Euthanasia

Današnja rasprava o eutanaziji rezultira dvama različitim i ponekad sasvim oprečnim taborima: zagovornicima i protivnicima eutanazije. Zagovornici eutanazije smatraju da čovjek općenito, a naročito u slučajevima loše kvalitete života, teške bolesti i patnje, ima pravo okončati vlastiti život. Pritom se nerijetko eutanazija naziva ubojstvom iz milosrđa i promatra kao čin humanosti prema ljudskom biću koji strahovito pati. Protivnici eutanazije drže da nitko nema pravo oduzeti život bez obzira na okolnosti, jer život po sebi ima neprocjenjivu vrijednost koju ne može narušiti loša kvaliteta života, bolest ili patnja. Crkva se protivi svakom činu koji umanjuje i vrijeđa čovjekovo dostojanstvo i život. Život kao takav temeljna je vrednota i ljudsko pravo iz kojeg proizlaze sva ostala prava i obveze. Palijativna skrb u okviru hospicija, koju zagovara Crkva, za razliku od eutanazije, moralno je prikladno i humano rješenje za pacijente u terminalnoj fazi bolesti. Radi se o pristupu koji kao glavni cilj ima ublažiti bol i patnju u svim njezinim aspektima poštujući osobne vrijednosti pacijenta.Today's discussion of euthanasia results in two different and sometimes completely opposite camps: proponents and opponents of euthanasia. Proponents of euthanasia believe that a person in general, and especially in cases of poor quality of life, serious illness and suffering, has the right to end his own life. In doing so, euthanasia is often called a mercy killing and it is observed as an act of humanity towards a human being who suffers terribly. Opponents of euthanasia think that no one has the right to take one's life away regardless of the circumstances, because life itself has an inestimable value which cannot be impaired by a poor quality of life, disease or suffering. The Church opposes any act that diminishes and insults human dignity and life. Life as such is a fundamental value and human right from which all other rights and obligations derive. Palliative care within hospices, advocated by the Church, unlike euthanasia, is a morally appropriate and human solution for patients in the terminal phase of the disease. It is an approach whose main goal is to alleviate pain and suffering in all its aspects while respecting the personal values of the patient