By Bob Sullivan
Since I write this column, you know that I am an apologist and a bit of an evangelist, however, some of you also know that I am an attorney.
As an attorney, I get calls from people with all sorts of legal needs. Sometimes legal needs overlap with other sorts of needs as well, including spiritual needs. While this is common in matters of religious freedom and constitutional law, for some, it is also a large part of estate planning.
Some Catholics have not received the Eucharist for nearly a year because some facilities will not allow priests or Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion entry to their facility. Some Catholics have died without having an opportunity to make a good confession to a priest, or without receiving the Last Rites or an Apostolic Pardon for this same reason.
However, there are things you can do to increase your chances that your spiritual needs will be met near and at the end of your life.
Your estate planning documents can help your appointees make decisions about more than paying your bills, distributing your assets, and giving doctors and nurses consent to treat you. Since these documents can include specific directions regarding your faith-based needs and desires, they should. Not only does this take any guesswork out of the decision-making process, it gives clear authority for everyone to see.
Your own relatives can disagree, and sometimes healthcare providers may not fully understand your spiritual needs, especially during a pandemic. This way, if someone questions whether you really wanted something to take place, they can look at the document and see it with their very own eyes. Even if your wishes are not always honored, you are almost guaranteed they will not be honored if you don’t clearly state them in your official estate planning documents.
Examples of provisions you could include in your Power of Attorney for Healthcare:
- You want your parish priest or the local priest notified as soon as you are admitted to the hospital or care facility;
- You want the anointing of the sick;
- You want to receive the sacraments as frequently as possible, such as the Eucharist from a priest or an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, and especially Viaticum if at all possible;
- You want to have regular visits from a Catholic priest and the priest should be added to the list of close family and friends so the priest can get into the facility;
- You want to have certain Catholic music, or Spirit Catholic Radio played by your bedside, even if you are non-responsive;
- You want to watch or listen to a televised Mass if you are unable to attend Mass in person;
- You want to make a spiritual communion everyday if you cannot receive the Eucharist;
- You would welcome it if someone was willing to read Scripture to you for at least a few minutes each day if you are unable to read yourself;
- You want a crucifix in your room, a rosary and some holy water within your reach, or any other sacramentals you like to use in your prayer;
- Your brown scapular should never be removed for any reason, and that if it breaks, your attorney-in-fact must provide you with a new one (with your own funds of course) immediately;
- You want someone to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet at your bedside if your death seems imminent;
- You want to receive the Last Rites (James 5:14-15) and the Apostolic Pardon if your death is considered imminent;
- That if you are incurably ill;
-- You wish to die naturally with only the administration of medication or medical procedures to provide comfort, care, or to alleviate pain, including nutrition, hydration, and a comfortable room temperature;
-- You do not want food and hydration if they would be harmful;
-- That no life-sustaining procedures that serve only to artificially prolong the dying process are to be used; and
-- If you should lapse into a persistent vegetative state or have an incurable and irreversible condition that, without the administration of life-sustaining treatment, will cause your death within a relatively short time and none of the agents appointed by you are reasonably available: you do not want life sustaining treatment that is not necessary for your comfort or to alleviate pain, including nutrition, hydration, and a comfortable room temperature.
In your Durable Power of Attorney (the one for financial matters), you may want to state that your agent is to continue to make regular monthly donations to your parish and the other Catholic Charities you have supported.
Examples of things you may want in your Will:
- You want a funeral Mass;
- You want a specified amount (i.e. $100.00) of your money used for memorial Masses for you and/or your loved ones;
- That you want 30 Gregorian Masses said for you (currently a $300.00 donation);
- What you want your funeral to include, such as the readings, the music, a graveside ceremony, etc. (all of which can be arranged by you through your funeral home);
- That you want to leave some property or specified funds (including memorials) to your parish, Catholic school, or other Catholic institution.
If you do not yet have a Will or Powers of Attorney, you should look for a faithful Catholic attorney to help you plan your estate. If you already have an estate plan, it would be wise to look at the documents to see if you have your spiritual desires spelled out, and if you do not, contact your attorney and have him or her prepare new documents which include the exact faith-related directions you want.
