This week on the Pro-Life World View, we bring you interesting articles on strong Catholic leadership in Norway, on a cancer patient offered euthanasia immediately prior to entering the operating room for life-saving surgery, and much more.
Norway’s Catholic Bishops Sign Declaration Against Gender Ideology
Nick Hallett – The European Conservative
Norway’s Catholic Bishops Sign Declaration Against Gender Ideology
A Declaration on “Gender and Sexual Diversity” signed by the Catholic Bishops of Norway plainly affirms the Christian understanding that humanity’s biological sex is defined at conception, that “God created humans as male and female,” and that “Marriage is the union of a man and a woman, established by God.”
The ecumenical Declaration – signed by over 30 Christian communities – emphasises the importance of the traditional family structure because children are best served when raised by both biological parents and warns of the dangers of gender ideology. The Declaration also censures public authorities for abusing their mandate and undermining religious freedom when they “try to pressure citizens and organisations to conform to ‘queer theory’ regarding gender, sexuality, and marriage.” The wisdom of the Church expressed with clarity and directness in this way provides a powerful encouragement to the faithful to seek and hold to the truth.
I went for a mastectomy and they offered me assisted dying, Canadian cancer patient reveals
Cameron Henderson – The Telegraph
I went for a mastectomy and they offered me assisted dying, Canadian cancer patient reveals
A Canadian woman who refused medically assisted suicide by doctors as she was about to enter the operating room for life-saving cancer surgery said it was “the most vulnerable I’ve ever felt.” She raises the key question: “Why was I being asked about assisted dying when I was on my way into what I truly believe was life-saving surgery?”
Despite her refusal, the same offer was repeated nine months later when she faced a second mastectomy operation and, again, a third time while recuperating in the recovery room after that procedure. She said, “I felt like a problem that needed to be [gotten] rid of instead of a patient in need of treatment. I don’t want to be asked if I want to die.” Death through euthanasia or medically enabled suicide is already the fifth leading cause of death in Canada.
Michelle Kaufman, National Director of Family Life International, said, “New Zealand is not immune from such brashness from health practitioners that have lost the true understanding of their vocation. Scenarios just like this could be played out in New Zealand every day of the week. Exposing these stories, which show such disregard for the person, will help bring in repealing our End of Life Choice Act. We must work and pray to make that day sooner rather than later.”
As controversial changes to assisted dying law are floated in parliament… Doctors wrongly predict how long terminally ill patients will survive in HALF of all cases, new analysis claims
Sam Merriman – Daily Mail
Clinicians predicting a patient will die within 6 – 12 months were wrong over half the time
According to a study conducted by Dr Paddy Stone, emeritus professor of palliative care at University College in London, clinicians who predict that a patient will die during the next six to twelve months are wrong in over half the cases. Dr Stone’s study was based on research published in BMC Medicine, a peer-reviewed medical journal, in which over 25,000 clinicians were asked, “Would you be surprised if this patient were to die in the next 6 – 12 months?” Over a quarter of the clinicians said “no,” meaning they would be surprised if the patient lived beyond six or 12 months, whilst the patients in question reportedly defied expectations 54% of the time.
Michelle Kaufman, Family Life International’s National Director, said, “Professor Stone’s study is of great importance for New Zealand where the End of Life Choice Act 2019 applies and where patients eligible for euthanasia/assisted suicide must suffer ‘from a terminal illness that is likely to end the person’s life within 6 months’. His study provides further evidence that reckless disregard for the sanctity of human life is built into legislation which permits killing patients in certain circumstances.”
Organ retrieval proceeded on patient who “seemed very much alive”
Organ preservationist Natasha Miller was getting ready to do her job preserving donated organs for transplantation when she realised a donor who had been declared brain dead seemed “very much alive.” Nevertheless, doctors sedated the patient and began cardiac catheterisation until the donor patient woke and thrashed around. Several staff members of the organ donor organisation involved quit following this incident. One preservationist said, “I’ve dedicated my entire life to organ donation and transplant. It’s very scary to me now that these things are allowed to happen, and there’s not more in place to protect donors.”
Determination of death is a central issue in the field of organ recovery and donation. The effectiveness of organ recovery and transplant is maximised when the donor organ is recovered as close to death as possible. If the donor is not brain dead (a determination that ought to be made according to specific criteria, and to which there ought to be no doubt), the organ recovery operation will be what kills the donor. We have noted in earlier news summaries the growing pressure to allow precisely this scenario by linking organ donation with euthanasia.
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