It was central in the birth of the nation and it only seems to gain importance and influence as our society advances. Our faith teaches us that while God has laid a path for each of us, we also have the freedom to choose that path, or not choose it.
The freedom and rights of the individual has historically been informed by values seen as critical for the good of both the individual and the community of which they are a part. It must be said that many of those are Judeo-Christian values such as justice, charity, mercy and love of neighbor.
But what happens when matters of individual freedom conflict with values that have infused a healthy society? We see that tension more and more on social issues like health care, marriage and family, and, most recently, end-of-life decisions.
A bill is making its way through the California Senate that would legalize doctor prescribed suicide. My brother bishops of California and I are vocal opponents of this proposed law because we know that God is the author of life and decides the time at which we will return to Him. The well-funded supporters of this bill, SB 128, have cleverly couched their argument that this kind of suicide is an individual right. In a society that increasingly seeks ways to avoid pain and suffering and enhance pleasure, this argument no doubt has appeal.
As much as this bill and the serious consequences should it be signed into law make us uncomfortable, it offers a good opportunity to renew our Catholic faith and to revisit what it teaches us about the end of our earthly life.
Death is not something we talk a lot about – until we have to. God gives us so many blessings in our life – our family, our faith community, our work, our home – that we just don’t want to see it come to an end. We fear the deterioration of our health and the loss of all these things, so we “don’t go there.” A particularly sad impact of this mentality is that many of our elderly spend their final days alone, without the love and companionship of their family, who should surely accompany them.
In this perspective, something important is missed. Our final journey to God offers us a chance to draw closer to the Lord Jesus than ever before, to bind ourselves to His suffering and to feel the power of His love for us in perhaps the most profound way. However God chooses for us to die, He is preparing us to enter His Kingdom. If we take that decision from Him by ending our life, we are denying the meaning of our death.
I encourage you to take this moment to learn more about what our Church says about end-of-life issues. Talk about it in your family, talk about it in your parish, talk about it in your prayer group or ministry, and please answer the Catholic call to Faithful Citizenship by letting your state representatives know of your concerns about this proposed law that does not honor the sacredness of life, given to us here on earth and ultimately in heaven by our God.
May God bless you and your families and may you feel in your heart the joy of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ as we begin this Easter season.