Letters | Vulnerability, aging, and death

In brief

Pam Connor from Belconnen, Australia, wrote that stories regarding monks living with dementia provide a strong argument against voluntary assisted dying. She noted that the experiences of these monks, specifically Fr. Stan and his family, illustrate the depth of St. Paul's teaching that power is made perfect in weakness.

Connor also expressed support for the discussion on physician-assisted suicide. Drawing on her experience as a nurse educator in Washington state, she noted that while a small group of dying individuals experience what researchers call intolerable suffering, the vast majority of those with less than 6 months to live are already enrolled in hospice care.