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VOLUME XCI - NO. 4 | 114 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE GOSPEL | FEBRUARY 7-13, 2015
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Find out four things you can do to oppose physician-assisted suicide at DenverCatholic.org ONLINE
Religious habits » 4
Sacred symbol
of consecration
to God
S
ome call it a dangerous a ront to
life and others "death with dignity,"
but the debate over state legislation
proposing physician-assisted suicide is
drawing the voices of Coloradans from
all backgrounds.
Doctors, attorneys, families and cit-
izens spoke out about a bill debated at
the state legislature last week that pro-
poses a legal nod to an intentional death
by drugs.
Legislators drafted House Bill 1135
under the guidance of Compassion &
Choices, formerly the Hemlock Society,
to allow terminally ill residents access
to life-ending drugs if a doctor deter-
mines they are competent and two other
doctors agree within six months of dying.
Some Coloradans are responding that
the decision on when and how to draw a
dying breath is not an isolated choice.
For physicians, explained Deacon Dr.
Alan Rastrelli of Divine Mercy Support-
ive Care, the legislation puts them in an
ethical dilemma.
"As opposed to protecting and restor-
ing your health, (they're) asking doctors
to compromise their values, their ethics,
their oath to do no harm so that it can
be legitimized for the patient or their
family," said Deacon Rastrelli, who said
he would testify against the bill. "You
don't kill the su erer to end the su er-
ing. That's not what health care is about."
The Hippocratic Oath historically
taken by doctors is a binding statement
to treat patients to the best of their ability
and to not prescribe lethal drugs.
The bill would further blur the
' Don't kill the
su erer to end
the su ering'
BY NISSA LAPOINT
303-715-3138
nissa.lapoint@archden.org
www.twitter.com/DenCathNissa
» 5
Photo by Andrea Crisante/Dollar Photo Club
