Suicide

CIN (administrator@monica.cin.org)
Thu, 10 Apr 1997 13:32:14 -0700

>>
>>
>>Dear Father Chrysostomos,
>>
>>I recently had a conversation in which the issue of the Catholic position
>>regarding suicide came up. The person I was talking with stated that the
>>Catholic Church once viewed suicide as insignificant, even acceptable for
>>the very aged or dying. She went on to claim that today's Church prohibition
>>of suicide/euthanasia has its origin in an intense Church reaction to vast
>>hoards of suicides mounting in Ireland during the catastrophic potato famine
>>(1845-47). Within this story was the contention that the Church created an
>>anti-suicide commandment in a pragmatic effort to save its political base in
>>Ireland, that morality and the sanctity of life had nothing to do with it.
>>She apparently had read this argument somewhere, perhaps in Hemlock Society
>>literature.
>>
>>While I had no knowledge of the specific history on the matter, I presumed
>>that if, in fact, any strong anti-suicide statement had been issued by Church
>>authorities as an emergency response to the Irish famine, it had simply been
>>a reiteration of an already well-developed moral position having ancient
Judeo-
>>Christian origins.
>>
>>I would very much appreciate your commentary.
>>
>>
>>Keith Summers
>>Tempe, Arizona
>>Summers@aztec.asu.edu
>>
>>

Keith, I don't know what your friend's background is, or whether he/she is
Catholic at all, but if Catholic, it's appalling.

The statement is utter nonsense. There is NO foundation for it in fact or
in history, and the Church has taken a dim view of suicide throughout her
entire history. For a long time suicides were even prohibited from burial
in Christian cemeteries....and if you will recall your own childhood you
will still recall the revulsion with which people then and now view Judas'
suicide.

There IS a change in the church's position on suicide these latter years in
the sense that suicides are now deemed, in the absence of evidence to the
contrary, to be suffering from "diminished capacity" to be aware of the
gravity of the evil, and that they can now be buried in our cemeteries, but
in NO sense is that to be construed as an approval of the act, but as a
measure of the Church's concern and awareness of the impact of stress on
human decision-making.

FATHER CHRYSOSTOMOS
_______________________

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