Two years ago the Brothers of Charity, of whom I am superior general, looked back on 200 years of helping the mentally ill. Our beloved founder, the Servant of God Peter Joseph Triest, saw – quite prophetically – that people with mental disorders deserve our unconditional respect. He wanted to take care of them and offer them a new perspective – and to this day, the Brothers of Charity try to follow his example.
So it is deeply painful to see that some in the order seem to be eroding that respect for the inviolability of human life. As has been widely reported, the Brothers of Charity Group in Belgium have said doctors will be allowed to perform euthanasia in their 15 care homes. To my knowledge, this is the first time a Christian organisation has stated that euthanasia is an ordinary medical practice that falls under the physician’s therapeutic freedom.
