Teach, Preach & Vote   Dear Father:   The November 3rd Michigan ballot will include a proposal seeking the legalization of physician-assisted suicide in our state.  Obviously, this referendum proposal runs directly contrary to our Church's teaching on the dignity of human life from the first moment of conception until our last natural breath.  In this letter, I want to outline in broad strokes our pastoral and public response to this pressing issue so that the proposal will be soundly defeated.   As I see it, we can look at this situation in two ways – what we can and should do within our Catholic Church community and what we can and should do in the broader civic community.  You and I have the privilege and duty to speak to out people about all life issues; over the last couple decades, we have been instructing our Catholic people about the Church's teaching on questions of abortion and euthanasia, capital punishment, and other moral issues.  Now, more the ever, we need to read and interpret the Sunday Scriptures through the lens of our Church's teaching on the sanctity of life.  And, at the same time, we need to impress upon our Catholic faithful how important it is for them to exercise their right and responsibility as citizens by voting in this November's election.   As a possible complement for your own preaching on physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia, I will be taping a brief pastoral message which could be played in video or audio format at your parish on a weekend of your choosing, presumably during the month of October.  Out of respect for the diversity of parish programming and scheduling already in place, my message will not be tied to a particular set of Sunday Scriptures.  The tape could be used for the homily of played at the time of post-Communion announcements or at other parish gatherings.   Versions of my message will also be available in Spanish and Polish.  We will also make the printed text available to all parishes in the event that you would like to read all or part of the message or include it in your bulletin.    October 3-4, 1998, is our annual Respect Life Weekend; Materials have already been sent from the Pro-Life Office of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops.  I trust that you will review these materials and use them as appropriate.  I also ask that you review the Pastoral Letter which we Michigan Bishops sent to all Catholic households of the state earlier this calendar year, Living and Dying According to the Voice of Faith. There was also a five-minute formational video that accompanied the Michigan Catholic Conference mailing, Faith, Hope, and Love, which you should also have received.   Our Holy Father's Encyclical, The Gospel of Life, treats the topics of euthanasia and pain management in a very readable and clear manner.  There are also other authors who address end-of-life questions from a theological and pastoral perspective: for example, the Gift of Peace, the reflections of the late Cardinal Bernardin regarding his own dying of the late Henri Nouwen's book on dying and caring, Our Greatest Gift.  I also recommend Tuesdays with Morrie, Mitch Albom's story of how he was changed by sharing the final journey of a former teacher and friend who was dying.   When and where schedules can be arranged, the auxiliary bishops and I would be more than happy to preach and/or deliver a brief message at the end of Mass on the obvious conflict between the ballot proposal and the Church's teaching with regard to euthanasia and assisted suicide. Already listed only calendar are a rally and Mass for the people of the Archdiocese on Sunday, October 18th, at St. Rene Parish in Sterling Heights.  Earlier that month, October 4th, you and your parishioners will be invited to a prayer service at the Shrine of the Little Flower Church in Royal Oak immediately following the annual Life Chain event which takes place along Woodward Avenue. Details will be forthcoming.   In all our parishes across the Archdiocese, we must help our Catholic people understand that we are at a medical-moral watershed.  Simply put, unless there is a majority "NO" vote, physician-assisted suicide will tragically be sanctioned into law.   Unfortunately, the way events have evolved over the last several years here and elsewhere, the debate has largely been shaped by those who are in favor of assisted suicide: they speak about a person's right to decide how and when to die; they also define "compassion" as the elimination of pain by ending life.  As I recently told The Michigan Catholic newspaper, "I hope my fellow voters will see the (Merian's Friends) ballot proposal for what it is.  While advocates claim they seek a 'right to die,' what they're really after is a 'right to kill.'"   For our part, we need to empathize that life is a gift from God; dying is a normal part of the process of living itself.  We are stewards of a blessing over which we do not exercise absolute control.  Our decisions impact the lives of our family and friends and even shape the society around us; no one of us acts in isolation.  Experience from the Netherlands, where physician-assisted suicide has been legalized, tells us that opening the door to assisted suicide starts us down a whole pathway in which any life that is physically, mentally or psychologically limited could be endangered.  We proclaim a message of hope: no one has to die alone or unwanted, in pain or distress.  As brothers and sisters in a family of faith, we live and die together in Christ.   To date, media profiles have primarily featured people who are suffering in extreme circumstances without any pain medication.  The implication is often made that the Catholic Church requires a person to suffer as long ands as much as possible.  As you know, this is simply no the case!  