Euthanasia of Dutch child, nearly 2, is ‘mercy’ being used to justify questionable actions, cardinal tells Crux Now

Cardinal Wim Eijk said the recent euthanasia of a nearly two-year-old child in the Netherlands demonstrates how the concept of mercy is often used to justify ethically questionable actions. Speaking to Crux Now, Eijk, who serves as the president of the Dutch bishops’ conference and its bishop on medical ethics, argued that Western cultures often misunderstand mercy by choosing to end a life rather than protecting human dignity.

The child, who was born prematurely at 26 weeks, lived with cerebral palsy, visual impairment, epilepsy, and lung issues. His parents and a doctor decided to end his life under legislation introduced in 2024 that allows for the euthanasia of minors. While a Dutch review committee recently found the case was handled well, Eijk noted that some doctors involved disagreed with the decision.

Eijk stated that true mercy involves providing adequate care, such as palliative care or palliative sedation, when standard treatments fail to reduce suffering to a tolerable level. He suggested the case reflects a tendency in Western society to prefer death over a life with disabilities.