Italian government passes emergency decree to save Eluana Englaro

CatholicNewsAgency ^ | Rome, Feb 6, 2009

[GonzoII]

www.catholicnewsagency.com

Italian government passes emergency decree to save Eluana Englaro

Eluana Enlargo

Rome, Feb 6, 2009 / 10:50 am (CNA).- Italy’s Council of Ministers, headed by Silvio Berlusconi, unanimously approved an emergency decree on Friday to stop the father of Eluana Englaro from killing her by removing hydration and food. However, this morning at the clinic La Quiete, where Eluana is staying, the process to end her life was initiated.

According to the newspaper La Repubblica, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi commented on his motivation for passing the emergency decree, saying, "I do not want the responsibility for the death of Eluana."

The decision of the ministers could become law, but still requires the signature of Italy’s President Giorgio Napolitano, who is reportedly against the decree. Unless the decree is signed, Englaro’s feeding tube will be removed today, after which it will take two weeks for her to starve to death.

The Italian newspaper La Stampa reported on Friday that Prime Minister Berlusconi spoke with the Vatican’s Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, but the Vatican "categorically denied" a phone conversation ever took place. La Stampa’s story was following the oft repeated accusation that the Catholic Church is trying to sway the political decisions surrounding Eluana’s case.

Copyright @ CNA
(http://www.catholicnewsagency.com)

[GonzoII]

Good News Ping!

[pgkdan]

I have to seriously consider moving to Italy...

[NYer]

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[NYer]

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[NYer]

President of Italian bishops’ conference pleads for life of Eluana

Rome, Feb 6, 2009 / 11:30 am (CNA).- The Archbishop of Genoa and president of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, has issued a fervent plea that Eluana Englaro, the Italian woman who has been in a “persistent vegetative state” for 17 years, not be euthanized by her father, who intends to remove her feeding tubes today.

In a story published by the L’Osservatore Romano, the cardinal points out, “We are at a very grave and sad moment in the history of our beloved country, and the death by euthanasia of Eluana Englaro” would be “a grave wound” and a “failure.”

“We are very concerned because this kind of a path toward euthanasia would have a very painful conclusion, it would be a grave wound in our culture, which has always been a culture that promotes, cares for and defends life in all of its forms, especially when it is most fragile, as our Pope has recalled,” the cardinal added.

Cardinal Bagnasco said, “The degree of civilization of a people, of a culture, is marked first of all by its capacity to respect and embrace, in the most beautiful, most responsible way, life when it is fragile: from the moment of conception until natural death.”

Outside the La Quiete Hospital, where Eluana is being kept, pro-life groups have gathered to offer prayers and solidarity with the woman known as “Italy’s Terri Schiavo.”

[pappyone]

Shivo all over again. Get the f ing government out of our family decisions.

[GonzoII]

"family decisions"

Hit man decisions you mean..

[wagglebee]

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[wagglebee]

Shivo all over again. Get the f ing government out of our family decisions.

So newbie, you think that a person's family has some "right" to kill them for convenience?

You may be confused, but Free Republic is a PRO-LIFE forum, not some liberal pro-death site.

[militant2]

A good tag line might be “Leaving FR now to join the democrat blogs”

I only wish the government would’ve interceded in the Shiavo situation.

Militant

[Lesforlife]

“The care of human life and happiness and not their destruction
is the chief and only object of good government”

Thomas Jefferson

[wagglebee]

LMAO!

[wagglebee]

Get the f ing government out of our family decisions.

Well troll, you should be happy to know that your comrades agree with you:

Italy’s Communist President Refuses to Sign Passed Temporary Measure to Save Eluana Englaro

[little jeremiah]

The articles says they have “started the process to end her life” or something - when are they going to stop that??

Such disgusting euphamism.

[little jeremiah]

So right - why should the government interfere if I decide my old father’s quality of life is no good? I’m sure he’d want to die if he could talk!

[pappyone]

Evidentially, you've not had the heart rending experience of holding your fathers or mothers hand as they lay dying from a terminal illness. I've done both. You are a fool if you think the government should have a role in the decisions made at the end of life. And yes, end of life is a medical term, the point at which medical science no longer has any treatment options available. I am probably the most conservative person you will ever meet. Conservative does not mean abrogating family decisions to the government. You want the government involved in the end of life decisions, would you also let the government tell you when to start a life, like deciding when you and your wife could have a baby, or maybe the government could decide that the baby your wife is carrying is defective and should be aborted. In fact, I guess you support Pelosi’s failed contraception millions to “help the economy through limiting the number of children born”. There's you government telling you how to care for your family.

[Red Reign]

Maybe we should starve you, troll! I mean, starve you of something other than intelligence. That apparently happened quite some time ago.

[pappyone]

Cue response, but childish. How in the hell can you call yourself a conservative when you advocate government interference in the most basic of life decisions? Look at the flip side. Would you want the government telling you and your wife when or even if you could start a family? Or a quota on the number of children? That's the biggest of big brother interference in individual freedom.

[wagglebee]

You are a fool if you think the government should have a role in the decisions made at the end of life.

It is a GOVERNMENT COURT which is ordering her death, just like what was done with Terri.

And yes, end of life is a medical term, the point at which medical science no longer has any treatment options available.

Hey troll, we ALL need food and water.

I am probably the most conservative person you will ever meet.

That's the funniest thing I've ever heard.