German bishops reject surrogacy and assisted suicide, back organ donation

Germany's Catholic bishops and the Deutscher Caritasverband (German Caritas association) restated their positions on bioethics at their fall meeting in Fulda, rejecting surrogacy and assisted suicide and backing organ donation. The statements come amid debate over medical and health care ethics in Germany and across Europe.

Surrogacy

Bishop Franz-Josef Overbeck of Essen said surrogacy always violates human dignity, whether or not it is altruistic. "Even in the case of an altruistic pregnancy, the child becomes an object and an object of contract," he said.

Overbeck rejected the distinction some legal systems draw between altruistic surrogacy, in which no payment is made, and commercial surrogacy. Both, he said, share the same ethical flaw: they treat the child and the woman carrying the pregnancy as instruments.

The bishop said he recognizes the suffering of couples facing infertility, but added that "the protection of the human dignity of the child must be a priority."

Assisted suicide: prevention and therapeutic support

Eva Welskop-Deffaa, president of Caritas, called for a change of direction in the debate. Rather than accepting assisted suicide as a valid option, she said, the Church proposes "focusing efforts on prevention and therapeutic support for those who suffer from serious illnesses and suicidal thoughts."

She said "the state has the responsibility to protect the freedom to want to live."

Welskop-Deffaa also said "assisted suicide should not be a requirement for the coverage of health care costs" by insurers.

Algorithms and risks in health care

Welskop-Deffaa warned of "cuts in the health sector and the use of robots in the care of older people," saying such robots "could be programmed to recommend assisted suicide in moments of despair."

"We are all aware of what algorithms can do," she said.

Treatable pain and palliative care

Auxiliary Bishop Anton Losinger of Augsburg said "many people consider suicide because of fear of pain or because of social or psychological crises."

He said that "with adequate pain treatment and palliative care, the desire for suicide can diminish in many patients." The Church calls for investment in palliative medicine as an alternative to legalizing assisted suicide.

Organ donation: solidarity without pressure

The bishops expressed support for increasing organ donation. "Whoever donates their organs acts in the spirit of Christian charity and human solidarity," they said.

They added that "there must be no pressure or coercion in this process," and called for "a system in which every citizen is officially asked about their wish to be a donor." The Church rejects models that treat donation as the default or that put pressure on families who are grieving.