Grace Thompson
Catholicism has a rich history of caring for the sick and those with diseases. The Church's teachings emphasize the need for Catholics to provide care for the sick and dying, with Jesus himself healing various forms of diseases, including leprosy. Catholic theology and social teachings have influenced the establishment of hospitals and healthcare centres worldwide, with Catholic Health Australia being the largest non-government provider grouping of health services in the country. Catholics are encouraged to view their suffering as an opportunity to unite themselves with Christ and live a holier life. While Catholics are expected to care for the sick, they are not obliged to accept useless or detrimental medical interventions.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Catholics' view on the cause of disease | Disease is the result of the immorality of people such as Satan, Adam, and Eve. |
| Catholics' view on helping the sick | Catholics believe in providing care for the sick and dying. |
| Catholic teachings on helping the sick | Catholic teachings emphasize the need to “guarantee adequate [health] care to all". |
| Catholic hospitals | Catholic hospitals were founded in the 1840s–1880s to cater to Irish and German Catholic immigrants in Philadelphia. |
| Catholic saints and health care | Several Catholic saints are associated with health care, including Albert the Great, Desiderius Erasmus, and Michelangelo. |
| Catholic view on mental illness | The Catholic Church's position on mental illness is one of "tender mercy and compassion", recognizing the dignity of those with mental illness. |
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What You'll Learn
Catholics must provide care for the sick and dying
The Bible teaches that Catholics must provide care for the sick and dying. In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called on his followers to worship God through caring for their neighbour, including the sick, hungry, and poor. This teaching formed the foundation of the Catholic Church's involvement in hospitals and healthcare.
Over the centuries, the Catholic Church has established hospitals, welfare institutions, schools, convents, and charitable institutions worldwide. Catholic Health Australia, for example, is the largest non-government provider grouping of health, community, and aged care services in Australia. These institutions provide a wide range of health services, including comprehensive palliative care.
Catholics are encouraged to seek medical treatment for illnesses, including mental health issues. Pope St. John Paul II emphasised that those who suffer from mental illness "always bears God's image and likeness in himself, as does every human being". He also stated that they have the "inalienable right...to be treated" with dignity and respect. The Catholic Church offers mental health resources, such as the Sanctuary Course for Catholics, which aims to foster a spirit of respect and confidentiality for individuals facing mental health challenges.
While Catholics are encouraged to seek medical treatment, they are not obliged to accept or demand useless or overly burdensome medical interventions. According to the Catechism, "discontinuing medical procedures that are burdensome, dangerous, extraordinary, or disproportionate to the expected outcome can be legitimate". Instead, Catholics are called to make wise choices about the means available to sustain life, either for themselves or their loved ones.
Catholics believe that suffering can be redemptive, and they may offer up their pain for the benefit of others. They view illness as an opportunity to draw closer to Christ and lead a holier life.
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The Church's role in hospitals and healthcare
The Catholic Church has played a significant role in hospitals and healthcare throughout history and continues to do so today. It is the largest non-government provider of health care services globally, with around 18,000 clinics, 16,000 homes for the elderly and those with special needs, and 5,500 hospitals, 65% of which are in developing countries. The Church's involvement in healthcare is rooted in its religious teachings and the belief that providing care for the sick is a Christian duty.
The early Christians were known for tending to the sick and infirm, and this emphasis on practical charity led to the development of systematic nursing and hospitals. The Benedictine rule, which states that "the care of the sick is to be placed above and before every other duty, as if indeed Christ were being directly served by waiting on them", has been influential in shaping the Church's approach to healthcare.
During the Middle Ages, the Church played a crucial role in patient care. It provided hospital care, funded universities where doctors trained, and ran medieval hospitals, which were often monastery infirmaries or religious houses. Monks and nuns ran these hospitals, and a patient's spiritual welfare was considered as important as their medical needs. While these hospitals offered basic medical care, they also served as places of rest and recuperation, with some specifically catering to pilgrims.
The Catholic Church's stance on certain moral and ethical issues, such as its opposition to abortion, conception, contraception, and IVF, has influenced its approach to healthcare and the treatment offered in its hospitals. This has sometimes been a source of controversy, particularly regarding the treatment of miscarriages and the Church's opposition to condom use in the context of HIV/AIDS care.
The Church's teachings emphasize the importance of community and mutual dependence, and its influence extends beyond the provision of healthcare. It plays a role in shaping health behaviors and medical decisions, with regular church attendance associated with increased engagement in health screening and prevention practices.
In conclusion, the Catholic Church has had a significant and enduring influence on hospitals and healthcare. Its religious teachings and values have guided its approach to patient care, and its extensive network of healthcare facilities continues to serve communities around the world, particularly in developing nations.
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Catholics' views on mental illness and mental health care
The Catholic Church has a long tradition of serving those with mental health issues, whether through explicit service or by serving the poor, hungry, or homeless (groups that often include people with mental illness). The Church's official position on mental health is one of compassion and mercy, insisting on recognizing the dignity of people living with mental illness. Pope St. John Paul II once said, "whoever suffers from mental illness always bears God's image and likeness in himself, as does every human being. In addition, he always has the inalienable right not only to be considered and treated as an image of God and therefore as a person."
