Birth, Suffering, and Death

The book is an effort, from within the tradition of Catholic moral theology and philosophy, to examine issues which are raised by the possibilities of medical treatment for those patients who are dying. The book looks at possible issues for newborns, the elderly, and those, at any age, with terminal disease such as AIDS. The book examines specific moral issues such as when death occurs, the extent of obligations to treat patients, and the notion of `responsibility' towards such patients. From the Foreword by Edmund D. Pellegrino: `This new Catholic Studies in Bioethics series, inaugurated with this volume, is a welcome addition to the expanding world literature in biomedical ethics. It offers a forum in which qualified scholars in the Roman Catholic tradition may present their critical reflections for Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Edited as it is by a panel of international scholars, the new series promises to reach a wide audience among theologians, health professionals, and moral philosophers.'

Foreword to the Series; E. Pellegrino. Preface; F. Abel, J.C. Harvey. Finitude, Religion, and Medicine: The Search for Meaning in the Post-Modern World; K.Wm. Wildes. Section I: Medical Background and Ethical Issues. Edges of Life: The Consequences of Prenatal Assessment, Diagnosis and Treatment; R. Cefalo. The Frail Elderly Person and Those Suffering From Dementia; J.C. Harvey. The HIV Infection; E. Cassem. Artificial Feeding and Hydration in Advanced Illness; P. Storey. Section II: Theological Perspectives. Dignity, Solidarity, and the Sanctity of Human Life; A. Autiero. Dominion or Stewardship?: Theological Reflections; B. Ashley. Sharing Responsibility at the Edges of Life; D. Bader. When the Dying Person Looks Me in the Face: An Ethics of Responsibility for Dealing With the Problem of the Patient in a Persistently Vegetative State; P. Schotsmans. Life as a Good and Our Obligations to Persistently Vegetative Patients; K.Wm. Wildes. Section III: Moral Quandaries. Pain Relief: Ethical Issues and Catholic Teaching; K. O'Rourke. Why almost any Cost to Others to Preserve the Life of the Irreversibly Comatose Constitutes an Extraordinary Means; T.J. Bole, III. The Catholic Tradition on the Use of Nutrition and Fluids; J. Paris. Appendices. The Prolongation of Life; Pope Pius XII. Declaration on Euthanasia; Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Index.