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>>>In a major victory for right-to-die advocates in Roman Catholic Italy, prosecutors on Tuesday cleared a doctor of wrongdoing after he switched off the life support of a terminally ill patient who had asked to die. >>>
The doctor didn't commit euthanisia, he merely let a person refuse treatment.
After watching my mother suffer with cancer, I thought "Wow, that Dr. Kavorkian doesn't seem like such a bad fella". My mother never would have set up her own suicide, but she surely sympathized with someone who was destined to live a brutal life for years on end. Luckily, her suffering was shortlived compared to some, but death doesn't come so quick for some.
Flame retardant suit handy.
Great news, now all the right-to-diers can kill themselves!
There must be more to this story. My understanding of Catholic teachings is that a respirator may qualify as "extraordinary means" and it would not be euthanasia to turn it off.
Let's see. Roe v. Wade : right to abort in first trimester now equals abortion on demand regardless of baby's age or health.
Pulling the plug at patient's request will devolve into euthanasia of the weak, unwanted or burdensome regardless of the victims' wishes or health.
This Doc is no hero.
ping
The patient required a respirator because he was paralyzed and had muscular dystrophy. I'm sure there was great suffering, but "suffering" is a subjective term. Where does one draw the line? Some people are mentally ill and suffering "torture" just by thinking their next thought. Some people are in "torture" as diabetics, or quadroplegics, etc. Although I would never WISH such a sad fate as Piergiorgio, Christ shows us there is redemption in the smallest and the greatest suffering.
The implication here is great, because his life or death came down to the opinion of a doctor, who agreed with his patient. Piergiorgio could not have died without the assistance and assent of the doctor. It opens the door to the "expert" opinion of other doctors to place a death sentence on comatose patients, patients who have irreversible brain damage, or patients who have no will to live whatsoever.