Bishop Robert N. Lynch of the Diocese of St. Petersburg in Florida has issued a statement on the Terri Schiavo case. He writes:
At the end of the day (the judicial, legislative days) the decision to remove Terri’s artificial feeding tube will be that of her husband, Michael. It is he who will give the order, not the courts or certainly the governor or legislature or the medical personnel surrounding and caring for Terri. In other words, as I have said from the beginning of this sad situation, the decision will be made within a family. A significant part of that family feels they are outside of the decision-making process and they are in great pain and suffering mightily.
He then remarks upon "the seeming intractability of both sides." Well, despite all of the talk of "complexity" and "tough decisions," this isn't such a complicated matter. And there is an intractability because one side wishes to kill Terri and the other side wishes for her to live. There is no compromising. For a far better take on the realities of this case, read Reverend Michael Black's article, "The Case of Terri Schiavo: When Does Dignity End?" Also check out Pope John Paul II's document, "Life-Sustaining Treatments and Vegetative State: Scientific Advances and Ethical Dilemmas," which states:
I feel the duty to reaffirm strongly that the intrinsic value and personal dignity of every human being do not change, no matter what the concrete circumstances of his or her life. A man, even if seriously ill or disabled in the exercise of his highest functions, is and always will be a man, and he will never become a "vegetable" or an "animal". ...The sick person in a vegetative state, awaiting recovery or a natural end, still has the right to basic health care (nutrition, hydration, cleanliness, warmth, etc.), and to the prevention of complications related to his confinement to bed. He also has the right to appropriate rehabilitative care and to be monitored for clinical signs of eventual recovery.
This is not just a family matter or a decision for Terri's husband. This is case with far-reaching consequences and repercussions. It demands clarity of thought and bold leadership, not mere hand-wringing.
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