What is the Catholic Churches view on suicide and why?

-- Emily Mae Curtis (emily_mae16@hotmail.com), September 18, 2003

Answers

Response to What is the Catholics view on suicide?

Suicide is seen as wrong because it is the taking away of the gift of life one has received from God. It is a sin of ingratitude as well becaus in comitting suicide one denies the fact that one has received blessings in ones life.

Life is both difficult & beautiful. Sometimes it may seem more difficult or more beautiful at different times but God created each person as he or she is out of Love. You are unique and crafted by God & for God as you are, not as someone else. God Bless.

Joe

-- jcbiltz (joebiltz@netzero.net), September 19, 2003.

Response to What is the Catholics view on suicide?

The Church's "view" on suicide is that God really meant it when He said "Thou Shalt Not Kill". Self-murder is no more defensible than any other form of murder.

-- Paul (PaulCyp@cox.net), September 19, 2003.

Response to What is the Catholics view on suicide?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church has a specific number dealing with suicide. It should be added (as the CCC does) that most people attempt or commit suicide in a state of less than sanity. Few do it out of true malice. Most suffer some form of mental stress or illness, which must lessen their moral culpability.

As we learn in Ethics, the morality of any human act can be accertained by looking at intent, act, and circumstances. The act (self-destruction) is always wrong. But the intent and circumstances can either add to or lessen the degree of moral culpability (responsibility) for the act.

If a loved one has killed themselves we are instructed to pray for their soul and beg the God of Mercy to care for them...we do not know what their last act of volition might have been - even in the instant of their fateful action... it was certainly bad, but... only God truly knows if the person is damned. The Church has proclaimed many people as saints - truly being in heaven. But it has not proclaimed many people as definitively in hell.

Hell does exist and men can go there...but who ends up there is a mystery. Let us hope then for all our loved ones.

-- Joe (joestong@yahoo.com), September 21, 2003.

Response to What is the Catholics view on suicide?

my philosphy on people comitting suicide is that they are just mentally sick and are in a different state of mind then normal people. I dont think God will judge less of you just because you did that, look at murderers god forgives them if they are truly sorry. SO i just recently lost someone who was a young beautiful girl that was full of life and you would never guess that she would do such a thing. But i know in my heart that she is probably better now, now that she is with her maker and not in misery. thanks Jessica

-- jessica (fritzey158@aol.com), October 30, 2003.

Response to What is the Catholics view on suicide?

Suicide, from the apparent meaning itself, which is self-murder, is obviously a disobedience in the commandment of God. In Genesis, where the words of creation are written, its stated there that God made man in His image. Thus, man is made good because God is good and because it was God who created and give life to man, only God has the authority to take the life that He gave to man, right? Almost all of us know that suicide corpse are not given the sacrament of burial because, as what a priest told me, "how can they bless someone who has intentionally taken his own life without certainty whether he'd be forgiven or not?". However, there are two kinds of death, which may also be linked to suicide. These are PERMISSIBLE ENDANGERING OF LIFE and SINFUL ENDANGERING OF LIFE. A good example of the latter is Mother Teresa. She knew that leprosy is contagious and can't be treated. Furthermore, she knew that someday, with the daily contact of those sick persons, she will somehow get their sickness, too. But still, she continued srving them. That is permissible because her conscience was good and her deeds were good. Just like a mother. Isn't it a quite example of suicide when she wakes up in the wee hours of the night just to feed her crying baby? Taking care of a baby isnt easy. It surely loosen one's weight and weaken one's body, especially if you dont have a helper. but its still good. while the other one, example of this are those people who hang themselves because they think that cant anymore contain the dimness of life and the pain that they have been experiencing. Now, that is not permissible because their intention is selfish, not beneficial, and an act of disobedience of God's law. Suicide is a very delciate matter to tackle and a the same time alarming. There is already a high record of suicide cases around the world and a high portion of these cases are composed of teenagers as young as 14. Let us not take for granted those who are mentioning of suicide because, if not all of them, most of them succeed in their attempts and threats. God bless!

-- rosemarie banatanto (fallin4_57@hotmail.com), December 10, 2003.

Response to What is the Catholics view on suicide?

Dear Rose

almost all of us know that suicide corpse are not given the sacrament of burial...

I dont think this is correct these days, the circumstaces of the sucicde and the mental state of the victim will be examined and in almost all cases a Catholic burial will be permitted. SOmeone will confirm this Im sure.

God Bless

-- Kiwi (csisherwood@hotmail.com), December 10, 2003.

well i think its sad cause god gave us life and we are treating like its nothing.

-- alex trenson (alex@aol.com), February 24, 2004.

Dear Emily,

As I was thought if you commit a mortal sin (in this case Murder) and you repent before you die you will be saved if not you go to hell. When someone commits suicide they do not have the ability to repent. So if someone commits suicide you go directly to hell. I think this is very sad, but unavoidably true.

Brian

-- Brian (Mu_crew_2@yahoo.com), November 22, 2004.

I meant taught. Not thought

-- Brian (Mu_crew_2@yahoo.com), November 22, 2004.

I remember long ago, one young priest, Fr. Mathew, director of an orthodox catholic charismatic movement said:

"Angels have life and soul, but no physical body.

Animals have a physical body and life, but no soul.

Man has body, life, and soul.

What is death? In the fullness of time, when God comes takes your soul, you lose your life, and death ensues.

What is murder? Someone else comes and takes your life, and God is compelled receive your soul before the appointed time.

What is suicide? You take away your own life and before God can receive your soul, Satan comes takes away your soul."

Suicide almost always leads to hell, no matter young, beautiful, or full of life. In fact, these are the ones the devil usually preys on making fall into various sins, burdening them with guilt and despair that leads to eternal damnation.

Fr. Rufus who was the vice-president of the International Association of Healing Ministry says that is quite rare that those who are suffering from true psychological illness should ever attempt suicide. Those who seriously do attempt or speak of suicide are almost always under some demonic influence.

Any psychological or emotional illness in such situations stems from the spiritual realm, usually, guilt of unrepented sins, some occult involvement, etc.

We see how American secularism has embraced anti-God laws and framing demonic principles in every area of life, which will lead to death throughout in every major areas of society, through selective manipulated medical, genetic, psychological theories, and trumped-up popular support all programmed for total stamping out the culture of God, Life, and Love. Everything else that is happening around is just the outcome of such degradation.

-- Leslie John (lesliemon@hotmail.com), November 22, 2004.