Death with Dignity

Learning to be countercultural Catholics

08/29/2019

Mark 6:17-29 Herod was the one who had John the Baptist arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married. John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." Herodias harbored a grudge against him and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so. She had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers, and the leading men of Galilee. Herodias' own daughter came in and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, "Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you." She went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask for?" She replied, "The head of John the Baptist." The girl hurried back to the king's presence and made her request, "I want you to give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist." He went off and beheaded him in the prison. He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl. The girl in turn gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

In every age the Catholic Church is called to be countercultural. What does that mean? One thing it means, among others, is that not only do we not share the same values of the modern culture, we actually stand opposed to them. We cannot just get along. If we find ourselves getting too cozy with a certain culture, even the American culture (good as it is), we soon discover that marriage was not meant to last. Or, as the late, great Archbishop Fulton Sheen memorably said: “If we marry this age, we become a widow in the next.” Every age, every culture and every country is passing, while the Church is eternal. The Church is the eternal Bride of Christ, and no age, no culture and no country will be a fit suitor for her. She will only be happy with one Spouse, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the eternal Bridegroom.

This eventual divorce with the current culture came into sharp focus for me yesterday when I read an article about our former bishop, now Archbishop J. Peter Sartain, of Seattle. The state of Washington has legalized assisted suicide, the so-called “Death with Dignity law” over a decade ago. About 1,200 people have died as a result of it. The Associated Press ran a story about a terminally ill man named Robert Fuller who, on May 10, 2019 took a drug cocktail to end his suffering by ending his life. The same AP article displayed a picture of Robert Fuller receiving a blessing at St. Therese Catholic Church and gave the misleading impression that the Church condones or approves of assisted suicide.

The good archbishop, in his ever gentle and always wise way, corrected that misunderstanding. The archdiocese wrote: “Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Robert Fuller and to all those who suffer chronic and or terminal illness. As Catholics we strive to be present to those who suffer and to those who are facing death.” But the statement added: “Based on the values of concern for human life and the common good, the Catholic Church does not support suicide in any form, including medically assisted suicide.” I don’t know about you, but I could hear Jesus’ voice in every word of that statement. In other words, we may have walked hand-in-hand with this culture for many years, but the day may be upon us of a great divorce.

On this feast of the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist, we see another reason why the Church disagrees with the so-called death with dignity. Our death should conform as closely as possible with Jesus’ own death on the cross. How so? C. S. Lewis begins his insightful and inspirational book called The Problem of Pain with a quotation from George MacDonald, his mentor, who said: “The Son of God suffered unto death, not that men might not suffer, but that their suffering might be like his.” And St. John the Baptist’s martyrdom is Exhibit A. John did not avoid suffering to be more like Christ, rather he embraced suffering to be more like Christ. So should we.

In my opinion – which is not so gentle or so wise as Archbishop Sartain’s – that is what makes mercy-killing or death with dignity unacceptable for the Christian. We do not die like Jesus. We make ourselves a more fitting Bride for our Spouse, Jesus, when we embrace suffering, even when we’re terminally or chronically ill. That is the definition of being countercultural. The only death with dignity is the one that imitates our Lord’s death.

My friends, how cozy are you feeling with our modern American culture? Be careful how closely you align your personal priorities with a political party. Some Catholics are more devoutly Republican than they are devoutly Catholic. Some Catholics are “Yellow Dog Democrats,” meaning they would vote for a yellow dog before they voted for a Republican candidate. But Catholicism rises above political parties and national interests and cultural mores. Remember the word “catholic” comes from Greek and means “universal” or “international.”

G. K. Chesterton once said, soon after his conversion: “The Catholic faith enables me to see patriotism as a virtue in my enemy.” In other words, without our Catholic faith, our country would always be right and all other nations would always be wrong. Why? Because we have married this age and this culture and this country, and simultaneously we have been unfaithful to our true Spouse, Jesus Christ. Like Archbishop Fulton Sheen predicted: “He who marries this age, becomes a widow in the next.”

Praised be Jesus Christ!