Seoul (AsiaNews) -
"My opinion on Euthanasia coincides with that of the Catholic Church: I am
against it. Death should be a natural process" the Archbishop of Seoul, Msgr. Andrew
Yeom Soo-jung, tells AsiaNews commenting on the Korean National Commission of
Bioethics proposal
to Parliament.
The
proposal presented by the Commission - which rose to public prominence in the country
for allowing the research of Dr. Hwang Woo-suk, who falsely claimed he could clone
humans - recommend that doctors stop life-prolonging
treatment for vegetative or terminally ill patients. According to the text
"a document stating the patient's will is necessary," but for
terminal or unconscious patients "it should be the family to decide".
Parliament
began the discussion of the text this morning. "It
is unjust - continues Msgr. Yeom to use unnecessary and even harmful medical
treatments to patients. It is also unacceptable to cease necessary treatments
and put forward the time of death artificially. If a treatment is "medically
appropriate and necessary", it is right to continue it. On the contrary, if the
treatment is "useless and unnecessary", it is not right to do it. Catholic
doctrine in this regard is very clear. "
Instead
of arguing for euthanasia, says the bishop, "there are practical
conditions that need to be arranged: the establishment of the Hospice and
Palliative care system, expansion of facilities, activation of Hospital Ethics
Committees, education for the health care provider, improvement of public
perception on death, financial support for the dying patients...etc. Without the
above conditions, the intent of the Recommendation may cause negative result of
approving the contempt for human life".