However, a powerful stigma still persists around mental health care within the Church, with some believing it is incompatible with a life of faith or Church teachings. This stigma can be as burdensome as the illness itself. Some members of the Church have been known to treat mental illness as a moral or spiritual failure, or even as diabolical possession. This dangerous view can prevent those suffering from seeking treatment, and it is a view that persists in some areas of Christian culture.
The Church has recognized the need to address this stigma and encourage education around mental health. In 2019, Archbishop Fisher of Sydney gave an address at the Australian Catholic Youth Festival, in which he said: "We probably could do more to educate and intervene appropriately in this area. We also need to identify the settings, peer support networks, and technologies that might help. We must identify those most at risk and contributing factors such as stigma and discrimination." The California bishops have also affirmed the need to break down the stigma surrounding mental health, stating: "We clearly proclaim that there is no shame in receiving a diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder, and we affirm the need for education in our communities to remove the unjust prejudice and stigma often associated with mental illness."
The Church encourages those suffering from mental illness to seek professional help, with Pope Francis himself revealing in an interview that he once sought the help of a psychotherapist. The Church also emphasizes the importance of faith and prayer in supporting mental health. Pope Benedict XVI dedicated the Celebration for the 14th World Day of the Sick in 2006 to those suffering from mental illness, calling for better medical treatment and better treatment of people as persons.
There are a number of organizations that provide support and resources for Catholics experiencing mental illness, including the National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD), which works to ensure meaningful participation of people with disabilities in all aspects of the Church and society, and the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI), which provides advocacy, education, support, and public awareness to build better lives for those affected by mental illness.
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The Catholic Church's teachings on addiction
The Catholic Church teaches that individuals are not alone in their struggles with addiction and that prayer can be a powerful tool for overcoming addiction and achieving holiness. The Church encourages those struggling with addiction to seek help through programs such as Narcotics Anonymous and to connect with others who have experienced addiction.
The Church also emphasizes the importance of spiritual directors and confessors in guiding individuals towards freedom from addiction. Meditation and reflection on spiritual topics are encouraged as active forms of prayer that can deepen one's relationship with God. Additionally, the Church recognizes that addiction alters the brain's chemistry and wiring, and it is not simply a weakness of character or inadequacy of willpower.
In terms of receiving Communion, the Church teaches that individuals struggling with addiction should not be ashamed to seek help and that freedom from addiction is possible. If an individual with an addiction to drugs sincerely desires to be free from their addiction, they can accept the Body of Christ during Mass. However, if an individual knowingly and willingly engages in drug use, it is considered a mortal sin, and they should refrain from Holy Communion until they are truly sorry and have confessed.
The Church also provides guidance on caring for the sick and dying, emphasizing the importance of providing care and making ethical decisions that consider the impact on the individual and their family members. While modern medicine has extended lifespans, the Church teaches that it is legitimate to discontinue medical procedures that are burdensome, dangerous, or disproportionate to the expected outcome.
Overall, the Catholic Church's teachings on addiction emphasize the importance of spiritual practices, community support, and ethical decision-making in the journey towards freedom from addiction.
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The Church's stance on discontinuing medical procedures
The Catholic Church's stance on discontinuing medical procedures is nuanced and dependent on several factors. Firstly, it is essential to distinguish between ordinary and extraordinary means of life-sustaining treatments. Ordinary means, such as providing nourishment and hydration, are generally required to be provided, as stated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 2278).
However, the Church recognizes that not all medical procedures are morally obligatory, even for very ordinary treatments. Discontinuing medical procedures may be legitimate under certain conditions outlined in the Catechism (CCC 1997, 2278):
- Burdensome: If the treatment imposes excessive strain, suffering, or financial burden on the patient disproportionate to the expected outcome.
- Dangerous: If the proposed therapy is risky or has little chance of success, and not undergoing it will result in the person's death due to their underlying condition.
- Extraordinary: If the procedure is overly complex or experimental, and the patient consents to interrupt it when the results are not as expected.
- Disproportionate: If the treatment provides only a precarious and burdensome prolongation of life, and the patient wishes to avoid excessive interventions.
In the case of nutrition and hydration, the Church's stance is that they may be discontinued when they can no longer achieve their natural purposes. For example, when the body can no longer process them due to an underlying disease, and their provision would only prolong suffering during the death process. However, if starvation and dehydration are the foreseeable causes of death, withholding or withdrawing nutrition and hydration is considered gravely immoral.
The Church emphasizes that these decisions should be made by the patient if they are competent or, if not, by those legally entitled to act on their behalf, always respecting the patient's reasonable will and legitimate interests. Additionally, trustworthy medical, spiritual, and moral advice should be sought when making end-of-life decisions.
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Frequently asked questions
Catholic teaching is clear that followers must provide care for the sick and dying. This is based on the teachings of Jesus, who called on followers to worship God through caring for our neighbour: the sick, hungry and poor. In the past, the Church has set up hospitals and charitable institutions to care for the sick.
Catholicism teaches that God didn't create disease, and that disease only appeared after Adam and Eve sinned. However, some Catholics believe that sickness and death were around before Adam and Eve's time.
The Catholic Church's position on mental illness is one of "tender mercy and compassion". Pope St. John Paul II said that "whoever suffers from mental illness always bears God's image and likeness in himself, as does every human being". Pope Francis has reminded Catholics to be a "Church of accompaniment", walking alongside those who suffer from mental health challenges.
