General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Pope Francis Kisses Sick Man With Boils Showing The Healing Power Of Compassion [View all]TreasonousBastard
(43,049 posts)it flies afoul of the Seamless Garment teaching, as do abortion, the death penalty, murder, and a few other things. One may disagree with their teaching on these matters, but I can't see how they don't have the same right to push for them that we all do with our beliefs.
Abortion is contentious, but the rest of them, including suicide, have few advocates for changing the Church's position. American medical ethics are intensely struggling with this, as are many families and individuals, and the Church has enough problems that keeping another can of worms closed seems a good thing. From my own experience I've seen some families look to end suffering, others look to hold on to the last thread of life. It's never easy, and individual priests, rabbis, and other spiritual advisors, along with the doctor, have a lot more involvement than the pope or the Church.
The Church has, for its own reasons, to have a policy and that policy is suicide is sin. But, at the level of real life, the Church can choose to look aside.