Pope supports painkillers for terminally ill, warns on euthanasia

Published: 2004-11-12

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope John Paul II said pain-control drugs are sometimes a necessary part of treatment for the terminally ill, but should be administered carefully and never be used to provoke a patient's death. The pope made his remarks Nov. 12 to participants at a Vatican-sponsored conference on palliative care, the term given to treatment aimed at enhancing comfort and relieving pain during the last phase of life. The 84-year-old pope, who suffers from a neurological disorder, sat in a chair facing the more than 700 conference participants as an aide read most of his speech. The papal speech focused on a few basic church teachings on end-of-life issues: that euthanasia is always morally wrong, that clearly disproportionate medical treatment can and should be rejected, and that use of painkillers for the dying may be acceptable and appropriate. The pope said pain-relief drugs can be used to decrease suffering during the final stages of an illness, as long as the patient's freedom is respected.

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