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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Million dollar baby	Eric	Saturday, February 19, 2005
Question: I recently had the the pleasure of watching Clint Eastwood's newest film "Million Dollar Baby" which was excellent. At the end of the movie, a young woman who is paralyzed from the neck down wants the character played by Clint Eastwood to euthanize her. Initially Eastwood hesitates and the young woman, intent on dying, bites her tongue and nearly bleeds to death. They sow her up, but she rips the stitching out of her tongue and tries again shortly after. This happens after one of her legs had to be amputated because of an egregious bedsore. It seems to me there are only three options, all of which are unacceptable to the Catholic faith: 1. Euthanasia, 2. Suicide, 3. keep her in a vegetative state so she can't hurt herself again. I asked this question on another website, but didn't get a real answer. Thanks for your help, I really enjoy your website.
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Eric: There are more than three options. Another option is to give this woman the support and counseling needed to help her overcome her self-hatred and despair. In addition, to begin a prayer campaign on her behalf that she will come to want to live. If necessary, the woman can be restrained, for example in a mental hospital, to prevent her attempting suicide until such time as medication and counseling can perhaps reach her. But Euthanasia is murder, suicide is murder of self, and purposely causing the woman to be in a coma or vegetative state is an assault upon her human dignity. None of those options are possible. What must be done is to commit her to a psychiatric facility, restrain her if needed to keep her from harming herself, administer medications, provide counseling, and form a prayer campaign on her behalf. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Million dollar baby

Eric

Saturday, February 19, 2005

Question:

I recently had the the pleasure of watching Clint Eastwood's newest film "Million Dollar Baby" which was excellent. At the end of the movie, a young woman who is paralyzed from the neck down wants the character played by Clint Eastwood to euthanize her. Initially Eastwood hesitates and the young woman, intent on dying, bites her tongue and nearly bleeds to death. They sow her up, but she rips the stitching out of her tongue and tries again shortly after. This happens after one of her legs had to be amputated because of an egregious bedsore.

It seems to me there are only three options, all of which are unacceptable to the Catholic faith: 1. Euthanasia, 2. Suicide, 3. keep her in a vegetative state so she can't hurt herself again. I asked this question on another website, but didn't get a real answer. Thanks for your help, I really enjoy your website.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Eric:

There are more than three options. Another option is to give this woman the support and counseling needed to help her overcome her self-hatred and despair. In addition, to begin a prayer campaign on her behalf that she will come to want to live.

If necessary, the woman can be restrained, for example in a mental hospital, to prevent her attempting suicide until such time as medication and counseling can perhaps reach her.

But Euthanasia is murder, suicide is murder of self, and purposely causing the woman to be in a coma or vegetative state is an assault upon her human dignity. None of those options are possible.

What must be done is to commit her to a psychiatric facility, restrain her if needed to keep her from harming herself, administer medications, provide counseling, and form a prayer campaign on her behalf.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum