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Questions & Answers

DNR

Faith Q&A › Metropolitan Youssef › Christian Living › DNR

The question

How does the church view DNR (do not resuscitate) e.g., a cancer patient at end of life or a patient that has heart failure that keeps on going into the hospital every week?

The answer

The church allows for DNR orders. If a person has a severe chronic medical condition and no longer desires to receive difficult and intense treatment, the church will permit the individual to make that personal decision. This is not in any way to be confused with euthanasia, which the church forbids. If a person has a living will for when he/she can no longer make decisions for themselves, the church will respect their written wishes. If one is caring for someone else, he/she may make that decision if it is confirmed that the patient is in a pervasive vegetative state.

Answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab)

Related questions

Questions answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab) of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. Question 1736 on the Diocese’s Q&A site. Questions and answers © Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. All rights reserved.