[B Knotts]

I know what popes do, but I believe you are extremely confused.

The "1980 encyclical" you refer to was not an encyclical; it was a declaration from the prefect of the Congregation for Doctrine of the Faith, and was written by Franjo Cardinal Seper, the prefect of the CDF at the time.

It did not address the issue of nutrition and hydration directly, but reiterated that normal care must always be given:

When inevitable death is imminent in spite of the means used, it is permitted in conscience to take the decision to refuse forms of treatment that would only secure a precarious and burdensome prolongation of life, so long as the normal care due to the sick person in similar cases is not interrupted.

If you're going to lecture people on what the Church teaches, get your facts straight.

[lugsoul]

“One cannot impose on anyone the obligation to have recourse to a technique which is already in use but which carries a risk or is burdensome. Such a refusal is not the equivalent of suicide; on the contrary it should be considered as an acceptance of the human condition, or a wish to avoid the application of a medical procedure disproportionate to the results that can be expected, or a desire not to impose excessive expense on the family or the community.”

That's what I'm referring to, not yours.

The former Pope decided, for himself, that a feeding tube did not meet this definition. The Church has not done so.