The Sign of the Dying Body: How the Theology of the Body Helps Us to Die in Love
For centuries, Christianity held “the art of dying” as one of the deep calls of each Christian and the pastoral work of the Church. How do we reclaim that? Do we need a fresh look at the art of dying well through a consideration of dying as a sign?
My father-in-law died a very long and disabling death, suffering mini-strokes that affected his balance, strength, and memory. After years of peaks and valleys, he moved into his last days at home, with the help of hospice and his family. My husband broke away from our family travels to fly home and be with his parents and siblings for the last five days. There was prayer, waiting, brief talking, observation, prayer, sacramental anointing, more prayer, more waiting, steps away to take a brief walk, and more prayer. Finally, his father died, and hours later, I asked my husband how he was. He smiled wanly and shook his head in wonder, saying “That was the most intense retreat I have been on in my entire life.”
In a less intense manner for most of us, there was the long, observed dying of Pope John Paul II as well. John Paul II was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease years before his death in 2005. Over the years, many commented on how he seemed to be dying in a very emphatically public fashion: traveling, meeting people, giving audiences…
