death is a secondary effect of the medications and not their direct or intended purpose. In such cases, the informed consent of the patient, designated sur- rogate, or family member(s) must be obtained. Every medical action must always have as its object the promotion of life and never the pursuit of death. In addition, patients should be provided proper spir- itual care so they may consciously approach their death as an encounter with God. The pastoral care provided by family, doctors, nurses, and chaplains can help the patient to persevere in sanctifying grace and to die in charity and in the love of God. SEE GOOD SAMARITAN, PAGE 22