Wisconsin Catholic Conference of Bishops Upholds the Sacredness of Each Human Being’s Life by Condemning the Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST)
Washington, D.C. — American Life League joins its associate, Pro-Life Wisconsin, and all Wisconsin Catholics, in hailing the Wisconsin Catholic Conference of Bishops on its decision to condemn the Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment. Jim Sedlak, vice president of American Life League, issued the following statement:
This is a victory for all and a celebration of every human being’s life from creation to death. The Wisconsin Catholic Conference of Bishops, in its statement, provides moral clarity to Catholics nationwide on the grave implications of POLST, which appears to be a deceptively simple procedural form. (http://www.wisconsincatholic.org/WCC Upholding Dignity POLST Statement FINAL
7-23.pdf)
We know that God created each of us. We recognize that each human being’s life is sacred. We understand that the role of medicine is to protect and preserve that life in a manner consistent with natural law. It is, then, reasonable and logical that no other human being, including doctors or nurses, should have the power over life and death. As such, we applaud the bold act of the bishops to challenge the health industry on POLST. We join them in strongly urging Catholics to use a durable power of attorney for healthcare decisions, along with the Loving Will, to ensure they receive medical treatment that complies with Catholic teachings.
“We are very pleased with the statement from the Wisconsin Catholic Conference of Bishops, explaining the moral dangers of POLST and recommending appropriate alternatives which view every human being’s life as sacred,” said Peggy Hamill, state director, Pro-Life Wisconsin.
The Loving Will is a document created by physicians, lawyers, and theologians that allows individuals to clearly state their desire that they should receive all normal treatment and that their death should not be hastened. It is available from American Life League.
More information on Pro-Life Wisconsin can be found at prolifewisconsin.org/.
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American Life League, cofounded by Judie Brown in 1979, is the oldest national Catholic pro-life education and advocacy organization in the United States. For more information, please visit https://www.all.org.
