April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
DEATH AND DYING
In life and death, we belong to God
Thank God, we got him to the hospital quickly and the cardiology team was top-notch. A stent was put in, the artery unclogged and there was minimal damage to the heart.
Today, Joe is eating better, exercising more and happy to be alive. But the episode was terrifying for our family. It demonstrated, up close and personal, the fragility of life.
Joe is a relatively young, healthy and fit man. Any one of us can be here one minute and gone the next - or we can face debilitating heart failure, stroke, illness or injury.
That's why the latest statement from the bishops of New York State, "Now and at the Hour of Our Death," is such a valuable resource. It's a Catholic guide to end-of-life decision-making.
It's all about planning in advance - because, truly, we know not the day nor the hour.
Many people may think that end-of-life decision-making is for the elderly or terminally ill. Quite the contrary: Every one of us should plan now for a time when our ability to reason or communicate is compromised and we are unable to make our own medical decisions.
In their new document, our bishops provide a great service by spelling out for us, in clear and familiar terms, precisely what our Church teaches about the end of life.
It's not what you might think. Contrary to common perception, Catholics are not morally bound to use every possible medical treatment available to prolong life. Discontinuing medical procedures that are burdensome, dangerous, extraordinary or disproportionate to the expected outcome can be morally legitimate.
It is an acceptance of natural death. As Catholics, we believe death is a doorway to eternal life. In both life and death, we belong to the Lord.
The bishops' statement guides us through the differences between "ordinary" medical treatments and "extraordinary" care. In general, we have a moral duty to accept ordinary treatments and care like food, water, bed rest and basic hygiene.
We are not obliged to accept extraordinary means which offer no reasonable hope of benefit or involve excessive hardship or burden. But each case is different and must be examined on its own set of circumstances.
The new booklet is divided into two sections: The first explains the nuances of Church teaching in this area of medical/moral decision-making, and the second explains the legal options available in New York State for advance care planning.
The bishops caution against choosing a so-called "living will," because it requires us to put down in writing today our wishes and desires for a future time, with unforeseen circumstances, conditions and technologies.
It is far more prudent, Church leaders suggest, to appoint a "healthcare agent" under New York's healthcare proxy law. The booklet contains an actual proxy form, with specifically Catholic language, that you can complete, tear out and use.
The bishops suggest that your healthcare agent be someone you trust who knows you well and understands and respects your religious and moral beliefs, such as your spouse, adult child, sibling or friend. Your agent's voice will become your voice should you become incapacitated and unable to decide for yourself.
Talk to that person now, while you are competent, about your faith and beliefs about the end of life. Don't wait until it's too late. Sitting for hours in the hospital waiting room last spring, a million questions raced through my mind: Was it too late, or did we get Joe to the emergency room in time? What exactly were they doing to his heart? Would he survive? Would he be able to do all the things he used to do?
Fortunately, "Can I legally make medical decisions for my husband?" wasn't one of them. Joe and I completed our healthcare proxies years ago and named each other as our agents. We haven't had to use them - but they're there, just in case.
Life is fragile. Handle with care.
(Kathleen Gallagher is director of pro-life activities for the New York State Catholic Conference, which advocates for the state's bishops on public policy matters. Single copies of the New York State bishops' statement are available free from the Catholic Conference. Call 434-6195 or email kgallagher@ nyscatholic.org.)[[In-content Ad]]
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