Episode 17: Edward Smith on End-of-Life Issues (April 27, 2026)

In this episode of The Social Doctrine of the Church, Dr. Robert Fastiggi and Michael Vacca interview Dr. Edward Smith on End-of-Life Issues.What are the main end- of-life issues today and how are they related to Catholic social doctrine?Is there a difference between euthanasia and physician assisted suicide?Why does the Catholic Church oppose euthanasia and physician assisted suicide?What is the difference between withholding extraordinary means of life support and withholding ordinary means of life support such as food and water (hydration and nutrition)? How does this distinction help us understand why John Paul II (in 2004) and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (in 2007) maintained that there is an obligation to provide hydration and nutrition to patients in the so-called “persistent vegetative state” (PVS) even by artificial means. https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20070801_risposte-usa_en.html Are there any situations in which this obligation ceases?Why do you believe there is support for euthanasia and physician assisted suicide in some countries and states?In what countries and states are euthanasia and physician assisted suicide legal?How can legal euthanasia and physician assisted suicide affect the medical care received by vulnerable patients?What are the legal issues Catholics need to know regarding living wills and other legal arrangements?