The BBC is reporting that the Senate approved by a margin of 50-17 an extension of the country's existing euthanasia law to allow doctors to euthanize children who are terminally ill, in great pain, and for whom there is no available treatment. The new law also stipulates that the child must be conscious of their decision and understand the meaning of euthanasia and his or her parents and medical team must approve of the request.

The bill still requires approval by the lower house of parliament, but it is widely expected to pass that chamber.

Belgium decriminalized euthanasia for terminally-ill people over the age of 18 in 2002. When this new law is approved, it will be the first country in the world to remove age limits on the practice.

"Experience shows us that in cases of serious illness and imminent death, minors develop very quickly a great maturity, to the point where they are often better able to reflect and express themselves on life than healthy people," said a group of 16 pediatricians who urged passage of the law in a Nov. 16 statement.

Many lawmakers agree, including Sen. Jean-Jacques de Gucht of the Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats.

"There is no age for suffering," the Senator said, "and, next to that, it's very important that we have a legal framework for the doctors who are confronted with this demand today and for the minors, for the capable minors, who are suffering today, and who I think should have the freedom to choose how they cope with their suffering."

However, opponents of the bill argue that children are not capable of making such a decision.

"We think that children don't understand the character of death, they don't understand the irreversibility of death," said Els Van Hoof of the Christian Democratic and Flemish party to the BBC. "They are also influenced by authority, by their parents, by the medical team. So, to take a decision which is a huge decision about their death we don't think that they are capable of doing it."

The Church in Belgium, which is primarily a Roman Catholic country, is vigorously opposed to the practice of euthanasia which is considered "morally unacceptable" (Catechism No. 2277) because it is "gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person and to the respect due to the living God, his Creator."

However, the Church does not require that a dying person be kept alive by extraordinary means, and encourages the use of palliative drugs to relive suffering at the end of life.

This article by Fr. William Saunders explains Church teaching and why there is a great difference between purposely killing someone and allowing a person to die peacefully with dignity. © All Rights Reserved, Living His Life Abundantly®/Women of Grace®  http://www.womenofgrace.com