Faith in life

The bishops of the Czech Republic focused on ethical questions pertaining to human life in a pastoral letter read during past October 26 Masses. The purpose of the letter, the bishops explained, is “to sensitize the faithful over these issues” and disseminate the relative Church doctrine. The letter addresses three major topics: abortion, infertility and euthanasia. Ample extract follows.Life, God’s sacred gift. The bishops referred to the Church document “Donum Vitae”, to the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church in their reaffirmation of the sacrality of life “that includes the unborn children, since human life ought to be protected from the moment of conception. Abortion is not a question that regards the mother only, and it does not only involve her body. The unborn child isn’t the mother’s body and nobody has the right to kill him”. “We fully acknowledge the progress made by modern medicine, that we all benefit from”, the bishops stated. “However, not everything that is possible on the medical plane is good and acceptable. The pre-birth diagnosis of a child’s disease should be directed at the child’s treatment, and not to abortion, even when there are high chances of giving birth to a disabled child”. As relates to infertility treatment, the Czech bishops reiterated their opposition to artificial insemination, that includes the of germinal cells. The human person has the right to be born as the fruit of love “. Don’t play with fire. “In a number of surveys people are asked whether they are in favor of euthanasia. The suffering caused by incurable diseases is given special relevance, as if euthanasia were a question of compassion and mercy. Most answers are motivated by ignorance”, claimed the bishops, since “it is necessary to distinguish” one situation from another. “It is never legitimate to kill a sick person even if he/she is terminally ill and agrees to actively terminate his/her life”. According to the Czech Bishops’ Conference, “a patient has the possibility of refusing expensive treatment that wouldn’t bring significant improvement ” while “the doctor is not obliged to prolong an ongoing agony. Interrupting ineffective treatment is not equal to euthanasia. Rather, it implies acknowledging the finiteness of human life on earth”, notwithstanding the obligation never to suspend “assistance to the sick along with food and water administration”. “The tendency to respond to a person’s suffering with death is a criminal act of arrogance. Nowadays palliative medicine can ease pain. High costs don’t justify the negation of appropriate treatment. If legalized, euthanasia could trigger social pressure against the sick, encouraging them “to be reasonable, abandon society and stop being a burden”. “Euthanasia is not a new practice”, the bishops recalled, “it had already been used by Hitler who commanded the large-scale murder of the disabled, the unwanted and of political opponents. Current supporters of euthanasia seem to have forgotten it. Euthanasia is dangerously playing with fire. The fact that it is provided for by the law doesn’t mean that it is acceptable from a moral viewpoint. The human conscience and God’s laws are far beyond human rules”. European society is dying. The bishops recalled the “topical relevance” of the message by Paul VI in the encyclical Humanae Vitae: “If we wish to have a future as a nation, we must accept more children and live for them. European society is dying and is indebting the next generations. Those children who never experienced the love of their parents might not be willing to look after elderly and sick parents. They will rather remove those who fail to contribute to society overburdening the economy with costly needs. It used to be humorously remarked that old-age homes are nurseries’ revenge. In these terms, we may define euthanasia as a revenge vis à vis abortions. “We were given the opportunity to understand the great gift of freedom that Christ has donated us. A life that is lived following the word of God brings happiness in heavens and on earth. We know it can be very difficult to have faith in God and accept his will”. The bishops exhort the faithful not to fear that “they will not live as the surrounding world does. Christian culture stems from the faithfulness of the testimonies of Christ and from the blood of the martyrs. At the same time, in raising public awareness and for the implementation of just laws, we act responsibly and are not accomplices”.