Catholic Bishop Johan Bonny of Antwerp, Belgium, has sparked controversy by suggesting that euthanasia is not necessarily morally wrong in all circumstances.
In a recent interview, the progressive Bishop Bonny took aim at the Vatican, asserting that Church leaders are mistaken in teaching that euthanasia is “always an intrinsic evil, whatever the circumstances.”
“This is too simple an answer that leaves no room for discernment,” the bishop said, elaborating, “We will always oppose the wish of some to end a life too prematurely, but we must recognize that a request for euthanasia from a young man of 40 is not equivalent to that of a person of 90 who faces an incurable illness.”
“We must learn to better define concepts and better distinguish situations,” Bonny added.
The bishop said philosophy has taught him “never to be satisfied with generic black and white answers.”
“All questions deserve answers adapted to a situation: a moral judgment must always be pronounced according to the concrete situation, the culture, the circumstances, the context,” he said.
“What do you say to someone who has been affected by an incurable illness for years and who has decided to request euthanasia after talking to their family, their doctor, their loved ones?” Bonny asked.
“We must always refer to the Bible, but nothing is more difficult than interpreting it and applying it to a particular situation without falling into fundamentalism,” he contended. “God relies on our intelligence to fully understand his word.”
The Catechism of the Catholic Church refers to euthanasia as “murder” and “gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person and the respect due to the living God, his Creator,” insisting that no good intentions or extenuating circumstances can justify it.
Saint Pope John Paul II said euthanasia is often accepted out of “misguided pity” but is also “sometimes justified by the utilitarian motive of avoiding costs which bring no return and which weigh heavily on society.”
“In reality, what might seem logical and humane, when looked at more closely is seen to be senseless and inhumane,” John Paul wrote.
“I confirm that euthanasia is a grave violation of the law of God, since it is the deliberate and morally unacceptable killing of a human person,” he declared.