Posted on 06/30/2012 9:01:31 AM PDT by marshmallow
Two weeks ago a young Italian mother gave up her life for her unborn child in a stunning act of saintliness, says Paul Williams
Chiara Petrillo was a 28-year-old Italian mother who apparently refused life-saving cancer treatment that would have damaged or destroyed her baby. Her baby, Francesco, was born perfectly well. Chiara died.
Chiara’s funeral took place a few days ago in Rome. But Francesco was not her first baby. Her first, Maria, was found in the womb to be terribly disabled. Chiara and her husband Enrico refused repeated advice to abort Maria. The baby lived for 30 minutes, and was baptised, loved and mourned. Chiara and Enrico’s next baby, David, was found in the womb to have no legs. Further complications followed and once more he died soon after birth, cherished, loved and celebrated to the end. Then Chiara became pregnant with Francesco. Chiara was found in the fifth month to have cancer, but she would not accept any treatment that would harm her baby. Sometimes love is like that.
But in terms of Catholic moral theory Chiara was not obliged to refuse life-saving treatment.
If treatment is given with the intention of saving the life of a mother, where the completely unintended result may nevertheless be to kill her unborn baby, it is morally acceptable. This is utterly different from killing the baby in order to save the mother. In the latter case one actually intends to kill the baby in order that the mother should live. Catholic moral theory, based on Natural Law, holds that it is never, absolutely never, morally acceptable to kill an innocent person in order to help another. This is no matter who that other may be. That is non-negotiable. So if Chiara had undergone life-saving treatment and Francesco had unintentionally.......
(Excerpt) Read more at catholicherald.co.uk ...
My screen got blurry.
/johnny
I’m so conflicted on this.
On one hand I agree with not wanting to hurt my baby still growing inside of me. Heck, I didn’t even want to take tylenol or tums when I was pregnant!
On the other hand, her baby doesn’t have her mother. I wonder how her child will feel when it grows up.
I wonder what trimester she was in. If she was in the third trimester they may have been able to induce labor a little early (32 weeks is the earliest I would personally go) then administer chemo to mom. That’s just a speculation and I’m not even sure if that was a possibility.
Its nice that she is an inspiration to so many people. I don’t know what I would’ve done.
I’m so conflicted on this.
On one hand I agree with not wanting to hurt my baby still growing inside of me. Heck, I didn’t even want to take tylenol or tums when I was pregnant!
On the other hand, her baby doesn’t have her mother. I wonder how her child will feel when it grows up.
I wonder what trimester she was in. If she was in the third trimester they may have been able to induce labor a little early (32 weeks is the earliest I would personally go) then administer chemo to mom. That’s just a speculation and I’m not even sure if that was a possibility.
Its nice that she is an inspiration to so many people. I don’t know what I would’ve done.
But to Obama and his ilk, it is all about mememememememe! It would have been easier to just not have punished her husband with a baby to take care of by himself. Sometimes you just have to realize that you have to do the right thing. The only down side to this story is that the youngster won’t get to know her, although she will be an inspiration.
If I recall correctly, she wrote a letter to her child, to be read later, explaining her decision.
I'm not in her position. I honor what she did.
/johnny
Sad, but what a wonderful legacy she bequeathed to her daughter, life.
You wrote:
“On the other hand, her baby doesn’t have her mother.”
No child has his parents forever.
“I wonder how her child will feel when it grows up.”
Very happy that his or her mother made the right choice so he or she can BE ALIVE.
Case in point: http://www.ignatiusinsight.com/features2005/hhitchcock_stgianna_feb05.asp
http://dominusjesuschristus.blogspot.com/2010/04/saint-gianna-mollas-saintly-husband.html
I wish these things never happened, but it is not as rare as you think.
This lady will become a saint because she is Italian...
Understanding the validity of your conflict, I was reminded of this:
“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for another...”
I feel fortunate to never have been put in that position.
Thank you.
“How can she kill herself to save the life of a foetus. The foetus is, after all, replaceable.”
A fetus is NOT replaceable. This baby was sent by God and this mother knew that and was not going to risk the child to save herself.
And another thing, people keep acting like life is so grand for an adult but it can be torturous, maybe the mother is much happier now. I am sure many people would not continue to suffer here on earth if they had the choice. This is after all satan’s realm.
OH and another thing, I would die in the place of any of my children, no questions asked. They know this too.
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