Declaration on Euthanasia (Iura bona)
Overview
For nearly 500 years, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) has defended the Catholic Church from internal heresy—whether by false teaching or malpractice of faith. It is the oldest of the Curia’s nine congregations, and is made up of cardinals, bishops, priests, lay theologians, and canon lawyers. According to Pope Paul VI’s 1965 Motu Proprio Integrae Servandae, “All questions which regard the doctrine on faith and morals or which touch upon the faith are within the competence of the Congregation … It examines new teachings and new opinions in whatever way they are spread, it promotes studies in this area, and encourages the Congresses of scholars; it condemns those teachings found to be contrary to the principles of the faith, after, however, having heard the view of the Bishops of those regions, if they are specifically connected with the issues.”
Top Highlights
“Nevertheless the fact remains that death, often preceded or accompanied by severe and prolonged suffering, is something which naturally causes people anguish. Physical suffering is certainly an unavoidable element of the human condition; on the biological level, it constitutes a warning of which no one denies the usefulness; but, since it affects the human psychological makeup, it often exceeds its own biological usefulness and so can become so severe as to cause the desire to remove it at any cost. According to Christian teaching, however, suffering, especially suffering during the last moments of life, has a special place in God’s saving plan; it is in fact a sharing in Christ’s passion and a union with the redeeming sacrifice which He offered in obedience to the Father’s will.” (source)
“this does not prevent the carrying out of other religious and moral duties: Yes” (source)
“it would be imprudent to impose a heroic way of acting as a general rule” (source)
“Euthanasia meant an easy death without severe suffering” (source)
- Title: Declaration on Euthanasia (Iura bona)
- Author: Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
- Publisher: Libreria Editrice Vaticana
- Print Publication Date: 1980
- Logos Release Date: 2014
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subject: Euthanasia › Religious aspects--Catholic Church
- Resource ID: LLS:DCLRTNTHNSRBN
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-03-25T19:34:09Z