Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Madrid (Agenzia Fides) - “In response to the intense pressures being placed on the Spanish people to approve assisted suicide and euthanasia, the need exists to defend the dignity of natural death as the proper end of every human life.” This is the opening statement found in the manifesto signed by a group of university professors who have united to defend the dignity of natural death, in the face of the pressure being place on Spanish citizens. Today, October 27, a press conference will be held in Madrid to present the statement from the professors, who say that “human life is sacred, for its intrinsic dignity which cannot be measured in degrees, as it is universal, regardless of one's situation of age, health, or the autonomy he possesses.” This dignity, they say, “carries with it the inalienable right every person has to life, whose protection and care is the undeniable duty of the State, even when the person seems to have lost their value.” They also explain that in the fulfillment of this duty, the most responsible countries “recognize the right of each person to the most advanced healthcare and thus, it is contradictory to accept and promote the deliberate termination of a life that is in a situation of weakness, dependency upon others, and terminal illness.” The statement continues: “Euthanasia understood as a deliberate act of terminating the life of a person, whether it be upon personal request or upon the decision of a third party, and assisted suicide are morally and ethically reproachable.” The alternative of euthanasia should be the promotion of care “that offers specialized knowledge and advanced medical and psychological care, as well as spiritual and emotional support in the terminal phase,” the manifesto says.
“Science and medical practice are constantly acquiring ever greater instruments for taking action and discerning, and they should be used to promote human life, as it is a right of every person,” the text continues.
They end the document with an appeal to all citizens, especially those in public office, asking that they recognize the dignity of natural death. “A society that accepts the termination of the lives of certain people, due to their precarious health and because of the intervention of third-party members, brings upon itself the belief that the lives of the sick are not worth living or are of lesser value,” the professors conclude. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 27/10/2008)
