Back in 1991 or so, I was invited by an elderly and ill suicidal friend — along with about 20 of her other pals — to gather in her apartment for a suicide party. Frances’ idea was that she would tell us how much we meant to her, we would reciprocate, and she would swallow pills.
Instead, all her friends were appalled and held an intervention. Soon, the suicide was off. (Frances did the deed the next year, after telling her friends she wouldn’t, under the influence of proselytizing literature published by the assisted suicide Hemlock Society, a sad tale recounted in my book Forced Exit.)
Back then, celebrating or otherwise honoring a suicide was unthinkable. Today, thanks to the assisted suicide movement, suicide parties and ceremonies are becoming common (and increasingly reported in the media). From a syndicated story that ran in the Rome (Georgia) News Tribune:
In early August, Christina Werner, a retired operating room nurse, met up with a close friend for a walk through the redwoods in Marin County. It’s a common pastime for many people in the Bay Area, but this walk was different, Reasons to Be Cheerful reports .
Werner and her friend went on the hike specifically to celebrate the life of a friend, an outdoor enthusiast and nursing colleague who had suffered immensely with ALS — the rare, fatal neurological disorder that causes the gradual loss of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord — and was physically unable to leave the house anymore.
Their friend had chosen to end her struggles that morning in an end-of-life ceremony held at the friend’s home, among a small group of loved ones and an end-of-life doula named Anthea Grimason.
On the hike, both women shed tears, but there was not a big sense of doom. Werner was excited that everything had gone according to her friend’s death plan, and that her suffering had ended.
“We were sad, and she will be sorely missed, but we all leave this earth, and I am happy for her in a weird way,” Werner says. “She was suffering, but she made it really comfortable for everybody. She was excited for her D-Day. It put her in control of a body that wasn’t functioning for her anymore….”
From LifeNews
Oh, dear! What does one wear to a suicide party?
Did Coco Chanel address this topic?
I am thinking, “Burnt Amber” or “Wildfire” (to match your future environment).
It is a horror, but another wildfire broke out today in the area of Pacific Palisades and Malibu, in Southern CA. Hope everyone, and their pets, too, will be evacuated, and safe. Life is so precious. Suicide for any reason, including grave illness– and all suicide groups, literature, and propaganda– should be strictly illegal, never allowed under any circumstances, and unheard of. As we all learned, when growing up— Only God can make a life. And only God can take a life. And God has a Divine Plan for each of us, for all things and all people that He made. And we must obey Him, and bravely cooperate wuth that Plan– even in the worst times. Jesus Christ endured horrific and undeserved suffering and humiliation on the Cross, for our sins. We must all unite our sufferings to His, and “offer them up,” in union with His Cross, in times of terrible calamities, pain, and grievous loss. Many graces will follow. A few years ago, I read of a tragic assisted suicide requested — and approved– for a poor Belgian girl, only about age 18 or so, who suffered unbearably from PTSD after a suicide bombing incident. Instead of suicide, her family should have lovingly cared for her, lifelong, and lovingly prayed with and for her, if she could never be healed from this horrific incident. Holocaust survivors likewise had to bear much suffering, after WWII. War survivors, and mass shooting/mass murder survivors, many of them maimed and crippled for life, daily tell their tragic stories, and terrible PTSD sufferings, in the news. This world has much suffering– but God is with us. The Church should do a great deal of work to eradicate crazy, cruel suicide zealots, and develop good, strong, prayerful religious groups and programs, to help suffering people.
God is judging and punishing America’s Sodom and Gomorrah.
I have read tragic stories about victims (usually young Catholic men) of clerical sex abuse, who were in such unbearable trauma and pain, that they committed suicide. Or else their lives totally fell to pieces, and they could barely get through each day. It seemed that they could not be healed, and could never again return to normalcy. They were cruelly, heartlessly maimed, crippled for life. This is a totally intolerable horror of the Catholic Church. Something needs to be drastically done, to put an end to incidents of Satanic clerical sex abuse, and evil lies and cowardly civer-ups– by much-respected, highly privileged Catholic clerics, leading false, Pharisaic, criminal, deceitful, hurtful lives. Such evil clerics are ungodly minions of Satan.
In my comment of 7:34pm, I misspelled “cover-ups,” in my next-to-the-last sentence. Suicide is a Mortal Sin. The Catholic Church used to not allow funerals for people who committed suicide. But in recent years, there has been more understanding and compassion for Catholics who have committed suicide. Maybe the Catholic Church should not allow Catholic funerals for clerical sex abusers, and clerics who have evilly, cruelly covered-up their heinous crimes.
What would you suggest be done?
It is over. That’s in the past now.
No. Clerical sex abuse is definitely not “in the past.” It is an on-going problem. A very serious crime. Criminals shouod be prosecuted and punished. Everyone should be safe, when they go to church. Looks like alleged clerical sex abuser, Marko Rupnik, is still not being prosecuted and punished for his alleged clerical sex abuse crimes. Looks like there is no justice for the poor victims. Evil. And Theodore McCarrick wwas deemed mentally unfit to face a trial in his most recent clerical sex abuse criminal case. No justice for poor victims. Evil. A great many dioceses have declared bankruptcy, including most of them in Calif. Rotten-to-the-core system. Kids and young people are NOT SAFE in our churches– worldwide. Rotten system– highly dangerous. A great danger to society, in every country. The Roman Catholic Church must stop their terrible lies and diabolic treachery– and put an end to this horror, ASAP!! They never live up to their promises. Evil!
There are 12 Catholic dioceses/archdioceses in California. As of May 2024, five Catholic dioceses in California have filed for bankruptcy due to hundreds of cases each, of clerical sex abuse. They include the Dioceses of Sacramento, Santa Rosa, Oakland, San Diego, and the Archdiocese of San Francisco. The Diocese of Monterey is also considering filing for bankruptcy, due to hundreds of clerical sex abuse cases. In recent years, the Catholic Dioceses of Fresno and Stockton have also filed for bankruptcy. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles was able to settle lawsuits of over 1,000 clerical sex abuse victims, for $880 million, avoiding bankruptcy. The three remaining Catholic Dioceses of San Bernardino, Orange, and San Jose, have also had hundreds of clerical sex abuse cases, but did not file for bankruptcies. The Diocese of Orange, combined with the Archdiocese of L.A., reached a settlement of $10 million in clerical sex abuse cases, involving notorious clerical sex abusers. Result– our Catholic Dioceses are certainly proven treacherously unreliable, irresponsible, and there may be criminal clerical sex predators lurking anywhere, to harm children and young people. Criminal reports of any cases of clerical sex abuse may be mishandled, ignored, and covered-up. A terrible risk! Unsafe. The Catholic Church desperateky needs to fix this Satanically horrific, gigantic problem!
Reply to judging: Yes California is under judgement for its many unjust laws and policies. California turn back to God and Repent!