Denver Catholic

B6 I ALL THINGS SENIOR FEBRUARY 19, 2014 I DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER (303) 424-6550 (800) 659-4656 TTY 6550 Yank Way • Arvada, CO 80004 One block west of Ward Road; one block north of 64th Ave. www.springwoodretirement.com Patio Homes, Retirement Apartments, Assisted Living Suites, Alzheimer's Care LOCALLY OWNED LOVE YOUR LIFE Patio Homes, Retirement Apartments, Errands • Shopping Light Housekeeping Meal Preparation Friendly Companionship Flexible Hourly Care Respite Care for Families Personal Hygeine Each Visiting Angels agency is independently owned and operated. www.VisitingAngels.com 303.232.9999 303.232.9999 Aging at home is possible! Let us help. • Hourly or live-in care • Alzheimer's/Dementia Specialists • Long term or post-surgical assistance • 30+ years experience • Free personal & home safety evaluation (303) 758-7290 HomewatchCareGivers.com/Denver Colorado's choice for home care excellence since 1980 BY KARNA SWANSON Last Thursday, Feb. 6, Bel- gian lawmakers legalized eu- thanasia for children under 18, following the lead of the neighboring Netherlands, who allows for children as young as 12-years-old to be euthanized. In both cases, the child would have to suffer from a terminal ailment, and the par- ents and doctors would have to agree. Also, a psychologist would have to certify that the child is aware of what that choice signifi es. These developments are troubling, especially in light of a New York Times article Feb. 9 that reports on how the euthanasia movement is tak- ing hold in the United States. Advocates have successfully passed laws in fi ve states that guarantee a "right to die with dignity"—Oregon, Washing- ton, Vermont, New Mexico and Montana—with more states well on their way to passing similar legislation. No matter how one spins it, the above-mentioned ef- forts are essentially seeking the state-sanctioned ability to end the life of those who suf- fer terminal physical ailments, and their targets are both the young and the old. "Euthanasia is gaining trac- tion here and around the world because people are afraid of suffering and death," E. Christian Brugger, a moral theologian at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary, told the Denver Catholic Register. "Fear, not a concern with patient dig- nity, is behind the right to die movement." "But suffering and death," he continued, "endured righ- teously, were God's vehicles for the redemption of the world; in themselves they often seem meaningless; joined to Christ they become imbued with salvifi c meaning. "Christian faith and good palliative care are what the community needs, not a recipe for a lethal cocktail." Be not afraid of weakness On Sunday, Feb. 9 ahead of the 22nd World Day of the Sick, Pope Francis reaffi rmed the worth and value of all people, especially those who suffer from debilitating illnesses. "The dignity of the person is never reduced to his faculties or capacities, and it is not less- ened, disabled and in need of help," he said. "Do not be afraid of weak- ness," he encouraged, "Do not be afraid of weakness! Help each other with love, and you will feel the consoling pres- ence of God." In a world that is increasing- ly afraid of pain and suffering, the pontiff encouraged Chris- tians to be "generous" with the sick, and to be "salt of the earth and light of the world" with their witness. His words echoed his mes- sage for the World Day of the Sick, released late last year, which he titled: "We Ought to Lay Down Our Lives for One Another (1 John 3:16)." "The Church recognizes in you, the sick, a special presence of the suffering Christ," Pope Francis began. "It is true. At the side of–and indeed within–our suffering, is the suffering of Christ; he bears its burden with us and he reveals its meaning. "When the Son of God mounted the cross, he de- stroyed the solitude of suf- fering and illuminated its darkness." "The incarnate Son of God did not remove illness and suffering from human expe- rience," the pope continued, "but by taking them upon him- self he transformed them and gave them new meaning." Sickness and death "no lon- ger have the last word," he stated, because "in union with Christ they need no longer be negative but positive." Those who are ill are accom- panied by Christ, but they are also accompanied by their caretakers and by the greater Christian community. "When we draw near with tender love to those in need of care," the pope said, "we bring hope and God's smile to the contradic- tions of the world. "When generous devotion to others becomes the hallmark of our actions, we give way to the heart of Christ and bask in its warmth, and thus con- tribute to the coming of God's kingdom." Brugger also noted the im- portance of the Catholic com- munity accompanying those who are sick and dying: "The Church must direct its pasto- ral attention to a renewal in end of life care commensurate with what's gone on in the last 25 years in beginning-of-life care." "Its proximate pastoral aim would be offering effective Christian comfort to those who are sick and dying," he said. "Its remote aim would be revivifying Christian hope, that is, hope in heaven." "Because everyman is made in God's image," refl ected Brugger, "man's life is always valuable, is always worth living." The question, he said, should not be about how to avoid the suffering that accompanies passage into the next life, but rather, "will I accept Christ's invitation to become one of his beloved disciples." Karna Swanson: 303-715- 3230; karna.swanson@archden. org; www.twitter.com/Karna Swanson In Christ, meaning of suffering is revealed Euthanasia advocates motivated by fear, lack of faith

• Cover