Catholic positions on withholding sustenance for the terminally ill

Legislators and others are amending "life-prolonging procedure" acts to include artificial sustenance as an intervention that may be withheld or withdrawn when it serves only to prolong the dying process. Catholic teaching on this issue is summarized in this article. In the Catholic tradition, life is not an absolute value, and it need not be prolonged at all costs and in every case. The morality of withholding or withdrawing artificial sustenance hinges on the patient's perception of the burdensomeness of the treatment. Standards of a treatment's reasonableness and proportionality must govern treatment decisions, and each patient must determine the application of these standards to his or her own case. Persons should communicate their wishes and values verbally or through such documents as a "living will" so that if they become unconscious or incompetent, others may make informed decisions for them.