Our church tradition allows for many forms of pain management.  This is a point which needs to be greatly highlighted with out Catholic people.  Put another way, physician-assisted suicide is not only unthinkable in our society, it is unnecessary.  We do not need a ballot proposal to change the myriad of legal and ethical options for those facing end-of-life decisions.   As a church, we do not need to feel apologetic in the least; we stand behind our teaching with concrete financial and moral assistance.  For over two years, we have had in place Project Life, a crisis intervention/response  hotline and website providing referral and counseling to persons contemplating assisted suicide of abortion.  We have handled over 500 cases; in some instances, we have even provided the funds necessary to help persons complete their life journey in the supportive environment of hospice.   As general rule, experience has shown that it is better for us not to refer to specific candidates by name but rather to speak directly to the issues.  In certain situations, however, as a part of our message, it may be necessary for me and other leaders to make specific reference to a given candidate.  This is particularly true in this year's gubernatorial race, where one candidate has capitalized on his role as the lawyer and champion for jack Kevorkian bad his 100-plus assisted suicides.  The New York Times reported on August 8th that this same candidate has "… described the Pope with mocking vulgarities … regarded Jesus as 'just some goofball that got nailed to the cross' … and once compared the Council of Orthodox Rabbis of Greater Detroit to Nazis."   While we should not stand silent in the face of such obvious bigotry, I believe our most productive course of action will be to speak and teach clearly and consistently – on the issue of physician-assisted suicide.  In other words, we need to keep our focus on the ballot proposal rather than the outrageous personal attacks that will, no doubt, be targeted at religious institutions ands, specifically, at the Archdiocese of Detroit.   Dan Piepszowski, Director of Christian Service for the Archdiocese, has agreed to head the Archdiocesan campaign against physician-assisted suicide.  He has already put together an impressive and dynamic network of leadership from Catholic hospitals, hospice centers, our Catholic Social Service Agencies and other organizations which work on behalf of human life; he is building on the Project Life network which has been successfully in place for over two years now.   During the month of October, we intend to mail to all Catholics of the Archdiocese a short brochure outlining what the Church teaches on assisted suicide and some thoughts about pain management.  The Christian Service Department is also putting together a list of professional speakers who will be available to conduct parish presentations on this topic.  At the same time, the Department of Education is preparing age appropriate materials for Catholic school classrooms, religious education programs and youth groups.   As a way to best utilize these many resources, I am asking each parish to select a "parish coordinator" to link with the Central Service Offices and with Vicariate Councils.  Under separate cover, you will be sent a form requesting the name of the contact person in your parish; please fax it back to the Christian Service Department as soon as possible.  You parish coordinator could be a member of your staff or a volunteer; in either case he or she should be a member of your  Gospel of  Life Public Policy Team.  Details on the Team can be found in the Gospel of Life Leadership Kit that was presented to parishes last fall.  The coordinator's main job will be maintaining communication between and among the Archdiocese, the Vicariate, and your parish staff, as well as facilitating your local programming efforts.   Thus far, I have spoken to our efforts to help our Catholic people understand the issue and from their conscience.  There is also a related campaign which involves other religious denominations and the wider population of the metro area.  This external campaign is every bit as vital as our internal Catholic campaign.  We need to make sure that this matter of physician-assisted suicide is not framed solely as a "Catholic issue."   Last May, I sent you a copy of a joint statement against assisted suicide which I signed with seven other religious leaders representing Christian, Jewish and Muslim faith communities.  We are also working with business and political leaders.  In fact, I am proud to say that many Catholic laity are stepping forward to speak out on this issue in many different settings and media; their professional and personal voices represent a powerful witness on behalf of life.  And, there is more to come. Making the most of this "team approach, " we will be working together using the electronic and print media to advance our communication efforts.   I realize that you have many other challenges immediately before you but the referendum should be our highest priority between now and election day.  I ask that you join me in special prayer and fasting on behalf of this cause.  I also trust that you will do everything possible to speak to this topic a number of times in these weeks before the election.   Here in Michigan we are blessed with articulate bishops in each of our dioceses.  We also have the professional staff at the MCC. Yet, ultimately, the success of defeating the referendum proposal for assisted suicide does not depend on any one person, organization or office; each of us has our part to do so that all people of our state will have well-formed consciences as they go to the polls on November 3rd.   Sincerely yours in the Lord,   Adam Cardinal Maida Archbishop of Detroit August 1998