Pope Pius XII

globally recognised as an advocator for Compassion & choices, a non-profit organisation that works to improve patients’ rights and choices at the end of life . As a strong believer of personal choice and individualism, I firmly deem we have a ‘right to life’ therefore, should naturally have a ‘right to death’. Death is usually slow, painful, and undignified therefore I believe personal autonomy should be considered before the state, society and religion. Within this essay, I will assess the practice of Euthanasia; reflecting on the Brittany Maynard case, while examining the stance Christianity; focusing on Catholicism holds on this matter. The word ‘euthanasia’ comes from Greek, literally meaning ‘good death’ or ‘dying well’. However Pope John Paul II defined it somewhat differently; Euthanasia in the strict sense is understood to be an action or omission, which of itself and by intention causes death . - Euthanasia comes in several different forms: active, passive, voluntary and non-voluntary. Active euthanasia is whereby a person directly and deliberately intervenes to end a life. In Maynard’s case, she took her life through this way by a taking a lethal drug. Passive euthanasia, argued to be a more humane than active, causes death by withholding or withdrawing treatment. However, by starving somebody of vital ingredients to live, i.e. food and water seems to me almost cruel: prolonging suffering. Voluntary euthanasia is euthanasia carried out at the request of the…

contraceptive. However, Pius XII ruled in 1958 that while it was acceptable to use the pill as a medication, it was not moral to use as a contraceptive. Though the pill may help women seeking to regulate their cycle and few other side benefits, there are harmful and injurious side effects. These include irregular bleeding or spotting, increased risk of strokes, cancer, and blood clotting, migraines, and gall bladder disease. There is an overall weakening of the immune system, causing women…

unaccompanied by any escort. She discovered a disturbing trend of mentally ill and mentally disable people being routinely imprisoned alongside actual criminals, often as not alongside violent criminals. She began keeping an extensive articulate and astonishingly unedited record of her findings which she published and used to lobby before the Massachusetts state legislature for federal reform and legislation to support and expand hospitals to house mentally ill prisoners. Her efforts not only…

called “Constitutions” which more and more gave him power, especially the “Constitution of 1802” which gave him office for life. While also giving him the power to elect his successor which ultimately would eventually be someone from his bloodline. Napoleon was not a man for the better of the Revolution he was a man for himself and for his belief for a weak nation like France was with the ending of the massive Revolution that they had ongoing. One of the main instances from the book that really…

witchcraft and other crimes. Though having trouble to burn Joan to death the English still interrogated her and tried to get her to come to any wrongdoing. After trying for months, the English thought to force her to wear men’s clothing she could be accused for heresy. They gave her men’s clothing and to protect her modesty, Joan put them on knowing that she would be tried and be burned to death because of it. She was then brought in front of inquisitors to be sentenced to death. Then, on May…

was promoted to Prime Minister of Sardinia by Victor’s own doing. E.P. Noether states that “Although Victor Emmanuel did not always agree with him, he recognized that Cavour 's plan helped to strengthen the monarchy and to transform Piedmont-Sardinia into a modern state” (Noether 5). Other revolutionaries like Giuseppe Mazzini were not as successful as Victor and Cavour because they had popularity throughout the states and they both came from respected, wealthy families. However, Mazzini had…

Hitler’s Pope was written in 1999 by John Cornwell and it examines the actions of Eugenio Pacelli. Eugenio Pacelli would later become Pope Pius XII of the Roman Catholic Church before, during and after the events of World War Two. Cornwell covers the life and the actions of Pacelli during the events of the war from his actions with Adolf Hitler as well as the relation/ internal workings of the Roman Catholic Church and its dealings during the war. The book begins talking about the Pacellis…

Although the reconstruction of post war Europe has been examined extensively by historians, relatively little attention has been given to the Catholic Church’s influence before, during, and after the war. Through his book, The Lonely Cold War of Pope Pius XII, University of New Brunswick professor Peter C. Kent attempts to remedy this discrepancy by examining the post war period through the lens of the Catholic Church. Kent’s investigation delves into the diplomatic relationships between the…

Catholics believing the pope to be sinless or unable to sin. Secularists and irreligious people believe papal infallibility to be a fairly new concept. They also speculate it was invented as a means to defend the church against the emerging threats of scientific innovation. Others insist Catholics believe every statement by the pope to be infallible, whereas some believe a teaching of the church can only be infallible when the pope uses a magical incantation to explicitly define it.…

MIDDLE AGES AND REFORMATION The society of the middle ages was based in a Catholic civilization, though there were tensions between the Church and the emperors. The empire had a huge influence over the Church even in the election of the pope and the bishops. However, a new movement of reform began within the Church that was concretized by Pope Gregory VII. He released a document called Dictatus Papae in which he affirmed among others that the Roman Church was founded by God alone and the Pope…