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and becoming an adult. Because of this unalienable With this, there is a widespread notion that
dignity, the child has the right to have a fully human euthanasia or assisted suicide is somehow consist-
(and not artificially induced) origin and to receive the ent with respect for the dignity of the human person.
gift of a life that manifests both the dignity of the giv- However, in response to this, it must be strongly re-
er and that of the receiver. Moreover, acknowledging iterated that suffering does not cause the sick to lose
the dignity of the human person also entails recog- their dignity, which is intrinsically and inalienably
nizing every dimension of the dignity of the conjugal their own. Instead, suffering can become an oppor-
union and of human procreation. Considering this, tunity to strengthen the bonds of mutual belonging
the legitimate desire to have a child cannot be trans- and gain greater awareness of the precious value of
formed into a “right to a child” that fails to respect each person to the whole human family.
the dignity of that child as the recipient of the gift of Certainly, the dignity of those who are critically
life. or terminally ill calls for all suitable and necessary
Surrogacy also violates the dignity of the woman, efforts to alleviate their suffering through appropri-
whether she is coerced into it or chooses to subject ate palliative care and by avoiding aggressive treat-
herself to it freely. For, in this practice, the woman is ments or disproportionate medical procedures. This
detached from the child growing in her and becomes approach corresponds with the “enduring respon-
a mere means subservient to the arbitrary gain or sibility to appreciate the needs of the sick person:
desire of others. This contrasts in every way with the care needs, pain relief, and affective and spiritual
fundamental dignity of every human being and with needs.” However, an effort of this nature is entirely
each person’s right to be recognized always individ- different from—and is indeed contrary to—a deci-
ually and never as an instrument for another. sion to end one’s own life or that of another person
who is burdened by suffering. Even in its sorrowful
Euthanasia and assisted suicide state, human life carries a dignity that must always
There is a special case of human dignity viola- be upheld, that can never be lost, and that calls for
tion that is quieter but is swiftly gaining ground. It unconditional respect.
is unique in how it utilizes a mistaken understand- Indeed, there are no circumstances under which
ing of human dignity to turn the concept of dignity human life would cease from being dignified and
against life itself. This confusion is particularly evi- could, as a result, be put to an end: “Each life has the
dent today in discussions surrounding euthanasia. same value and dignity for everyone: the respect of
For example, laws permitting euthanasia or assist- the life of another is the same as the respect owed to
ed suicide are sometimes called “death with dignity one’s own life.” Therefore, helping the suicidal per-
acts.” son to take his or her own life is an objective offense u

“Nothing and no one
can in any way permit the
killing of an innocent hu-
man being, whether a fetus
or an embryo, an infant or
an adult, an old person, or
one suffering from an in-
curable disease, or a per-
son who is dying. Further-
more, no one is permitted
to ask for this act of killing,
either for himself or herself
or for another person en-
trusted to his or her care,
nor can he or she consent
to it, either explicitly or
implicitly. Nor can any au-
thority legitimately recom-
mend or permit such an
action”. (John Paul II, en-
cyclical Evangelium Vitae,
no. 57.)

www.michaeljournal.org MICHAEL May/June/July 2024 9