The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1954-02-12
Just Among Ourselves
Passing Comment Considered or lneonsidsrsss

ticle attributed to unnamed doctor,--that is to
say. nameless physician for there are many sorts
of doctors in this muddled world in which the
ory subject of mercy killing discussed An editorial
note of introduction tells us that the article is 'the
frank story of one doctors experience facing i'm
portant problem" 1t adds that the article is not
an argument for or against mercy killing"
II was the perceptive G.K.C. who remarked in
of his essays that whenever speaker or writer
displays the adjective frank" you may be sure
that he is trying to fool somebody, or everybody.
After all, when man begins his discourse by claim
ing to be an honest and straightforward man, he
must feel that his position is shaky, and that he
has somehow TO engender confidence in his audi
tory. or he must know that what he has to say
is indecent or unworthy. and so he throws up
kind of defence called "frankness' to make his re-
marks acceptable.
The play OF julius Caesar presents notable
instance of this "frankness" in the stirring speech
of Antony If there was a sly and scheming
politician. ii this same Mark Antony. In max
ing his orstion over the dead Caesar he intended 10
stir up trouble and lots of it, he intended to pre-
sent arguments and strong ones for action against
the conspirators whose leaders we're Cassius and
Brutus And therefore in the very beginning of
his speech he had 10 declare with assumed hon
esty and frankness that he did not intend 10 make
trouble and that he had thought of seeing the
conspirators properly msnhsnded.
Mark Antony had not receptive or sympathetic
audience. Brutus had the people by his pro
fessorial speech, 10 The belief that Caesar
tyrant, we'll deserving the murder that had been
done upon him. AS Antony going TO the plat
form to make his speech he heard the remarks of
the citizens. This Caesar was tyrantr Nay,
that's certain: we are blessed that Rome is rid of
him. And citizen speaking of Antony said,
'TWere best he speak no harm of BrutuS here"
Certainly Mark Antony knew it an occasion for
"frankneSS"
lie told the citizens with well muffled irony
that the conspiratOrs were noble men and he would
not for the world say anything against them Then
he went on by skillfully presenting somewhat
faneifu picture Of Caesars virtues and of his great
love for the common people, to change the atntude
Of the crowd. And even when their emotions had
been swayed to his liking he still kept harpng on
his "frankneSs" He cried. Il am orator as
BrutuS is but, as you know all, plain, blunt
man" In other words I'm just discussing this mat
Ter with you trotlflg'
Those who make liberty the cloak for malice;
those who make patriotism the cover for treason,
are not more numerous than those who make so
called iranknesS the mask Of indecency, immortality,
unworthy and evil purpose When you find an
article introduced by note that calls it frank
be guard you are about to be fmflammed
This article on mercy killing says that the
word killing" is alien to the doctors vocabulary.
doctor does not want TO kl-no, thousand
times no. But tand note the sly use OF adverbs In
the following senenee) the physicians task is TO
cure, to heal or at the very least TO enable his
patients to live as comfortably and usefuly they
can Right here challenge this nameless doc
tor. lie has not rightly expressed the physicians
task This task is TO heal to cure If that cannot
be TO enable the patient 10 hUe That is his task.
II he can make the patient live comfortably ii is
oil ! ha uka live fnnd one
wonders what is meant by that: every life is
full. ii is TO be used for winning the eternal hap
piness OF a souD il is we'll But the doctors business
is to preserve life Anything else he do for the
patient is merely incidental
If human life is not more precious than the life
Of hog steer there is nothing unreasonable In
the nameless doctors thought of destroying it, But
surely suffering human being is more than horse
with broken leg that is to be shot or an old dog
Wreched with weakness and disease that Is TO be put
out of its mistory Human life has its principle in
spiritual soul, which, by its free conduct during
bodily life merits eternity of veal or woe. The
last distressing moments of an incurable disease
may be the moments during which the soul will
turn at last to God and find salvation II is queer
sort of mercy that would deny opportunity
for salvation or for added merit.
To whom is mercy shown in mercy kng?"
Not to the patient Only TO the spectators to the
patients suffering, IneSe dear Ioik including the
tenderhearted doctor who is frank but not frank
enough to sign his TO his Sneaking article
emotonally distressed TO the patient suffer
And,-canny thought-they are distressed that his
sickness involves them in trouble and expense. So
with soft words and fearful sghs, they stick knife
in him, poison him. And then they have the in
sufferabe brass TO call the murder deed of mercy
Man does not own his life. II is Gods gift, to
he kept and used until God takes il away The Com
mandment Thou shalt not kill iorbds wilfu
murder. whether merciful not, of oneself and
Of others No doctor, even at the solicitation of
the patient or with his permission dare. without
direct violation of the divine and natural law, TO
destroy human life. no matter what the crcum-
stances.
The Redbook article is purportedly neither for
nor against mercy killing But it is in itself
offence against decency and morality. No
has the right even 10 consider to discuss
the feasibility or practically of committing hor-
rble crime for the sake of making things socially
neat convenient. And further the frank
discussion of strictly forbidden topic is frank
but brutal and vile. BY its very nature cannot be
anything else.