The Catholic Weekly 4 July 2021

catholicweekly.com.au 2 NEWS 4, July, 2021 Call 02 9649 6423 or visit www.catholiccemeteries.com.au Consecrated lawns and chapels Sydney’s only Catholic crematorium Monthly mass for the Repose of Souls Funeral directors available for a Catholic service Bereavement pastoral care Serving the Catholic community for over 150 years I t is well known that the Catholic tradition is firm- ly opposed to VAD. A recent document from the Vatican, Samaritanus Bo- nus: on the care of persons in the critical and terminal phases of life , reaffirms the Church’s perennial teaching with respect to the sacred- ness of human life. 1 It has been the constant teaching of the Catholic Church for the last two thousand years that no-one has the right to end their own life or to de- liberately bring about the death of another, with the sole exception of the right of self-defence against an un- just aggressor. 2 This convic- tion about the sanctity and inviolability of human life is one of the most foundational values by which we as Catho- lics live. We believe that every human life, from its earliest beginnings at conception to its final moments leading to death, is precious and sacro- sanct. No-one has the right to “step in” and bring to an end a life that has begun un- I n this edition Our story begins in 1839 with the Australasian Chronicle, continuing with the Freeman’s Journal in 1850. Level 13, Polding Centre, 133 Liverpool Street, Sydney, NSW 2000. Phone (02) 9390 5400 | Vol 73, No 5191. The Catholic Weekly is published by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney ABN 60 471 267 587 and is printed by ACM Australian Community Media, 159 Bells Line of Road, North Richmond NSW, 2754. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michael Kenny (02) 9390 5348 EDITOR Peter Rosengren (02) 9390 5400 REPORTERS Marilyn Rodrigues (02) 9390 5410 Debbie Cramsie (02) 9390 5396 SUBSCRIPTIONS Rita Ng (02) 9390 5411 ADVERTISING AND MARKETING Steve Richards (02) 9390 5404 Katie Clarke (02) 9390 5402 DESIGNERS Renate Cassis Mathew De Sousa Faith in the trajectory of life catch it now at: thiscatholiclife.com.au News Movies, books Archbishop’s homily Editorial & Letters 1-11 8-9 19 20-21 LEAVE A GIFT Archdiocese of Sydney Catholic CHARITIES Order your FREE Wills and Bequests Guide today 1800 753 959 or [email protected] myWill SUPPORTINGTHE MINISTRIES OF THE CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY Leaving a gift in a Faithful to God - while FROM PAGE 1 sacred, that it is to be respect- ed at every moment: when the child is still in its mother’s womb, when it grows to be an infant, then a young child, then an adolescent and an adult. “We believe that whether a person is sick or well, weak or strong, poor or wealthy, in agreement with us or in op- position to us, educated or illiterate, generous or selfish, faithful or faithless, living or dying, that person is to be treated with dignity and re- spect: everything that can be done to give meaning and hope to every person must be done,” Archbishop Costelloe wrote. In an exclusive interview, the Archdiocese of Perth’s LJ Goody Bioethics Director, Dr Joe Parkinson explained how the legislation will be oper- ationalised within the WA Catholic health care sector acute care, aged care and dis- ability care organisations. “Our services have agreed that we will not provide or facilitate VAD,” Dr Parkinson explained. The acute care, aged care, disability care and commu- nity services elements of the WA Catholic health care sec- tor represent some 2000 pri- vate and public hospital beds and more than 6000 residen- tial and home care packages across Western Australia. “The WA Catholic health, disability and aged care sector work to provide the best care possible for our patients, res- idents and clients, and for our staff who will have to adjust to the advent of VAD,” Dr Parkin- son explained. Dr Parkinson continued by highlighting that each Catho- lic health, disability and aged care service provider has agreed on basic principles that preserve the long-stand- ing Catholic commitment to excellent end-of-life care, and each service will develop its own protocols for operation- alising those principles. “To begin with, we recog- nise that wherever we deliver aged care or disability care services, it will usually be in the client or resident’s own home setting and they have a right (under Federal legisla- tion) to make any other care arrangements they like. “So, we cannot impede their right to seek VAD pri- vately, and we will comply with the VAD Act in providing statutory information about VAD. “However, we will not au- thorise any of our caregivers to be involved in any of the steps required for the client to access VAD, including facili- tating assessments for eligibil- ity and helping them to obtain and use the VAD substances. Dr Parkinson continued by explaining that the Catho- lic sector wants residents and clients to talk to them freely Catholic agencies ... we will not authorise any of our caregivers to be involved in any of the steps required for the client to access VAD, including facilitating assessments for eligi- bility and helping them to obtain and use the VAD substances.” Dr Joe Parkinson, Perth LJ Goody Bioethics Director In a firmly worded defence of the Church’s teaching, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB issued a pastoral letter on 23 June empha- sising that no Catholic institutions in his archdiocese would coop- erate in facilitating Voluntary Assisted Dying or euthanasia. PHOTO:ARCHDIOCESE OF PERTH Here are some excerpts of the pastoral letter issued by Arch- bishop Timothy Costelloe SDB on 23 June

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODcxMTc4