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October 23, 2023Advance Medical Directives: Planning for Your Future
Read the full version at respectlife.org/advance-directives.
Human life is good and to be protected. All medical decisions ought to reflect this core belief. Yet some medical and legal documents used to define a patient’s future care can be harmful. No matter how well-crafted, they can’t predict all the possible scenarios and best courses of action. In each set of circumstances, we need to judge whether a given treatment will provide real benefit to the patient, without causing harm or disproportionate burdens. The safest option is to designate a health care agent to make decisions if you become incapable of doing so. It’s best to appoint a responsible, trustworthy person who understands and shares your Catholic values, and can apply them when the need arises.
This is a summary of a USCCB Respect Life Program article by the same name and is reprinted with permission. © 2019, USCCB, Washington, D.C. All rights reserved.