ROME — From March 17 to 20, the International Federation of Catholic Medical Associations and the Pontifical Academy for Life hosted the International Congress on “Life-Sustaining Treatments and the Vegetative State: Scientific Advances and Ethical Dilemmas” in Rome at the Augustinianum University. The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition's Alex Schadenberg was in attendance, and authored a special report released on April 20.
Dr. Gian Luigi Gigli, President of the International Federation of Catholic Medical Associations, in a news conference on the question of nutrition and hydration, said that patients in a persistent vegetative state “should not be treated as terminal, as many as 43% of vegetative patients are misdiagnosed, and, in some cases have recovered after being unconscious for years.”
Physicians argued both for and against the withholding of nutrition and hydration.
Pope John Paul II's address to the Congress put to rest the questions that remained for many physicians. The pope reiterated the long-standing Catholic teaching that the provision of assisted nutrition and hydration for a person in a vegetative state who is not otherwise dying is to be considered normal care and obligatory. As stated in the papal address: “Death by starvation or dehydration is, in fact, the only possible outcome as a result of their withdrawal. In this sense it ends up becoming, if done knowingly and willingly, true and proper euthanasia by omission.”
The definition of euthanasia that the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition uses is: “an action or omission of an action which of itself or by intention causes death in order that all suffering may be eliminated”. Therefore EPC recognizes euthanasia to include an intentional act and an intentional omission of an act done to cause the death of a person.
See also:
Full Special Report written by Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
Also, Commentary on the Address by Pope John Paul II
ROME — The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition's Alex Schadenberg issued a special commentary yesterday on Pope John Paul's recent address to the International Congress on “Life-Sustaining Treatments and the Vegetative State.”
Schadenberg said, “I feel the need to make a commentary on Pope John Paul II's address to the international congress. Many people who were not present at the congress have attempted to distort the papal address, by either misinterpreting the address or by attacking the very nature of the papal address.”
“Pope John Paul II established two very important precedents by making this address on March 20,” Schadenberg continued. “First, the pope effectively reinforced the human nature of all persons, no matter their state in life. He especially reinforced the humanity of people in a vegetative state.”
“Second,” Schadenberg said, “the pope stated that people in a vegetative state have the right to receive basic health care which includes nutrition and hydration. Therefore, Pope John Paul II makes it clear that to withhold or withdraw food and fluids from a person in a vegetative state who is not otherwise dying is euthanasia.”
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(This update courtesy of LifeSiteNews.com.)
