WOF 431: Euthanasia and the Culture of Death

WOF Show Podcast - Word on Fire

Dr. Matthew Petrusek

Pope St. John Paul II used the term “culture of death” in his 1995 encyclical Evangelium Vitae to capture the secular world’s dark confluence of poisonous ideas and practices that lead—directly and indirectly—to spiritual and physical ruin.

Sadly, we’ve seen the the culture of death advance on many fronts. Today, we focus on the increasing legalization of suicide in the United States and abroad. Listen as we discuss the issue and how Catholics can and should respond to it.

A listener asks why we pray for the dead, and can we pray for the souls of atheists and non-Catholics?

00:00 | Intro
01:18 | Bishop Barron’s recent diocesan work
02:34 | The role of euphemism in the euthanasia debate
06:39 | Unpacking “autonomy” and “compassion”
12:31 | Responding to critics of the slippery slope argument
20:56 | The State’s role in moral disputes
24:40 | How can Catholics positively respond to euthanasia?
26:50 | Listener question
28:15 | Word on Fire Institute

Links:

• Evangelium Vitae
• “It’s Not Your Life, It’s Not Your Death, It’s Not Your Choice” article by Bishop Barron
• https://www.compassionandchoices.org/resource/states-or-territories-where-medical-aid-in-dying-is-authorized
• https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/254197/assisted-suicide-in-the-united-states-where-is-it-legal

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