• What Does the Catholic Church Teach About Assisted Suicide-​

Catechism of the Catholic Church — Respect for Human Life

Samaritanus Bonus — Vatican

USCCB — Assisted Suicide & Euthanasia

USCCB — Dying Well, Assisted Suicide, and the Law

Official Catholic Teaching: For more information, see the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' resources on Assisted Suicide & Euthanasia

The Catechism is especially important because paragraph 2277 addresses direct euthanasia, while paragraph 2278 explains why refusing excessively burdensome or disproportionate treatment is morally different from intending death.

• What Does the Catechism Say?

  • Samaritanus Bonus — Care of Persons in the Critical and Terminal Phases of Life

  • Catechism — Respect for Human Life -The Catechism is especially important because paragraph 2277 addresses direct euthanasia, while paragraph 2278 explains why refusing excessively burdensome or disproportionate treatment is morally different from intending death.

  • USCCB — Dying Well, Assisted Suicide, and the Law

  • This is a particularly good section because Samaritanus Bonus goes beyond simply saying "assisted suicide is wrong." It discusses how Catholics should care for people who are suffering and dying, including palliative care, hospice, pain treatment and pastoral accompaniment

• Assisted Suicide vs. Euthanasia​

  • Vatican — Samaritanus Bonus: The Prohibition of Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide

  • Catechism of the Catholic Church — Paragraphs 2276–2279

  • USCCB — Assisted Suicide & Euthanasia

  • The Vatican document explicitly has a section titled “The prohibition of euthanasia and assisted suicide.”

• Catholic Teaching on Suicide

  • Samaritanus Bonus — Vatican

  • Catechism — Respect for Human Life

  • USCCB — Dying Well, Assisted Suicide, and the Law

  • The USCCB resource is particularly useful here because it addresses the Catholic understanding of a good death, assisted suicide, euthanasia, and end-of-life decision-making

• Catholic Teaching on Hospice and Palliative Care

Catholic teaching recognizes that a person is not morally required to use every available medical treatment simply to prolong life. Treatment that is excessively burdensome, dangerous, extraordinary, or disproportionate to the expected benefit may sometimes be refused. The intention is not to cause death, but to accept the limits of medical treatment and allow the natural dying process to occur.​

• Can Catholics Refuse Medical Treatment?

Can a Catholic Stop Life Support?”, and “Is Refusing Medical Treatment the Same as Suicide?” as additional questions. The Catechism's §§2278–2279 directly support these distinctions.

• What About Pain Medication?
  The Catholic Church teaches that appropriate pain relief should be provided to people who are suffering, including those who are approaching death. Pain medication may be morally permissible even when it carries a foreseeable risk of shortening a person's life, provided that the intention is to relieve suffering rather than to cause death

• What Does the Church Say About Suffering?Also, look at the following link:   https://www.vatican.va/content/catechism/en/part_two/section_two/chapter_two/article_5/i_its_foundations_in_the_economy_of_salvation.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com

• What Should I Do If Someone I Love Wants to Die?

• What If I Am Personally Thinking About Suicide?

Please ask for help.  Asking for help is not a failure of faith. Someone experiencing suicidal thoughts should not remain alone; contacting a The Upper Room Crisis Hotline, doctor/mental-health professional, trusted person, priest, or Catholic ministry can all be part of seeking help.

If someone is in immediate danger in the U.S., call or text 988, or call 911 for an immediate emergency. The USCCB itself directs people in suicidal crisis to 988

• Ask a Catholic Priest- Contact your parish priest or call us at 888-808-8724