The recent euthanasia of a nearly two-year-old child in the Netherlands shows that the idea of mercy is “often used nowadays to justify ethically questionable actions,” a top-ranking Dutch cardinal has said.

Speaking to Crux Now, Cardinal Wim Eijk, president of the Dutch bishops’ conference who also serves as the conference’s bishop on medical ethics, explained that the case of the disabled child who was euthanized late last year shows that mercy is misunderstood in Western cultures.

“The word ‘merciful’ is often used nowadays to justify ethically questionable actions. However, is it merciful to violate the fundamental dignity of the human person by ending their life?” Eijk said.