US bishops and Catholic Health Association support bipartisan law to expand palliative care

The United States Catholic Bishop Conference (USCCB) and the Catholic Health Association expressed their “firm support” to a bipartisan project reintroduced in the Senate that seeks to expand access to palliative care.

Last month, the project entitled “Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act” (Palliative and Hospice Care Education Law), was presented by Senators Tammy Baldwin and Shelley Moore Capito.

In a letter addressed to the leaders of the Senate Committee, Archbishop Borys Gudziak, president of the Committee of Justeen and Human Development of the USCCB; Mons. Daniel Thomas, President of the Pro-Vida Activities Committee; and the HNA. Mary Haddad, president and executive director of the Catholic Association of Health, underlined the potential of the legislation to address critical deficiencies in access to palliative care, while remaining in full harmony with the moral teachings of the Catholic Church.

Palliative care is a medical approach that improves the quality of life of patients with serious diseases in advanced stages, through pain management and symptoms, emotional support and coordination of care.

The letter cited the Dicasterio document for the doctrine of faith “Samaritan good “ (About the care of people in the critical and terminal phases of life): “Palliative care are an authentic expression of human and Christian assistance activity, the tangible symbol of the compassionate ‘permanence’ with the person suffering.”

Catholic leaders pointed out three major obstacles that limit access to these care: the shortage of trained professionals, the lack of financing for research that develop best practices, and the low level of knowledge both in the population and in health personnel on paper and the right time to apply palliative care.

The bill seeks to overcome these challenges financing training programs for health professionals, supporting research in good practices and promoting public educational campaigns. If approved, it would allocate resources to expand the number of specialists and improve the care of patients with chronic or terminal diseases.

Mons. Gudziak, Mons. Thomas and the HNA. Haddad celebrated that the text includes provisions that ensure compliance with the Assisted Suicide Funding Restriction Act de 1997which prohibits the use of federal funds for assisted suicide or euthanasia.

“It is important to emphasize that the project includes an essential language that states that all funded programs must comply with the Assisted Suicide Funding Restriction Act de 1997 And they cannot be used to cause or help cause the death of a patient under any circumstances, ”they wrote.

This support comes in the midst of the growing national attention to care at the end of life, with Catholic leaders promoting approaches that prioritize compassion and dignity of palliative care, without falling into the moral evils of euthanasia or assisted suicide.

The Church teaches that “human life is a sacred gift of God who must be protected and respected at each stage,” the letter recalled.

The ethical and religious guidelines for Catholic health services of the USCCB and the 1980 euthanasia declaration of the then congregation for the doctrine of faith indicate that euthanasia is “an action or omission” by health professionals “which by itself or for intention causes death, in order to eliminate all suffering”. Assisted suicide occurs when a professional helps a patient to put an end to his own life.

Oregon was the first state to legalize the suicide assisted in 1997. Currently, the practice is legal in ten states and in Washington, DC

In two other states – Montana and New York – there is pending legislation that could legalize it. In New York, the rule awaits the governor’s signature, while Provida voices, such as Cardinal Timothy Dolan, have openly manifested themselves against.

Originally presented in 2022, when more than 50 organizations supported it, the proposal is now under review of the Senatorial Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee.

On July 16, congressmen Earl “Buddy” Carter (Republican of Georgia) and Ami Bera (California Democrat) presented an identical project as a complementary initiative.

Translated and adapted by ACI Press. Originally published in CNA.