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La sfida dell’eutanasia e una proposta nella prospettiva della teologia della pace. I. Una chiarificazione terminologica e le principali risposte offerte dalla tradizione

Summary: Difficulties arise when looking for a precise interpretation of euthanasia as a phenomenon due to the different meaning associated with the term throughout history. This is why a definition of terms is indispensable. Those who request euthanasia in most cases wish to depart a world that has abandoned them physically and spiritually. The response Catholic tradition offers to this problematic issues is based on the conception of the sacredness of all life, which is derived from the theology of man created in the image of God and saved by the Incarnate Word. In his “Summa Theologiae” under the topic of homicide, St. Thomas Aquinas deals with suicide and gives three reasons against it. The Magisterial documents of the Church, following this Tradition, focus on the sacredness and the mortal condition of human life. However, in certain challenging situations, the traditional reasons against euthanasia could prove to be less convincing and to have their limits. To overcome this, these reasons can be anchored and strengthened by the Theology of Resurrection. This last reflection will be presented in the second part of this article.