The following comes from a Sept. 11 column by Archbishop Jose Gomez in the Angelus, the L.A. archdiocese online paper.
I am deeply disturbed by the California legislature’s decision to allow doctors to help their patients kill themselves.
This is no way for our government to make policy on a life and death issue that will affect millions of individuals and families.
Just a few months ago, after a long and substantial debate, the Assembly Health Committee wisely decided not to advance this legislation.
But Assembly and Senate leaders chose to override this decision and push this bill in an “extraordinary” legislative session called to deal with other issues. They chose to rush this legislation through in less than three weeks, holding only two hearings.
As a result, lawmakers did not have any chance to consider the deeper issues raised by end-of-life care in the state — the cost of treatments, especially the cost of cancer medications; insurance practices that limit access to hospice care and physicians’ options in providing adequate pain relief; the impact of this legislation on the poor and other underserved populations.
The people of California — especially the poor, the elderly, minorities and the disabled — deserve much better from their leaders. And make no mistake, it will be these most vulnerable populations who are going to suffer from this legislation.
Already, we know that poor families, African Americans, Latinos and immigrants do not have access to quality health care and they have limited treatment options when they face a serious or terminal illness.
In a health care system that is cost-conscious and profit-driven, do we really imagine that these vulnerable populations will have a “choice” to receive end-of-life care once we make lethal prescriptions an acceptable “treatment option”?
I am deeply concerned for the millions of our brothers and sisters who are relying on Medi-Cal and other forms of subsidized health care. This legislation gives them no explicit rights or guarantees that they will be able to choose to be treated and cared for rather than to kill themselves.
We need to be clear about our language so we can understand what the legislature is really doing here. It is not legalizing “aid in dying.” What the legislature is legalizing is the ability of a doctor to write prescriptions for the express purpose of killing another human being.
Is this the legacy that we want to leave for future generations of Californians? To say that in the face of human suffering, as a society we responded by making it easier to kill those who are suffering?
This legislation only deepens the divides in our society along the lines of race, ethnicity and income. The reality is that millions of Californians do not have the luxury to advocate for “death” with dignity. They are too busy struggling against poverty, discrimination, disability, illness and crime. It should be government’s mission to help people live with dignity — not to offer them more options to kill themselves.
This legislation — and the process by which it was passed — is not worthy of our great State, which continues to do so much to promote human dignity and equality of access to health care. I believe it should be vetoed.
I wish he would write those legislators and moonbeam a similar letter on the evils and consequences of abortion for those directly and indirectly involved. For those who could have done something about it to refrain and stop it, but did not.
Governor Brown was briefly pro-life and knows that abortion is unjust killing. For Brown to again become pro-life, he needs to get back in touch with why he became pro-life to begin with — Mother Teresea.
I have signed many petitions, to encourage Gov. Brown to veto this horrible bill, which he now has on his desk! I think the best thing, is for all the churches in America, to teach and preach Christ’s truth, to all Americans, and to state boldly, that suicide, and euthanasia, are HORRIBLE MORTAL SINS!! The Catholic Church must threaten to EXCOMMUNICATE anyone who participates in such diabolic evils!! America is SO DUMB, when it comes to sin! The only one that can correctly teach religious and moral truths, and DEMAND that God be obeyed— are the churches!!
The legislators didn’t have time to “consider” other issues such as costs of treatments, medications and and insurance practices?? Of course they did – this wasn’t the first time this bill was presented. The legislators know exactly what they’re doing – saving money, that’s what they’re doing!
They want to KILL the most vulnerable – handicapped, sick, or dying persons.
It is all about the money, so they help can fund OBAMACARE.
CCC: ” 2277 Whatever its motives and means, direct euthanasia consists in putting an end to the lives of handicapped, sick, or dying persons. It is morally unacceptable.
Thus an act or omission which, of itself or by intention, causes death in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person and to the respect due to the living God, his Creator.
The error of judgment into which one can fall in good faith does not change the nature of this murderous act, which must always be forbidden and excluded. “
Bishops, Priests and all Laity need to rethink any support for the Democratic Party of Death.
They need to read the GOALS of each Party as stated in their adopted platforms.
In 2014 the California State DEMOCRATIC Party Platform included all taxpayers paying for the Intrinsic Evils of: Abortion, Euthanasia (coded death with dignity), Embryonic Stem Cell research and Sex change operations with hormones for life.
Sodomy Marriage was also supported.
Odd the leftists who run California fight the death penalty but insist on letting doctors kill patients?
Death penalty is the taking of a life by government.
This legislation lets the patient himself make the decision, not the government (or even the doctor).
And just a reminder, that just because a procedure isn’t illegal doesn’t mean that it isn’t immoral or sinful. Because I know that’s what the response will be. Government shouldn’t be in the business of regulating someone’s private morality.
The death penalty is taking the life of a very heinous evil criminal. In 2014 in the ENTIRE USA less than 30 people got the death penalty.
Euthanasia is taking the life of the innocent.
Remember that the DEMOCRATIC PARTY platform – CA 2014 wants all taxpayers to pay for: Abortion, Euthanasia (coded death with dignity), sex change operations with hormones for life, embryonic stem cell research – truly the Party of Death.
Anonymous, the CA Government and Democratic Party expects ALL TAXPAYERS to pay for the immoral actions/desires of some such as –
abortion, euthanasia, contraception, embryonic stem cell research.
Thus they are legislating immorality.
Let people pay for their own sins.
The inconsistency is explained when one remembers that the death penalty is only imposed upon killers. The leftists love killing and murder, except they can’t let the death penalty be imposed upon one of their own, because they then lose an agent in the field.
Just like the unborn who never have a chance to become something positive in our world, like discover cures for cancers, the ones who choose suicide might have been the patient where the cure was tried & found. Lost are the opportunities for being one of many who help each other, & instead the death mindset says “All is hard and don’t bother me with your problems.” And what about surviving difficulties, becoming stronger by it, & being a witness & encouragement for others.
Archbishop Gomez said, “I am deeply concerned for the millions of our brothers and sisters who are relying on Medi-Cal and other forms of subsidized health care.” Apparently, he is not concerned about the many Californians who pay a handsome premium for HMO insurance out of their own pockets, in addition to paying taxes in order to “subsidize” those Californians on Medi-Cal who he is so concerned about. Yet, the health care HMO policy holders receive is just as lousy. I suspect Archbishop Gomez himself is privileged to have a PPO plan for his own needs and probably not taxed to help “subsidize” our brother’s and sister’s Medi-Cal premiums.