I was sick, and you visited me ****************************************************************************************** * ****************************************************************************************** ****************************************************************************************** * "A very effective means against euthanasia is personal experience with wellworking hospi ****************************************************************************************** *========================================================================================= * Martin Moravec, a physician and a priest, who lectures at 1st Faculty of Medicine of Cha is interviewed by Zuzana Matisovská *========================================================================================= *========================================================================================= * *========================================================================================= ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ St Agnes entrusted the Knights of the Cross with the Red Star with care for the poor and s country. In Martin Moravec’s life this calling is accomplished in a remarkable way. After medicine and several years of medical practice, he entered the Monastery of the Knights of studied theology at Catholic Theological Faculty of Charles University. These days he help in the parish f St Peter in Prague, Na Poříčí, as a doctor of 1st Internal Clinic of FNKV lectures at 1st Faculty of Medicine of Charles University. In the long term, he is interes care and in the current preparations for the act on euthanasia he cooperates on the establ care hospice. Many foreign experts claim that calling for euthanasia actually is calling for a better ca euthanasia a compensation of its lack. Is it true also in the Czech environment where in t public opinion surveys show that majority is for legalisation of euthanasia? Not only foreign experts, ours as well. I think that many people are in favour of euthanas bad experience. They have seen unsolved or even medical care induced suffering, which make “euthanasia is better than to live to see this.” The question is whether insufficient care by removing the needy, rather than removing the existing problems. There are also people w along economic lines and do not see a sense in spending money on “non-perspective” old and Naturally, there are some people who, despite being looked after well, do not see a purpos a situation of a terminal illness. Especially when they think that the only thing that is gradually losing power and increasing their dependency on others. We cannot dictate other out the end of their lives, but it is often possible to accompany such people. There is st difference between a situation when an ill person is killed by an illness and when we star other. Euthanasia is a complex ethical topic with far-reaching consequences, but I am afra few people realise them and reflect them. This also applies to legislators who are suppose about it in some time. The word euthanasia comes from Greek eu-thanatos which means “good death”. Is euthanasia r can offer our close ones? Terminating the life of a desperate person is not a good death in my opinion. On the contr a person to get out of their desperation and handle their burdensome situation, helping th unsolved issues, it is part of the process of “good” dying. Many people are afraid of phys can be solved in many cases these days. However, more often people suffer due to other rea we can differentiate biological, psychological, social and spiritual aspects. In well-work they can identify the source of suffering and find an adequate answer. If these needs are people do not ask for euthanasia and they are grateful for the time they have left. But even Christians often talk not only about pain but about not wanting to depend on othe For some people the most difficult thing would be a situation when they would “burden” the I would not want that as well. But have a look at it from the other side. Isn’t there a da way pressure would be made on financially or otherwise “difficult” sick people? That it wo from them and it would be a kind of a moral “duty” to terminate such life? Is it connected with the general reluctance to think about this matter differently, not ac relationship dimension of life – the fact that we are constantly dependent on each other i it is not possible to avoid it and in certain periods it naturally becomes more intensive The people’s lack of trust in others may contribute to this. It is typical that many docto not want to be admitted in hospital. Maybe, if we could be sure that we would be looked af situation well and humanly, we would stand our dependence on the care by other people bett solving the quality and problems of our health care sector, we consider acceleration of de facing a choice between two bad solutions – the current form of care or euthanasia – when seem to be more acceptable for many. The hospice movement is a proof that there is a reali Naturally, there are differences between the individual hospices as well, similar as there between various facilities of other specialisations. The quality of care starts from the p it. Therefore, I believe that solution is not in new administrative measures but mainly in of health care workers. We can learn from those hospices who are generally recognized and experience to other health care and social facilities. Are people in health care open to learn to introduce elements emphasized in the palliative work? Personally, I often see that people generally appreciate a great value of the work o employees, but this attitude is utopic in their eyes and it is not worth trying to achieve psychological strain of the staff. They are convinced that simply nobody will want to do t It is not true that there would not be anybody interested in work in palliative care. On t there are more and more people for whom it is meaningful to give their time to the dying. reason could be that it differs from the standard hospital practice which is burdened unpr nowadays with administrative work. Health care workers do not want to be bureaucrats spend hours checking missing stamps and more paperwork. They want to be with the sick, maybe eve have good prospects from the medical point of view. The presence of palliative teams in ho a utopia any more. Where they started to work, we can see that their work makes it easier staff. Some patients and situations require a lot of time and social rather than medical i Some ill people demand something all the time – due to their need for presence of another accompanying can be delegated to specialists, the other health care workers can concentrat Is it important for a person working with the dying to have faith? Is this dimension refle the quality of the work performed? Can a person without a religious faith work in the area care equally well? It always holds that a person can give from what they have. Even someone who does not prof can perceive a unique value of a human being regardless how effective and healthy he or sh person will always be willing to give time to others and be there for them. And this servi person’s way to God – we do believe that Christ is present in suffering people (compare Mt worth noticing that many people working in caring professions are happy and satisfied and their work meaningful. Christian faith opens wider horizons, gives hope when faced with su dying and therefore is an undisputable advantage. However, there are believers who do not faith and there are unbelievers for whom their service is a way to faith. Experiencing tha can be a very difficult, but still beautiful and precious time can change your attitude to finally to faith as well. I believe that very effective means against euthanasia is person with well-working hospice care. Are the demands on hospice workers any different from the demands on an employee in a stan facility? An irreplaceable task of the hospice workers who believe in God is to accompany the dying Naturally, it is a task of a Christian in any job, but it becomes more urgent towards the It is necessary to realize how precious this time is, not to slip into a routine, to a car that I have experienced “this” many times and nothing can surprise me. As an important sig of a person is humour. Even in this service, it is necessary to be able to laugh at someth different from cynical ridicule. A joke proves that a sense of details and uniqueness has It is a way how to grasp and process experiences. A specific feature of hospice care is a teamwork. It is necessary to be responsive to your colleagues, to be able to support each stand in. Do you think that the whole matter of euthanasia and palliative care can be considered a s as it is described by the Second Vatican Council? God’s love which changes us and which we show through concrete deeds of mercy is always on effective ways of evangelisation. Calls for euthanasia are definitely a sign of our times, that something needs to be changed. There are people who are abandoned and ignored in thei Christian must enter this area. We have something to offer if we come not only on our beha A significant feature of our faith is the ability to see Christ in the things surrounding only a moral law of Christians but also our spirituality. I do not know any other way. The text was first published in DOXA, vol. 6, no. 1, December 2019 [ URL "https://www.ktf. version1-doxa_10_2019_web_fin.pdf"] , pp. 17 - 19.