Schiavo Case: Living Wills, Autopsy Not the Answer, Says Fr. Pavone of Priests for Life

U. S. Newswire ^ | April 7, 2005

[topher]

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=45487

From US Newswire

Schiavo Case: Living Wills, Autopsy Not the Answer, Says Fr. Pavone of Priests for Life

4/7/2005 8:48:00 AM

---

To: Metro Desk

Contact: Jerry Horn of Priests for Life, 540-785-4733

NEW YORK, April 7 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Fr. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, who was with Terri Schiavo during the hours and moments before her death, issued the following statement today:

"In response to the Schiavo case, many think they should draw up a living will. This, however, is both unnecessary and dangerous. We cannot make treatment decisions today for circumstances of tomorrow that we cannot predict. Whether a medical treatment is morally required depends on those circumstances and therefore cannot be determined in advance. It is always morally required, moreover, to provide food and water to a patient, because food and water, even when provided artificially, do not constitute medical treatment but rather humane care. We are not morally permitted to request starvation and dehydration.

"In regard to the autopsy of Terri Schiavo, the results -- whatever they may show -- are irrelevant to the moral judgment that she was murdered. The level of brain damage that she had can never justify what was done to her. Life does not lose its value and dignity when it is damaged."

------

For more information see http://www.priestsforlife.org.

Priests for Life is an Association of the Faithful recognized under the Canon Law of the Catholic Church, and is a 501(c)3 tax- exempt organization. Its mission is to assist the Church and all people of good will to protect human life from abortion and euthanasia.

http://www.usnewswire.com/

-0-

/© 2005 U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/

Printer Friendly Format

© 2005 U.S. Newswire

A Division of

[topher]

Father Frank Pavone feels people are being misled that a living will is the answer or an autopsy is the answer.

He voices his concerns/issues.

He spoke to friends this morning that it was legal for the NAZIs to murder the Jews in Germany during Holocaust -- but though this murder was legal, it was extremely immoral.

The murder and execution of Jesus Christ was wrong 2000 years ago, but it was still legal, as yet another famous example.

[k2blader]

Bump.

He raises excellent points.

[topher]

Ping

[orionblamblam]

> many think they should draw up a living will. This, however, is both unnecessary and dangerous

RIIIIIIGGGGHHHT.......

[TheDon]

It is always morally required, moreover, to provide food and water to a patient, because food and water, even when provided artificially, do not constitute medical treatment but rather humane care. We are not morally permitted to request starvation and dehydration.

Amen to that!

[topher]

Perhaps, but indicating that you want your organs donated to save others' lives is a beautiful, pro-life thing to do.

I don't think he was referring on things after the person was dead. It is more that if you have certain things in your living will, then people might be disposed of as useless eaters.

NAZI Germany actually disposed of 94,000 mentally incompetent persons before they started the extermination of the Jews. The Gas Chambers used for this in Hospitals were later moved from the Hospitals to the Concentration Camp.

Father Frank's warning is that if you put your life in someone else's hands, that may not be answer. The real problem is the Culture of Death -- in particular the Euthanasia advocates.

[TheDon]

"In regard to the autopsy of Terri Schiavo, the results -- whatever they may show -- are irrelevant to the moral judgment that she was murdered. The level of brain damage that she had can never justify what was done to her. Life does not lose its value and dignity when it is damaged."

This sounds dangerously like the "facts" don't matter. Now where have I heard that before? He's absolutely right about this point.

[JoeGar]

... many think they should draw up a living will. This, however, is both unnecessary and dangerous.

This guy seemed like a wacko every time I saw him on TV. Now, he seems like a wacko in print! I don't know anyone who wants to live like a vegetable.

[kms61]

Many patients refuse to eat or drink when they are in the end stages of a terminal disease. Providing food and water in that instance is neither necessary or humane, so I disagree with him that if is "always" morally required.

[DJ MacWoW]

You need to do some research on living wills.

And this case might interest you.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1379196/posts?page=1,50

[DJ MacWoW]

I don't know anyone who wants to live like a vegetable.

How insensitive can a person get?! Do people volunteer to be amputees? In wheelchairs? What are your qualifications for judging the worth of anothers life?

[TheDon]

The intention was that food and water not be withheld from a person, it is not to restrain their right to refuse food and water under the conditions cited. It is always morally required to offer food and water.

[TheDon]

It seems there are plenty of people who have no problem killing vegetables, eh?

[Saundra Duffy]

Thanks for posting this. Seems like the politicians are hiding behind this living will stuff - missing the point that Terri was murdered. I guess they think we'll all just forget about Terri and go away with our living wills on file. Not gonna happen. NEVER FORGET!!

[TheDon]

The real problem is the Culture of Death -- in particular the Euthanasia advocates.

Unfortunately, many people, even FRiends, think euthanasia is okay if that's what the person wants. They are quite offended that their written wishes would not be followed when it includes killing them!

[orionblamblam]

> there are plenty of people who have no problem killing vegetables

Guilty as charged.

Mmmmm po-ta-toes... mash 'em, boil 'em, cook 'em in a stew...

[kms61]

Okay, if that's what he means. I just don't want someone trying to insert a feeding tube against someone's wishes. That would be as bad as removing one without consent.