A Catholic Approach to Parental Authority in Cases of Medical Futility Derived from the Principle of Subsidiarity

The centrality of the family in decision-making is common across most of Western intellectual and legal tradition. English Common Law, as explained by Sir William Blackstone, mentions parental maintenance as obligatory under Natural Law. Catholicism has always considered the family as the cornerstone of childhood formation and with that responsibility comes a primacy of authority over the needs of their children. This article argues that this primacy, seen through the lens of the principle of Subsidiarity, gives parents the chief authority over health care decisions in cases of medical futility.