The Vatican is investigating 15 Catholic psychiatric hospitals in Belgium because of a change in their euthanasia policy. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, is personally carrying out the investigation. The investigation follows an appeal to Rome for help from Brother Rene Stockman, the superior general of the Brothers of Charity order running Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Euthanasia’
Catholic hospitals directed to euthanise mentally ill
Thursday, May 4th, 2017
A board governing several Belgian Catholic psychiatric hospitals says it will to start performing euthanasia in its institutions. But the religious brothers who operate the hospitals say the policy change is unacceptable and cannot be implemented. The Brothers of Charity, who oppose euthanasia, are responsible for 15 psychiatric hospitals. Between them they care for 5,000 Read more
Right to life ask Govt to prohibit Philip Nitschke entering NZ
Thursday, March 30th, 2017Right to Life has written to the Minister of Immigration, asking him to issue an order prohibiting Philip Nitschke, known as “Dr Death” from entering New Zealand. He has been conducting suicide seminars and encouraging vulnerable people to illegally smuggle the prohibited class C lethal drug Nembutal, into New Zealand. Continue reading Read also: Susan Austen Read more
Palliative care practitioners speak out against euthanasia and assisted suicide
Thursday, March 23rd, 2017More than 30 of Australia and New Zealand’s top palliative care practitioners have joined forces to oppose the introduction of euthanasia and physician assisted suicide, describing the practice as “unnecessary and unsafe”. It was a response to an opinion piece recently published in the MJA by Palliative Care Specialist, Professor Emeritus Ian Maddocks, who asked Read more
The importance of stories in the euthanasia debate
Thursday, March 9th, 2017
The pro-euthanasia case is compact and quick and easy to make: It focuses on a terminally ill, seriously suffering, competent adult who gives informed consent to euthanasia and bases its claims to prevail on the obligation to respect that person’s right to autonomy and self-determination and dignity. The case against euthanasia is more complex and Read more
The march of euthanasia down under
Thursday, February 16th, 2017
The internationally renowned psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl experienced first hand the utter depravity of Auschwitz and Dachau. He knew the immense physical torment, psychological torture and spiritual desolation of those most inhuman of places. They were not called death camps for figurative effect. Suicide was not unknown among those sent there to suffer Read more
Cardinal Dew Challenges MPs on Euthanasia
Friday, December 9th, 2016
Cardinal Dew spoke on behalf of the bishops of New Zealand to the written Submission to the Health Select Committee on their End of Life investigation at Parliament on Wednesday. “Catholic teaching regarding the end of life is well known, however we would like to share with you our extensive and long experience of our Read more
Alcoholic chose to die because he could see no way out
Friday, December 2nd, 2016An alcoholic in Holland has been killed by lethal injection. The 41-year old told his family he could see no way out of his addiction to alcohol. Read more
Wall’s proposed authorised dying bill falls short on a number of counts
Friday, November 25th, 2016
Director of the NZ Catholic Bioethics Centre, Dr John Kleinsman, commenting on MP Louisa Wall’s proposed Authorised Dying Bill, noted that it was an attempt to narrow the criteria of eligibility for euthanasia and assisted suicide. It shows that at one level she has taken on board some of the concerns raised by opponents of Read more
ACT leader says conscience vote on euthanasia undemocratic
Friday, November 18th, 2016
Act leader, David Seymour, who has a member’s bill in the ballot to legalise voluntary euthanasia, is opposed to a conscience vote on the matter. He calls it a “little wrinkle in our political system that allows a small amount of people to veto a large amount of people.” “I do think that’s undemocratic and Read more