Frequently Asked Questions about the Catholic Advance
Health Care Directive
1. What is an Advance Health Care Directive and why would I want one? Every
person has the right to make his or her own medical decisions. But what happens if you
become so seriously ill or injured that you can no longer make your own medical
decisions or communicate them to those around you? That is when an advance heath
care directive can be of great help. An advance health care directive, sometimes called a
living will, is a legal document that allows you to give directions about your future
medical care in the event you become unable to make your wishes known. An advance
directive lets others know how you wish to be treated if you become seriously ill or
injured and are unable to make decisions for yourself. In addition, an advance health care
directive allows you to appoint a person with a power of attorney who will be legally
entitled to make medical decisions for you if you become unable to make such decisions
for yourself. This agent will make decisions in accordance with the directions you will
have given him or her in the advance health care directive.
2. Why a Catholic Advance Health Care Directive? Advance health care
directives apply whenever the patient becomes so sick that he or she cannot make his or
her own medical decisions. This is true whether the condition is temporary or permanent.
Therefore, advance directives can cover all sorts of medical procedures in all sorts of
medical situations, including situations in which a patient will be expected to recover.
They also deal with end of life decisions. As such, advance directives give critical
information about your wishes for your health care to the person or persons you give
authority to make decisions for you. As with any important decision we make, we should
always make decisions about our health care in the light of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ. This Gospel of Life is faithfully reflected in the teachings of the Catholic Church.
As a part of its pastoral ministry the Diocese of Wilmington has prepared a Catholic
Advance Health Care Directive so that your desire to be faithful to the Gospel of Life will
be respected. This makes this Advance Directive different from secular advance
directives, which often do not conform to the Gospel of Life.
3. Why should I use this Catholic Advance Directive rather than a non-Catholic
advance directive such as the Five Wishes advance directive? The Catholic
Advance Health Care Directive has been carefully drafted so that it complies not only
with Delaware law, but also faithfully reflects precepts of the Gospel of Life. Advance
directives from secular sources might encourage choices that we as Catholics believe to
be immoral. In addition, this Advance Directive will provide directions for your spiritual
care, especially the administration of the Sacraments.
4. I have previously filled out another Advance Directive. What should I do now?
It probably would be best to review your prior Advance Directive and see if it complies
with Catholic principles. If you have doubts, you might want to destroy it and substitute
this Advance Directive.
5. What is the difference between the Churchs teaching on end of life issues and the
secular point of view? The Church teaches that every human life is valuable in the eyes
of God. This is true even in the case of lives touched by serious illness and disability.
Some secular ideologies do not hold human life in such high regard, but hold that human
life only has value if it meets a certain quality of life standard. If a persons health falls
below that standard, then the person can and ought to be put out of their misery through
various forms of euthanasia (mercy killing). This is often accomplished by
withholding food and water from a person who is not otherwise dying with the intention
of hastening that persons demise. The Catholic Church teaches that all forms of
euthanasia are gravely sinful.
6. Does this mean that I have to be kept alive indefinitely by machines? No, the
Catholic Church does not teach that you must be kept alive by every possible means.
Rather, the Church teaches that death is part of life and that while we are obligated to use
ordinary means to preserve our lives, we are not morally obligated to use extraordinary
means. Whether a given medical treatment is ordinary or extraordinary depends mostly
on the medical facts at the time the treatment is to be administered. A medical treatment
is considered extraordinary if it will be futile or will be unduly burdensome in
comparison to its potential benefit. What is absolute is that we are never to act for the
purpose of taking life. However, we are exercising good stewardship to accept the
inevitability of death when it comes naturally. As a practical matter, this means that this
Advance Directive will allow you to say that you do not want to be kept alive by artificial
means for prolonged periods of time. This Advance Directive also will assure that you
are always given basic medical care owed every sick person, including medically assisted
nutrition and hydration (tube feeding) so long as it is really helping you.
7. What happens if I dont know now what will be best for me? You might well not
know now what will be best for you in such a situation. Therefore, this Advance
Directive allows you to appoint a trusted agent, perhaps a family member or friend, who
will make the decisions on your behalf when the time comes.
8. Who should I pick as my agent? The most important thing is that you find a person
who knows you well and who understands and will follow your wishes and Catholic
values. Discuss your wishes with this person. Generally it will be a relative or close
friend. Choose a person who cares about you, who can make difficult decisions and will
follow your wishes. Because the agent might only be needed years from now, you should
select an alternate agent as well in case the agent is unable to serve.
9. I travel often. Will this Advance Directive apply in other states? Many states
allow advance directives and there is a good chance that other states will recognize this
form, particularly if you have your signature notarized (which is not currently required in
Delaware). If you spend a lot of time during the year in another state it would be a good
idea to check with an attorney in that state to see if the form will be recognized there.
10. Can persons of other religions use this form? Yes. Many other religions, and
particularly many other Christians, agree with the Catholic Church on these issues. There
are parts of this form that apply specifically to Catholics, though, so if you are not
Catholic you will want to modify those passages.