Originally published at National Catholic Register
Moral theologian and Creighton University School of Medicine professor Charles Camosy touted the results on Wednesday, noting in a post on X that the measure was in keeping with West Virginia’s ‘history of defending human dignity.’
With 90% of the vote tabulated as of 9 a.m. ET Wednesday, the effort to add a constitutional amendment in West Virginia prohibiting “medically assisted suicide, euthanasia, [and] mercy killing” was headed toward passage with the support of 50.5% of the Mountain State’s voters.
The amendment to the state Constitution’s Bill of Rights, titled “Protection Against Medically Assisted Suicide,” would bar persons, physicians and health providers from participating in the practice.
The amendment clarifies that the ban does not prohibit “the administration or prescription of medication for the purpose of alleviating pain or discomfort while the patient’s condition follows its natural course; nor does anything in this section prohibit the withholding or withdrawing of life-sustaining treatment, as requested by the patient or the patient’s decision-maker, in accordance with state law” nor does it prevent the state’s use of capital punishment.
Bishop Mark Brennan of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston was vociferous in support of the measure, writing in a statement that “suicide, even if
