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 persons 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 persons 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 dont 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.