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As followers of Christ, we know that death is not final, for Our Lord Jesus promised all His followers that we will see Him face to face and share eternal life with Him. Yet, despite our hope in Christ, we know that dying can present great difficulties, not only to us, but to our loved ones as well. 

 

Part of the difficulties will have to do with the physical dying process itself. Others will be more spiritual. Intertwined in all of these are the many decisions that we and our loved ones will have to confront. 

 

We pray that you do not wait until you or a loved one is near death to reflect on the issues we must all confront at the end of life. Now is the time to talk through these issues with your family and anyone you might designate to make end of life decisions on your behalf. We know from our experience at the bedside of countless individuals that great serenity can come from honest and open conversations and advance care planning. 

 

This fourth revision of our pastoral letter, Now and at the Hour of Our Death, is designed to give Catholics the Church’s moral guidance, helpful resources, and practical tools to prepare for the end of life and to relieve some of the pain, sadness, and anxiety that dying entails. We also seek to provide guidance to those in the health care profession who face these questions daily, as they strive to serve those who are experiencing suffering and death.

 

From: Now and at the Hour of our Death, 4th Edition, a pastoral letter from the Roman Catholic Bishops of Wisconsin, Nov. 2, 2024