The small Dutch town of Liempde is at the centre of an outcry after a Catholic priest refused to say a funeral mass for a man who had opted for euthanasia.
Father Norbert van der Sluis said on Tuesday that he was also not willing to arrange for a colleague to take over the funeral service. The family of the deceased man had to arrange for the service to be held in another parish.
''When it comes to euthanasia, my answer has to be no", said the priest. ''As a matter of conscience I cannot allow a fellow priest to say the funeral mass in my church."
The priest’s decision has already prompted local protest and halted a fundraising campaign to raise money for the church organ.
The clergyman says he was only acting on the rules agreed upon by the Dutch bishops, which state that anyone who opts for euthanasia is not entitled to a church funeral.
(dd/imm)
© Radio Netherlands Worldwide
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The priest did what he is supposed to do.
1. Obey God's commandment: "Thou shalt not kill". Not even yourself. If you do then you have committed a serious sin and are not entitled to a Catholic funeral. This not new Church teaching.
2. He obeyed his bishop, who left no doubt that Euthanasia is suicide when a person is declaring him- or herself to be of sound mind. That declaration is made deliberately often times well before the person experiences suffering.
The bishops have a duty to make that teachings clear. It will only be heard by those who are willing to listen. Then they will know the consequences of opting for euthatasia. They have a duty to obey the teaching of their bishop and their priest who act "in persona Christi"
A mitigating factor to what is objectively speaking a mortal sin may be that the deceased person may have been so influenced by the culture of death prevalent today that, like many people, he may have lost the sense of what is right and what is wrong.
I hope that others will learn from this example and realize the great evil of euthahasia.
The parish council is also very seriously wrong in its actions. The members have set a very poor example. They are dissentersto the Catholic faith and should be dismissed from parish council. Being disobedient, they are unfit to provide council to the priest.
May God have mercy on the soul of the diseased.
Hasn't the world changed since 'heretics' were killed in the name of the Catholic church..... If you read the bible properly you would not it is not for us to sit in judgement. It wasn't all those years ago, nor is it now.
What happened to compassion for someone who has suffered beyond belief and compassion for the family remaining behind? It is also in stark contrast to the rules applied when it comes to covering the clergy abusing children. Isn't it funny how this can be forgiven when it hurts those affected and the people around them for life. Double standards applied again!
Hasn't the world changed since 'heretics' were killed in the name of the Catholic church..... If you read the bible properly you would not it is not for us to sit in judgement. It wasn't all those years ago, nor is it now.
What happened to compassion for someone who has suffered beyond belief and compassion for the family remaining behind? It is also in stark contrast to the rules applied when it comes to covering the clergy abusing children. Isn't it funny how this can be forgiven when it hurts those affected and the people around them for life. Double standards applied again!
Hasn't the world changed since 'heretics' were killed in the name of the Catholic church..... If you read the bible properly you would not it is not for us to sit in judgement. It wasn't all those years ago, nor is it now.
What happened to compassion for someone who has suffered beyond belief and compassion for the family remaining behind? It is also in stark contrast to the rules applied when it comes to covering the clergy abusing children. Isn't it funny how this can be forgiven when it hurts those affected and the people around them for life. Double standards applied again!
God Bless Fr. Norbert! We need more priests like him that have the courage to stand for the truth! All those who oppose his action, why even say you are Catholic if you don't agree with the churches stance on Life. God begins life and God will decide when to end a life. It's not up to anyone to decide when or who should die, ever. Praise be Jesus Christ now and Forever.
Father Norbert van der Sluis was entirely correct regarding Catholic teaching. There are many other congregations that the deseased can be buried utiliziing their buildings and ministers. Euthanasia is murder/suicide to a practicing Catholic. The door swings both ways at all churches (excepting Muslim). If one doesn't agree with the Theology.... pick a different church.
This is totally in line with Church teaching. Euthanasia is deliberate extinction of a human life. When it is done to another, it is murder. When one does it to oneself, it is suicide. Neither is a moral choice open to Catholics. By his action (the suicide) he objectively placed himself outside of the Church. No one can say with certainty where this man's soul is, but the Church cannot give him, in good conscience, a Catholic funeral.
What ???? who made him god ?
He's not God; just obedient to his laws and the laws of His Church. This man exercised his free will to go with euthanasia, and this priest is acting as he must according to his vows and the doctrine of the Catholic Church. What's the fuss?