There are certain moral questions that every person should be able to answer because they affect how we live and how we care for those whom we love. Know these general principles; the Lord will teach you how to apply them to specific circumstances. If you need help, you are welcome to contact the Christ Medicus Foundation for bioethical guidance consistent with Roman Catholic doctrine. In all things, stay united to the Lord and He will never leave you!
1. What care am I and my loved ones morally obligated to receive as we approach death?
In summary, you are required to receive food and water, even through tubes, as long as your body can assimilate the water and food. You also can but are not required to receive proportional pain medicine, according to a 2007 document from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, provided this medicine is not admitted with the intent of speeding up your death. In addition, you are morally obligated to receive all ordinary medical treatments in which the benefit outweighs the burden placed on you and your loved ones, such as antibiotics in cases where they are necessary and basic wound care to prevent the spread of infection. Most importantly, you are entitled to receive the companionship of your loved ones and, if you are Catholic, the Sacraments of eternal life, especially Confession, the Anointing of the Sick in hopes of full recovery, the Eucharist (Viaticum), as well as the Apostolic Pardon which remits the punishment due to the sins you have committed throughout your life. In general, you or your loved one should not be deprived of consciousness as you are preparing to meet the Lord.
2. What is the best means of legally protecting my life and that of my loved ones when we can no longer give consent to medical interventions?
My ethical recommendation (not legal recommendation) is for you to appoint a person you trust who loves you deeply and knows Church teaching and your wishes. This person can serve as your advocate or proxy and make health care decisions for you if you are ever unable to do so. You can prayerfully consider specifying basic principles of Church teaching in an advanced directive, such as, “I want food and water,” but I would not advise specifying what you do not want because this can lead to euthanasia. In the U.S. healthcare system, euthanasia is rampant. People are routinely denied food and water, overmedicated, and not properly cared for because they believe the lie that they should not burden others with their care. We are called to be our brother’s keeper (Genesis 4:9) and burden each other as God wills. I would be very careful about hospice as most hospices do not guarantee the provision of food and water. If you do decide to elect hospice for yourself or a loved one, there are questions published by the Healthcare Advocacy and Leadership Organization (HALO) you should ask the hospice to ensure that you will not be euthanized.
3. What vaccinations should I, my spouse, and my children receive?
You should never be forced, pressured, or coerced in any way to receive any medical intervention, including vaccination as noted in a 2020 document on the morality of using vaccines from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Vaccination must be totally voluntary. You should receive information regarding the potential harms and benefits of any vaccine. Should you believe that the risks outweigh the benefits for you or a loved one, you should refuse a vaccine. You should also consider the way the vaccine was obtained, that is, whether it involved the killing of embryos. If you believe in good conscience that a particular vaccine is the best means of protecting yourself and your loved ones, you should try to ensure that you receive a moral version of the vaccine if it exists. Information about which vaccines are associated with aborted fetal cell lines is graciously provided by Children of God for Life. For Catholics, I would recommend visiting your local Adoration chapel and asking Jesus which vaccines he wants your family to receive, if any.
4. Should I sign up to be an organ donor?
It is imprudent to sign up to be an organ donor. While giving your organs has the good effect of saving other’s lives, the means used to obtain your organs are almost always wrong. Without going into too much detail, you can be declared “brain dead” when you are still alive and since you are considered “dead,” they can paralyze you with drugs and harvest your organs. In 2023, the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) made it easier to prematurely declare people dead and harvest their organs. The AAN even admits in its report to the lack of high-quality evidence on “death by neurological criteria” or so-called “brain death.” The reality is that people with brain injuries are alive and deserve good medical care until God sees fit to call them home. If you are already signed up on the organ donor registry in your state, I recommend getting off the registry. There is usually a process to remove yourself from the organ donor registry. Note that simply removing the heart from your driver’s license does not mean your name has been removed from the organ donor registry. If you need help, an attorney should be able to help you navigate getting off the donor registry in your state or any previous states in which you have lived.
5. What do I do if my spouse and I are struggling to have children?
Children are a gift from the Lord. Children may only be brought into the world at God’s command, and it is not right to do in vitro fertilization (IVF) or in vitro gametogenesis (IVG), both of which involve the creation of children outside the womb. Having embryos transferred into a woman’s womb who are not her biological children is wrong. Couples should use natural family planning to track the wife’s cycle and optimize their chances of conceiving. Various fertility monitors can help with this tracking, including Clear Blue and Mira. In cases where you suspect medical causes of infertility, you can see a Catholic NFP specialist to try and optimize fertility in moral ways. If God does not give you natural children, prayerfully consider adoption as a means of building up the Kingdom of God.
We will all surely be faced with one or more of the above bioethical questions. I pray that this overarching guidance is helpful and that you seek God’s love and mercy in all your actions. May God bless you through the intercession of Our Lady.