The National Catholic Bioethics Quarterly

Volume 19, Issue 3, Autumn 2019

Rev. Paschal M. Corby, OFM Conv.
Pages 369-376

The Fear of Being a Burden on Others
A Response to the Rhetoric of Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide

In the sphere of end-of-life care, the fear of being a burden on loved ones is a significant factor in patients seeking assisted suicide or euthanasia. The claims of altruism and love that support such decisions are misplaced, and the possibility of being a burden must be reimaged within a proper anthropology. Allowing oneself to be a burden is a significant aspect not only of loving human relationships, but of a human nature that is essentially dependent and created in the image of God.