Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Catholic News

Home

Home
Catholic
Religion News
Belgium considers legalizing euthanasia for minors

Belgium considers legalizing euthanasia for minors

Last updated on: December 30, 2013 at 4:07 pm by CNA Daily News

Belgium considers legalizing euthanasia for minors 2013-12-30T16:07:00+00:00 CNA Daily News

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Brussels, Belgium, Dec 30, 2013 / 09:07 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Despite religious opposition, the Belgian Senate voted Dec. 13 in favor of a bill which would expand legal euthanasia to terminally ill minors and persons with dementia.

The bill now has to be considered by the country’s lower house of parliament, the Chamber of Representatives, which is widely expected to approve it. The bill passed in the Senate by a margin of 50-17.

After the bill was passed by the Senate's justice and social affairs committee, a coalition of Belgian religious leaders wrote, “We share the anguish of parents if a child's life comes to a premature end, especially when the child suffers. We believe, however, that only palliative care and sedation in a dignified manner can accompany a child dying of disease.”

The letter was signed by Catholic Archbishop André-Joseph Léonard of Mechelen-Brussel, as well as an Orthodox patriarch, several Protestant leaders, a rabbi, and the president of the Belgian Muslim's Executive.

“We plead for an end to aggresive therapies and for their replacement by curative or palliative care. We believe that we have no right to let a child suffer: which is why suffering can and must be relieved. Medicine has the means to do this.”

The religious leaders added that euthanization “trivializes the act of killing.” They said “we are made for life.”

Allowing the killing of young terminal patients would have consequences, they warned.

“Love to the end requires an immense courage; terminating a life is an act which not only kills the patient, but destroys a few more ties that exist in our society, in our families, in the grip of a growing individualism.”

The leaders had said in a Nov. 6 letter that “euthanasia of vulnerable persons, whether children or persons with dementia, is a radical contradiction of their status as human beings. We cannot therefore into into a logic which destroys the foundations of society.”

The bill would allow minors, with no set age limit, to receive euthanasia if they suffer from terminal illness, are in great pain, and there is no way to treat their disease. The patient would also have to be conscious of their decision and understand what euthanasia is. The child's parents and doctors would both have to approve the request.

Adults already have the legal right to receive deadly drugs.

A group of 16 pediatricians lobbied for the law, saying that “in cases of serious illness and imminent death, minors develop very quickly a great maturity, to the point where they are often better able to reflect and express themselves on life than healthy people.”

Archbishop Léonard countered that “it is strange that minors are considered legally incompetent in key areas, such as getting married, but might (be able) to decide to die.”

Legislators opposed to the bill said that it could be difficult to determine whether children would have the capacity to make such a decision.

Els Van Hoof of the Christian Democratic and Flemish Party noted that children are susceptible to the influence of their parents and physicians.

Belgium’s religious leaders also cited concerns about the bill's effect on healthcare workers, warning that there might not be safeguards for freedom of conscience.

Belgium passed its first euthanasia law in 2002. The following year, 235 persons were euthanized. In 2012, there were 1,432 cases.

The law’s promised safeguards appear not to have been followed. According to The Washington Times, the European Institute of Bioethics found that “the safeguards and strict conditions of the law were almost immediately cast aside” after the 2002 law was passed.

But a Socialist Party senator, Philippe Mahoux, claimed that in the past 10 years, the independent commission “to evaluate cases of euthanasia” in the country “had no abuses reported.”

Efforts in Belgium to extend euthanasia to children and those with dementia were proposed but defeated in both 2004 and 2008.

Euthanasia or assisted suicide are also legal in Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.

Europe

Previous Post

December 29, 2013

Archbishop: Muslims, Christians united in fight for equality in India

Next Post

December 31, 2013 Church in Papua New Guinea hosts training for journalists

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Americas Asia - Pacific Europe Middle East - Africa Uncategorized US Vatican

Select a Month November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who led the Israelites into the Promised Land?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Moses Joshua Aaron Caleb