Assignment: Health Care Laws And Regulatory Issues

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The Roman Catholic Perspective

There are two basic human values underlining Catholic bioethics, that is, human dignity,

and interconnectedness of every individual to promote a just social order (Markwell 2005;

Padela 2006). The value of human dignity stems from the fundamental belief that life is

sacred as Catholics believe that they are mere stewards of their human bodies and are

therefore accountable to God for the life that they have been given (Markwell 2005; Padela

2006). The value of interconnectedness relates to the relationship and responsibility that

each member of society holds towards one another. These two central elements of Catholic

bioethics influence end-of-life decisions in the following manner. Firstly, the dignity of the

human person, as one who is oriented towards God, requires him or her to make choices for

the good within a free and informed conscience; and secondly, the interaction between

doctor and patient must take the form of a mutual relationship of trust and respect: the

patient trusts that the doctor’s intentions and acts are carried out in good faith, and the

doctor seeks to understand what the patient’s wishes might be (Markwell 2005).

Accordingly, Christianity prioritises the significance of patient autonomy and veracity in

ethical decision-making. The doctor is under an obligation to provide the patient and

family members with the requisite medical information, advice and analysis, but it is

ultimately the patient who will decide which treatment or course of action is best aligned

with his personal values and beliefs.

In terms of withholding and withdrawing of futile therapy, the Catholic Church allows

this to be done if it is burdensome, dangerous, extraordinary or disproportionate to the

expected outcome (Bülow et al. 2008). Likewise, the same principle is adopted in cases of

pain management or palliative sedation (Bülow et al. 2008; Markwell 2005). While the

issue of pain and suffering is important to Catholic bioethics as an opportunity to induce

personal growth and gain closeness to God, this belief does not imply that pain relief

should be withheld in order that a patient might come to understand the redemptive nature

of suffering (Markwell 2005). Christianity allows for the administration of analgesia and

sedation to alleviate terminal suffering if this does not, by obtunding consciousness, take

away a final chance for repentance (Zahedi et al. 2007). The aforesaid views of the

Catholic Church take cognizance of the applicability of the doctrine of double effect in

bioethical issues (Bülow et al. 2008; Malik 2012; Markwell 2005), and it is considered to

be one of the ‘‘most significant principles proposed by all Catholic medical ethicists’’

(Curran 2008; Malik 2012). Withdrawal of artificial nutrition and hydration from patients

at the end of life and for people in a persistent vegetative state, however, is a controversial

issue in the Christian faith. In 2004, the then Pope John Paul II issued a pronouncement

stating that the cessation of nutrition and hydration resulting in death by starvation

amounted to euthanasia which is strictly forbidden (Bülow et al. 2008; Noah 2006). This

view has been met with criticism by most bioethicists and medical ethics organisations, as

it contradicts much of the Catholic doctrine on matters of end-of-life care (Noah 2006). Assignment: Health Care Laws And Regulatory Issues.

Assignment: Health Care Laws And Regulatory Issues