Euthanasia erodes society ” “

Behind every case there is always a story of suffering and loneliness that deserves respect and compassion. But if a crack is opened, the door will unavoidably be opened more and more. We’re in Belgium that is debating whether to extend the law on euthanasia adopted in 2002 to those under 15 and to Alzheimer’s patients. If the law is extended, doctors may be able “to put an end to the life of children in unsolvable health conditions, in a state of unbearable and ceaseless physical or mental suffering, or to those presenting a request for euthanasia”. No age limit has been fixed, although psychiatrists and psychologists will be called to establish the child’s “capacity of discernment”. Even those experiencing “unbearable suffering” will have the possibility of asking for euthanasia. Two cases in particular sparked off a major debate at international level, the story of Nancy Verhelst who at the age of 42 decided to become a man: the surgery went wrong and caused “unbearable suffering” within an “incurable situation”. Thus Nancy Verhelst resorted to euthanasia. The other case is that of Christian De Duve, Medicine Nobel Prize laureate in 1974 who wrote his last wishes in a letter to “Le soir” explaining the reasons that led him to request euthanasia: “I am not a believer. I will disappear, it will be nothing”. He awaited the arrival of his daughter from the United States and “departed surrounded by the love of his dear ones”. His daughter Françoise declared: “He said ‘good-bye’ and smiled to us, then he close his eyes forever”. Maria Chiara Biagioni addressed the issue for SIR Europe with the president of Belgian bishops monsignor André-Joseph Léonard, archbishop of Malines-Bruxelles. What brings people towards euthanasia? “It is a reaffirmation of individual freedom, according to which every person is entitled to decide for his/her life and death, and of when and how to die. This issue should be understood in the contemporary cultural framework. Deciding when and how to die is a decision that involves also other people. This means that doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers must comply with individual will and respond to a patient’s request to die. It is therefore an illusion to think that the choice of euthanasia involves only the interested person or refers to individual freedom. In fact, it’s a choice that involves many people”. Based on your personal experience, what are the repercussions of a law on euthanasia on society? “It harms solidarity. In fact, legislation on euthanasia subconsciously encourages the public opinion to believe that everyone should solve individual problems alone. What I fear the most is that this concealed and insidious influence, this climate that could be triggered especially when it comes to old people, to non-autonomous patients that in a situation of difficulty may decide to sign a document and with their death solve the problems of all those they depend on releasing them of a burden. The mental process is clear: ‘I feel that I am getting older, I start loosing my mental capacities, it’s better for everyone if I’m no longer around”. The case of the Medicine Nobel laureate who at 95 decided to resort to euthanasia, came as a shock. Solidarity, marked by care for the weak, is replaced by a sort of implicit liberation of the weak, whenever that person becomes a burden for society”. Belgium envisages euthanasia in the case of unsupportable suffering, and now the request is to extend it to minors. What’s happening? “The news of the person who obtained euthanasia because surgery to change his gender went wrong, causing unbearable psychological suffering, hit the front pages of international media. I think we have to set the limits. There is also a bill meant to extend the right to euthanasia to minors, regardless of their parents’ consent. It should be pointed out that Belgian legislation does not allow minors to sign financial agreements, get married, sign deeds that could compromise their future while if the bill should pass they may decide to die even without their parents’ consent. Finally, some have called to extend euthanasia to include people affected by dementia who are no longer self-sufficient, just like those affected by Alzheimer’s. Such proposals undermine social bonds and solidarity between people. It’s a like a door that risks being opened more and more”.