This is an awesome development in the Culture Wars, folks, one whose impact cannot be overestimated. No longer can spineless bishops like Terri's equivocate on that which OBVIOUSLY is MURDER! Rome has spoken!!!
Pope Ends Debate over Nutrition and Hydration for Patients in Vegetative State
ROME, March 20, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In a speech today to the international congress on "Life- sustaining treatments and the vegetative state", Pope John Paul II has made the first definitive statement on nutrition and hydration, ending years of debate among theologians. The Pope clarified that removal of nutrition and hydration from patients in a vegetative state who are not otherwise dying is gravely immoral.
Alex Schadenberg, of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition is in Rome at the conference and told LifeSiteNews.com, that the issue has been troubling for Catholic Church leaders for many years with different bishops and theologians coming to different conclusions on the matter. "The Bishops of Texas said a couple of years ago that nutrition and hydration in the case of a patient in a vegetative state was optional, however the Bishops of Pennsylvania said that nutrition and hydration were mandatory, just as the Pope has affirmed today."
In his address the Pope taught "In particular, I want to emphasize that the administration of water and food . . . always represents a natural means of preservation of life, not a medical treatment." He continued, "Its employment is therefore is to be considered, in principle, proportionate and ordinary, and as such morally obligatory."
Thus John Paul II confirmed that by commission or omission, euthanasia is "a serious violation of the Law of God" and is the "morally unacceptable deliberate killing of a human person."
Schadenberg told LifeSite that the Pope directly contradicted Catholic theologians such as the famed Kevin O'Rourke who suggest that when a person is no longer able to exercise higher functioning he ceases to be a person. The Pope said, "I feel the duty to reaffirm with vigor that the intrinsic value and the personal dignity of every human being does not change." He said, "A man, even if seriously sick or unable to exercise his higher functions, is and will be always a man, he will never become a 'vegetable' or an 'animal'."
The Pope said cost cannot be a factor as human life is of supreme value. Moreover considerations of "quality of life" pain management cannot factor into the equation when dealing with denying nutrition and hydration since such considerations stem from a principle of eugenics.
See the Pope's full address (in Italian) at: http://www.vatican.va/news_services/bulletin/news/14536.php?index=14536&lang=en
Thank God our Pope is JPII, not the worldlywise such as Destro.
So ends my rant and I return, having failed briefly, to my FR Lenten posting fast.
__________________________________________________________
The Pope said, "I feel the duty to reaffirm with vigor that the intrinsic value and the personal dignity of every human being does not change." He said, "A man, even if seriously sick or unable to exercise his higher functions, is and will be always a man, he will never become a 'vegetable' or an 'animal'."
The Pope said cost cannot be a factor as human life is of supreme value. Moreover considerations of "quality of life" pain management cannot factor into the equation when dealing with denying nutrition and hydration since such considerations stem from a principle of eugenics.
Thank God!! Thank you Pope John Paul, Thank you phenn, and all you wonderful FReepers who have kept Terri's story alive. Thank you, thank you, thank you and God bless you, too. Do you know what people did with the elderly and infirm in early America? They made long cradles for them and kept them in the kitchen/keeping room where they could be kept warm and lovingly tended throughout the day and night by family members. That's all Terri's parents are asking. To be allowed to take their daughter home where they can lovingly care for her and cherish her the rest of their and her days. What is so wrong with that, world? How is it now considered progress to kill where once we had love and respect for ALL God's children? It's NOT:
Luk 16:13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
and
Isa 60:12 For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, [those] nations shall be utterly wasted.
Jesus Christ is the Light of the world. This country was founded in His name, to be His Light to the rest of the world. HE HAS BLESSED AMERICA, more than any nation on earth. To whom much is given, much is expected. We stand at a crossroad. What will we do? Will we let our honor be given to another?? I don't know about the rest of America, but I want to continue to be THESE PEOPLE:
Isa 65:24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. http://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/Isa/Isa065.html#24
Act 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: http://www.blueletterbible.org/tsk_b/Act/10/3.html
Luk 14:13 But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the MAIMED, the lame, the blind:
Luk 14:14 And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/g/o/goodking.htm
Thank you again, phenn!!