Summary
SAN JOSE, Calif. - A new pronouncement by Pope John Paul II - that patients in a "persistent vegetative state" should not be denied food and water - is sending shock waves through Catholic hospitals.
The pope called feeding these patients "morally obligatory," and described the practice of withdrawing feeding tubes as "euthanasia by omission," a viewpoint that appears to contradict existing policy followed by American Catholic hospitals. His remarks could also create problems for families of patients who request do-not- resuscitate orders or establish living wills asking to end treatment if they enter a coma or similar vegetative state.See the full content of this document
Extract
Pope Stance Riles Catholic Hospitals
The pope's remarks are likely to intensify an already emotionally charged debate over care for the comatose, with the battle over withdrawing a feeding tube from Terri Schiavo, a brain-damaged Florida woman, garnering national headlines and i...
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